The Perfect Weekend

I know it's only early August, but this weekend we definitely began to feel an edge of autumn in the air. With temps never breaking 80, we had the kind of weekend where we could hardly believe our luck that our JOB is to ride all weekend!

With the cooler days, and the apple trees on the property covered in fruit, the deer are now out in full force, and I lost track of how many we saw. And up close! On one ride, a young doe stood stock still, not 15 feet away, as we rode by.

At the end of the day, we turn the horses out so that they can graze all night, and I'd been meaning to take a picture of them on the hill for months now. I finally did, and the picture here of Cheyenne relaxing after a long day, with the mountains in the background, should give you a little bit of a feeling of life at K & K at its best.

As summer starts to fade, and we all look ahead towards our fall obligations, we hope you'll take the time to join us for a trail ride...there's just nothing else quite like it.

Mickey and the Self-Serve Window

Some of you may recall how Mickey the Goat, in his early days, liked to be carried from Point A to Point B, pausing underneath particularly flavorful shrubs to be held up while he ate the leaves. Well, time has passed, and Mickey is no longer quite the easy armful that he used to be. He does, however, still adore the taste of leaves of one bush in particular. Since he's now a Fully Liberated Goat, who can come and go as he pleases, he's discovered a convenient way to savor his favorite treat. Not tall enough to reach them while on all fours, he stands up on his back legs, and grazes away.

As anyone who owns goats will tell you...they NEVER let mere inconvenience get in the way of tempting snacks. And when he's bored with the bushes, he's recently taken to heading out to pasture with the horses to graze. It's a pretty impressive size disparity, but he seems, as always, unfazed.

The Deluge of July 27th

Well, this weekend was a bit of a wash for us, riding-wise. It RAINED. And not a nice, gentle misting, either, but a full-on, gully washing, check your basement every 15 minutes to make sure the washer hasn't bobbed away kind of rain.
The upside is that prior to this, we'd been far too dry, and water was starting to become a logistical issue. Now, the water table is up...both in the well, and the paddocks, and corrals... You get the picture.
Speaking of pictures, the above one is of a pair or our ducks...SWIMMING in the corral we normally use for pony rides. I'm pretty sure they were the only animals thoroughly delighted by the weather. Mickey the Goat and Licorice the Lab kept us company in the tack room, which made for some pretty crowded quarters! And a lot of..."Mickey, get out of the trash!".
While we waited out the storm in the tack room, with the horses snug and dry in the barn, we got a chance to practice our Project Runway skills in crafting some rain-wear out of "found objects" (also known as trash bags). Some artful cutting by Laura, and brave modelling and use by Sam, and the end result was something to behold. (Editor's note: I'm currently accepting bribes to post/not post the photos of Sam's very best, fierce model pose, knee deep in a puddle!)
While we missed the chance to ride, we really did need the rain. Looking ahead to this weekend's forecast, no such torrents are predicted, so come see us and hit the trails! Worst case scenario, we'll take you on a canoe ride!

Darby

Darby is one of those horses every ranch needs...calm, level-headed and smooth-gaited. (No jackhammer trot from him, thank you very much. While we haven't yet tested whether you could carry a glass of water on his back without spilling, it's our current working hypothesis!) If you're a novice rider, looking for a horse to look after you on the trail, or a more experienced rider who can appreciate a great temperment, he may be your guy.

When calling to make reservations, (518) 966-4829, feel free to ask if he's available, and we'll do our best to match you up! (Please bear in mind that we carefully match skill levels of riders with our horses, so while we try hard to accomodate special requests, we may not always be able to do so.)

Bunny cuddles

You wouldn't think that if you had a fur coat, and it was 90 degrees out, you'd necessarily seek out another heat-producing critter to snuggle up to, but our bunnies did this weekend. Here are two of them, in casual repose in the shade, breaking all local ordinances for allowable cuteness per square foot.

Haying

For those of you with farming experience, you know full well what a sunny, warm weekend in July means. Hay. Lots and lots of hay. And for those of you who are better prepared for this than I was this weekend, you will know that unloading hay in shorts is highly unadvisable, and renders the poor-planning individual rather battle-scarred by the end of the day!

Anyway, long story short, we had rather large quantities of the stuff to store this weekend, and at one point, Ethan (pictured on the left) called to me that Casper, our cat, was hiding between bales in a very photogenic way. Feeling like an intrepid photographer, I grabbed my camera and wedged myself down in the crevices. Bear in mind that this entailed having my fanny in the air, much to the endless hilarity of all around me! Of course, by the time I was even vaguely in position for the shot, Casper had had more than enough of the commotion, and high tailed it elsewhere, leaving me pretty empty handed. Ethan, however, being a good sport, stuffed himself down into her vacated spot, so all that effort wasn't wasted! While not ideal lighting by any means, I greatly appreciate his willingness to take one for the team!

So, if you pull up to K & K some weekend, and see a pair of legs flailing out of a stack of hay bales, don't be alarmed; feel free to join the rest of the crew in mocking me endlessly...!

Never a dull moment...

It was all rather "Make Way for Ducklings" this weekend at K & K, as we seem to be inundated with dozens of baby ducks and chicks, peeping all over the place, and running as fast as their little legs will carry them to keep up with their mothers.

In the continuing saga of Mickey the Goat-Who-Refuses-to-Correctly-Species-Identify, he did spend some quality time this weekend dozing with the lambs, while still blatantly turning his back on his fellow goats. When the novelty of four legged friends wore off, he escaped and recommenced following us all around, bleating sadly until either, a) being picked up and carried somewhere, or b) being given snacks. (And while I am sure I will live to regret this, he has developed a palate for grapes now, and prefers to eat them straight off the vine, while sitting in your lap. But who doesn't? I am firmly drawing the line at peeling them for him, though. It's tough love!)

Somewhere in all of this, there's a new children's book...maybe a hybrid of "Make Way for Ducklings", "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" and "Everybody Poops"....

Mickey-Species identity crisis?

Mickey the goat appears to have developed a bit of an identity crisis in the past week or so. No longer content with merely the life of a goat, he seems to be following in the pawprints of our farm dogs, and is convinced he has the capacity to be a lap-goat! Everywhere you looked this weekend, Mickey was trailing along behind someone, looking for attention, scratches behind his horns, and on perpetual lookout for handouts. (In case it's of interest, he is especially fond of blueberry bagels, but does NOT like grapes.) And heaven help you if you sat down to eat your lunch; you'd have a goat in your lap so fast, you wouldn't know what hit you! It's a good thing he's pretty little!

So if your life is a little short in the Pushy Goat Affection Department, which I suspect it is, you should really come visit! Mickey's a very sweet little guy who will be happy to fill those gaps!

Whew!

Well, what a great weekend at K & K! The weather was unusually ideal for the entire time, and so many people came that we got to spend all our time out on the trails. Thanks to all of you who joined us for the holiday-we had a fabulous time! One of the best parts of our job (other than getting to watch Cody the 4 week old foal grow) is getting to meet so many new people from all over, and helping them have a memorable experience.

So again, many thanks to all of you who came out and rode with us, and we hope to see you again soon!

July 4th

So...we're coming up on the the long weekend, and it's time to start making some plans for how to fill it up with activities for the whole family! BBQ's, parades and fireworks, of course...but what else? How about trail rides with the family? (Or without, if time AWAY from the family is what you really need!) The weather looks promising, especially for the 4th, and what better way to kick off a holiday weekend than a leisurely ride? Feel free to bring your picnic with you, and your volleyball...we've got lots of great places to have lunch in the shade, and a volleyball court with a view of the Catskills. We're open all weekend, 9:30-5, and we look forward to seeing you! For reservations, please call (518) 966-4829.

Licorice

Your first welcome to K & K will likely be a four legged one, and chances are good that the first face you'll see will be Licorice, our ridiculously friendly black Lab, and grand hostess of the farm. She's even been known to come along on trail rides, but is equally happy getting belly rubs from anyone available! (Like most Labs, she's pretty free with her affections. It's one of her great charms!) How could you possibly hope to resist those big brown eyes?

Kids!

From left to right, Mason, Sydney and Colby get in some quality time with one of our goats! Right now this goat, and his identical twin brother, are about 2 and a half months old. When they were younger (and smaller), we carried them from the barn to under a shade tree where they could graze during the day, and it was one of their favorite tricks to grab branches and eat leaves as they were carried by the bushes. We quickly dubbed this the "Goat Drive-Thru"!

Welcome to K & K!

Well, first and foremost, please bear with me as this blog gets up and running! The hope is to (eventually) have at least a weekly posting on farm events, with lots of photos, stories of escapades that could only happen at K & K, and information for anyone interested in coming to see us. For those who don't know, K & K Equestrian Center is a farm located in the Catskill Mountains of East Durham, NY, with 100 acres of woods, fields and hills. We offer guided trail rides for all skill levels of riders, and pony rides for the younger set. Our experienced guides will lead you through breathtaking scenery, ensuring your comfort and safety every step of the way. In addition to our trail horses and ponies, we have goats, lambs, piglets, chickens, the friendliest Labradors west of the Hudson River, and a new foal, Cody, who defies description in cuteness! So please, come visit us, have a fabulous family experience with enough photo ops to keep grandparents happy for ages, and liven up your vacation or weekend! (Reservations are suggested, so that we can assure we are best able to meet your needs and wishes. Please call 518-966-4829 for reservations and directions.)