Finca Dos Caballos

06/11/2023

My sweet 6 yr old mare Montañas had a lovely little rider today, Daleyza Manzaba. Montañas hasn't been ridden much, but she's always been happy to carry someone who treats her well.

Mi yegua dulce, Montañas, que tiene 6 años fue montado por Daleyza Manzaba hoy. Montañas ya no estaba montado mucho pero siempre está feliz llevar alguien que la trata bien.

29/10/2023

A video of the filly born Wednesday which Facebook wouldn't allow me to post with the photos in the first post about her.

Un vídeo de la potranca nacido el miércoles que Facebook no me permite subir con las fotos.

29/10/2023

A filly was born on the farm from QTS Nancys Fancy Girl (aka Nancy) and Skipin QT Poco Fox (aka Zippy). She was born on Wednesday evening, the October 25, 2023. She hasn't been named, yet. She's for sale, but obviously can't leave until she's around 6 months old.

Una potranca nació la noche del día de miércoles (2023-10-25) de la yegua QTS Nancys Fancy Girl ("Nancy") y por el productor Skipin QT Poco Fox ("Zippy"). Ya no tiene un nombre. Se vende, pero obviamente no puede salir de la madre hasta tiene unos 6 meses.

26/08/2023

El Caballo no está aquí

para recompensar
para competir contigo
para controlarte

El Caballo responde a

quien estas (en el momento)
como sientes
que piensas
que haces

El Caballo está aqui

para permitirte aprender
cómo ser un mejor tú
--y eso es una bendición

Joanna Verikios

18/08/2023

Friends, please help my friend and neighbor Violeta Bravo Barzola Even the smallest contribution is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Violeta is a single bad ass single mama who works hard as a farm laborer in the town of Ol… Matthew glaser needs your support for New humble home for Violeta

17/07/2023

My friend/neighbor Violeta posted these photos of my horses. You can see what she wrote in the screen shot of her post.

10/12/2021

"QTS Fancy Fox" (possible registered name) having some fun on her third morning. She's a filly from QTS Nancys Fancy Girl ("Nancy") and by Skipin QT Poco Fox ("Zippy").

05/12/2021

There's a new addition at the farm this morning, a filly from QTS Nancys Fancy Girl ("Nancy") and by Skipin QT Poco Fox ("Zippy"). She's already come to me to say "hello" a couple times.

19/01/2021

I had a close encounter of the semien kind today. This is the first time I've seen one of the Howler Monkeys this closely and unobscured.

05/12/2020

Oakwood Veterinary Service

Here is a radiograph of an almost two year old horse. It is that time of year when people get excited about getting their two year olds to a trainer to get started under saddle. Here is a perfect example of why not to be in such a hurry. This horse will be two in May and when we sent these radiographs of his knees/carpus to a specialist at a university. We were told this horse should not be started in a training program for another 10-12 months because his growth plates in his knees were not closed enough. Starting a horse that is not physically mature enough can have long term effects like osteoarthritis and chronic lameness issues. If you have any doubt, you can always have radiographs done to see if the growth plates are closed enough for the work required by a training program.

05/12/2020

One of the great things about living on Finca Dos Caballos is all the animals, domestic and wild, by which I'm surrounded. Just a few minutes ago as I went out my driveway with my horses to put them in the front pasture, I was greeted by the call of howler monkeys. I've known there were a couple on the farm for about a year. Today, I was able to get the best video so far. And I got a pleasant surprise, they seem to be thriving as there is a youngster in addition to the 2 adults

21/10/2020

Happy 1st Birthday to my little Star!

A new filly was born during the night from QTS Nancys Fancy Girl (aka Nancy) and by Skipin QT Poco Fox (aka Zippy). She is pure American Paint Horse.
She has one blue eye and one brown.
She is for sale.

Nació una embrita durante anoche de QTS Nancys Fancy Girl ("Nancy") y por QT Poco Fox ("Zippy"). De raza pura American Paint Horse (Cuarto de Milla pintado). Tiene un ojo celeste y un ojo marrón.
Se vende.

21/10/2019

A new filly was born during the night from QTS Nancys Fancy Girl (aka Nancy) and by Skipin QT Poco Fox (aka Zippy). She is pure American Paint Horse.
She has one blue eye and one brown.
She is for sale.

Nació una embrita durante anoche de QTS Nancys Fancy Girl ("Nancy") y por QT Poco Fox ("Zippy"). De raza pura American Paint Horse (Cuarto de Milla pintado). Tiene un ojo celeste y un ojo marrón.
Se vende.

25/10/2018

These photos were taken when Nancy's c**t was a week old. Need to take some more photos

25/10/2018

The puppies have grown a lot over the last 3 weeks. The boy (mostly brown) is now called Bruno. The girl (mostly white) is called Eva.

04/10/2018

This is Nancy's second beautiful baby. Born 1 October 2018 at approximately 8 AM. This one is a c**t and appears to be homozygous. He'll be tested for homozygous, the 5 panel, and registered. Haven't decided whether to keep him or sell him, but he won't be sold cheap, esp if homozygous.
He's already pretty sweet. Nancy popped him out as soon as I arrived on the farm from Quito! So, I think she was wanting to welcome me home!

04/10/2018

There have been 3 additions to the farm family in the last few days. I'll start with the 2 smallest. First there's Gruñon. At least that's what he's been called by the friends who gave him to me. Not sure I'll stick with it. Suggestions welcome.
The 2nd at least temporary member is the mostly white pup in the last photo. She's actually supposed to be my friend Byron's pup, but he asked if she could stay here a while.
They're Pit Bull & wolf cross.

26/09/2018

Common w**d killer linked to bee deaths

WOW, most people thought it was just certain pesticides killing bees. But now they've found a link to Glyphosate (aka RoundUp) use!

https://phys.org/news/2018-09-common-w**d-killer-linked-bee.amp

The world's most widely used w**d killer may also be indirectly killing bees. New research from The University of Texas at Austin shows that honey bees exposed to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, lose some of the beneficial bacteria in their guts and are more susceptible to infection an...

06/09/2018

Yeah, there's a sloth on my farm again! This is the 3rd Sept out of the 4 I've spent in Ecuador that we've seen a sloth. Going to try to get some better photos with a camera, as opposed to the one on my phone.

27/08/2018

This is the most recent c**t, born 16 June. Up until 2 or 3 weeks ago he wouldn't let me touch him, possibly because they were out most of the time and Murphy (Rockin Topless) hasn't been trained with much natural horsemanship and isn't as interested in people as my other horses. I need to make time play with her more.

This was the 2nd time the c**t was "bathed" for ticks. The first time was by one of my employees. While I was eating breakfast. He couldn't get him to stand. The c**t (who I've been calling Corazon Valiante or Valiante) just ran around while he tried his best to spray him from a distance w/out getting his head.

This time I started scratching him while he was laying down and he stayed as he'd done in the pasture the week before. I rubbed him all over with the halter. Slipped the halter on and scratched some more. Then softly asked him to stand and he obliged and followed the feel of the halter to come to me. After some scratching and a bit more "follow the feel" and friendly game, I tested to see how he'd respond or react to the sound of the sprayer just spraying the air. He was fine.

A little spraying of him, he was fine. Then as the cold water started to pe*****te the fuzz and touch the skin, he got a bit anxious and jumpy. I just rubbed him where it was wet and he calmed. He had some more areas like this, but in the end he let me apply it to all his body including in his ears. And this photo was around the end. Plus he still comes up to me in the pasture. So, I guess we're getting to be friends.

He's for sale. Se vende.

14/08/2018

This is what I've mainly been doing for days alone as I don't have money to pay more people. In case you don't recognize the plant or fruit, this is cacao (cocoa). The plants are 2 1/2 yrs old. We didn't have much rain in rainy season and it now hasn't had water (other than a couple days with light showers that barely wet the surface) since early May, yet theyre still increasing production. Normally they reach more or les maximum peoduction around 3 yrs old. I think these will be later because of the dry rainy season and many are under sized for their age. The 2nd pic shows the quantity that were on this little plant after cutting them off. I've had as many as 19 fruit on one plant. However, there are still some plants not producing at all. I plan to plant more cacao in the next rainy season. The bucket has The part that's used. There's really not a lot of fruit, just enough to make squirrels want it. Then the big seeds are what are used for chocolate after fermentation and drying--also my job right now.
The employees I have (one 5 days a week, others as needed) are doing other things like harvesting corn, w**d-whacking between the cacao and fixing damage.

14/08/2018

Yesterday as I returned to the main plantation to harvest more cacao I decided to check a lime tree that's produced 2 small crops already. As I approached, I saw the 2 mature limes that were missed last harvest which had dropped to the ground. (Yes, they turn yellow when mature.) As I stood up, I saw the flowers and some young limes.

12/08/2018

3 years ago we planted 26 coconut palms on the farm. 23 have survived, and 3 of those are starting to flower!

30/07/2018

THIS IS NO COMPLAINT, just observation!

We exited the driest and hottest dry season in 30 years about 2 months ago. Dry season goes normally until late December here.

IT'S RAINING NOW! Well a shower anyway and the second in about 12 hours! Keep it going! Keep it going! No complaints!

15/05/2018

Another view from my other pasture, while bringing the other horses in for the night. This time riding Ginger who was a gift from Susan Camille Northrop. We had a fun day together doing various things.