Life on an Arabian breeding farm in Capitan, NM.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

This is how it began…


Well not exactly, the photo is actually from a few days after the fire started. They call it the Little Bear fire only it isn’t very little. It went from a fully contained 1/4 acre fire to a 38,000 acre fire last I heard, and it’s still not fully contained. The one fear Rudy has always had out here is of fire. So far over 240 homes have been lost. The fire started on a Monday, and the photo is from Friday. That night it seemed that the whole mountain was on fire, and it very nearly was. I tried to take photos, but my little camera, wasn’t up to the task. Saturday the air was full of smoke, and for the most part obliterated the mountains. I went about my usual routine, and then went to town for a few things. On my way back the road was blocked but we were in no danger. I went to April’s and they were already packing up. I wasn’t really worried for in spite of the smoke there were three ridges I could see between us, and Copper Canyon. It would take time for the fire to get across the canyon, and up the first of the ridges so no matter what we still had time.

My greatest concern was for my parents. After going home I went back to talk to the fire marshal to see about getting an ambulance to take them out. Mother was still recovering from the meds that didn’t work, and could not even get into a wheel chair. The fire marshal said the best thing would be for them to take her to the hospital so that’s what the plan was. When I started back to the house (sometime later) the ambulance showed up, and I told them to just to follow me. They were great getting my mother, and my father out, but they had to have a reason for her to be taken to the hospital. She had already begun wheezing from the smoke, and the bad reaction to the meds was good enough for us to get her in. The only bad part was they couldn’t go to Ruidoso, but had to take her to Roswell. Great, they were going back where they came from. Father gave me all the “papers he couldn’t live w/o” and off they went.

That was the easy part. I had four horses in pasture, and eleven more in stalls. Some are really good about loading, and some have never even seen a trailer. Ser-Haat I can’t even get a halter on. With three stallions I have to be careful about who I put with who. Our trailer, an old four-horse straight hasn’t been moved for three or four years, and a lot of things are rusted in place. I also have seven dogs, two cats, and two parrots that have to be moved. Yes, I’m slightly daft just in case you were wondering. April’s new boyfriend was there so at the very least I had an extra driver (I can’t trailer remember), and some brawn. We tried to use our trailer not too long ago, and I couldn’t get the ball out. After some more oil, and some heavy pounding it came out, and Robert was able to hook it up. Again that was the easy part. Katy’s stock trailer was also a four horse so maybe this would work. I am such an optimist, it borders on the insane. I have no idea who we loaded first except for Jeri. Our trailer has a stallion stall, and he’s an easy load. Actually no one was a completely easy load, and horses that I thought I would have no problem with suddenly acted like idiots. I know because of the smoke they were all panicky, but still, just because none of them had been in a trailer since we moved here, and they could smell the fire that doesn’t mean they can’t behave themselves. They of course had a different opinion.

After we got the two trailers loaded with some of the horses, I told April to get help from someone at the fairgrounds our final destination, otherwise we’d never leave. I still had young’uns I had no clue how I was going to get into a trailer. Robert came back with one of the trailers, and said help was coming. Thank you Lord, He does come through in a pinch. I’m trying to decide what my next move will be when Mike Hernandez, and Johnny (from Ski Apache) shows up. Rudy knows Mike, and I recognize Johnny. I pick, and choose who I will put with who. Everyone is panicky, and some won’t load except for me. Some need some extra encouragement from behind, but finally we have another trailer load. Johnny decides we need to set up a weanling chute for the ones that have never been trailered. Sounds good to me so we start with Ibn, but for the life of me I can’t remember who we put with him, Little Big Man or Ser-Haat. I think we put Ibn, and Little Big Man together. Ser-Haat went in the arena with the rest of the horses, and Ibn, and LBM went in the big red barn with Jeri. Stallions you know, no one wanted any issues or surprises. Anyway LBM, and Ser-Haat went through he chute we created as well as could be expected. Stormy was the problem child. They didn’t have the trailer close enough to the barn gate, and wouldn’t you know Stormy skinnied through scraping his hip all to you know what, and gone.

Off he goes, and off we go on foot trying to catch him. Johnny was ready to skin him alive after about an hour or so. I could have rounded him up with Marina, but she was in the front portion of the 4-horse stock trailer. We went everywhere around the front of the property. I closed off the gates to the house (and freedom), but scared as he was he wasn’t about to go too far. Finally we herded him into the pasture, and loaded the rest of the horses save two.

We took all the partitions out of my trailer, and made a very narrow chute for Stormy to go through, but now we had to get him out of the pasture, and herded into one of the stalls so we opened all the gates. Of course first we had to find him, ten acres is a lot of land full of trees. I took the gator and went all over only to discover (after I went everywhere) that they had him up in the front of the pasture. They got him out of the pasture and over towards the two mares that were left. Slowly, quietly we coaxed him towards (of all places) his stall. Yes we did it, he was in his stall now all we had to do was get a halter on him. By this time he is pretty well played out, and I’m able to herd him to the front of the stall in a corner. He’s tired, scared, and finally wanting some reassurances. Once I can get close, and start petting him he gives in, and hugs me so tight I thought he’d never let go. I ask for a halter, and lead, and Johnny very slowly approaches, and is able to hand me the halter w/o panicking Stormy. Stormy for his part is quite willing to accept the halter, and I easily lead him through the stalls into the barn.

Now I just have to get him in the trailer. How I did it I can’t remember but I get him in, and Johnny ties him in while I get the butt bar on. Poor thing he was trembling all over. This was just too much for him. The last two mares go into the stock trailer w/o too much trouble, and off they go. It’s almost dark, and I still have to get the rest of the animals loaded into my truck along with the computers, and paperwork I can’t live w/o. I get two small birdcages from the barn, and put the parrots in those. The cats go in cat carriers, and the small dogs in the large dog crate. It’s at this time I discover that the reason Sky didn’t eat his breakfast was that he had a large lump on his throat. I checked his teeth, and it wasn’t an abscess so the only thing I can think of is that something bit him. Unfortunately there’s nothing I can do at the time, but put him in the crate. I gather food for everyone, get a sheet to cover the birds, and cats with, throw in a few dog dishes along with the computers, and the two kitchen bags with paperwork. The cops had come sometime before telling me to leave, and I of course said we were working on it. I was holding LBM at the time who freaked at the lights from the police cars. They tried to tell me to leave the animals, but of course that was never an option. It was almost dark by now, and the fire had not gotten to the ridge so I figured I could probably have stayed, and almost did, but I had the truck loaded so I might as well leave. I couldn’t take the chickens (no more room, and no more crates, so I stuffed the four big dogs in the front seat, and off I went.

I was too tired to be scared, nor did I ever have a sense of danger. I told Rudy I had all the animals, the computers, paperwork, and my wedding ring, so we were good. Poor thing he was 1600 miles away with a broken down truck, and a load he wasn’t going to be able to deliver. At least he could stop worrying about me, and the animals, and like I said the rest didn’t matter.

To be continued…


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