JS2 Ranch

I went out early this morning to get videos of Story.

A little while later, I left to pick up the kids from two-a-days.

We hadn’t been gone five minutes when my daughter-in-law called.

The driveway alarm had gone off…

She walked outside…

And found two strange men in our yard trying to wrangle Story.

She immediately sent me a picture.

My stomach dropped.

I called my husband, who was only about five minutes away, and told him to get home RIGHT NOW.

He was surprisingly calm.

He said he thought they were probably the two men he’d hired to help with a welding job.

Sure enough…

They were.

Crisis averted.

But that still leaves one very important question…

How did Story get out?

The fence is solid pipe.

She couldn’t have gone under it.

She couldn’t have gone through it.

And she definitely couldn’t have jumped over it.

One minute she was safely inside with her mom…

The next, she was calmly walking toward two complete strangers.

We’ve checked everything.

We still have no explanation.

At this point, I’m convinced all those fairy portal stories have given Story actual superpowers. 😂

Thankfully she’s safe back with her mom…

But my heart?

It may never fully recover. ❤️

🐴 I wasn't expecting this...

310 days gestation.

He still had nearly a month to go.

The night before, his mom's bag wasn't even full. There were no obvious signs she was about to foal.

So when I walked out to check the herd the next morning...

This was the last thing I expected to find.

A brand-new c**t.

Born outside with the herd.

At just 310 days gestation, he was considered premature. We prepared ourselves for the possibility that he might be small, weak, or need intensive support because so many things can go wrong when a foal arrives that early.

But this little guy had other plans.

From the moment I found him, he was bright, strong, determined, and ready to take on the world.

Today, you'd never know he got such an early start. He grew into a beautiful, healthy horse and became one of those unforgettable reminders that every once in a while... nature loves to surprise us. ❤️

🐴 Breeders... what's the earliest healthy foal you've ever had? How many days gestation?

🐴 Minutes old…

Already keeping his poor mama on her toes. 😂

Within minutes of being born, he was prancing, bucking, spinning, and changing directions so fast his poor mama could barely keep track of him.

She was just trying to keep up…

He had other plans. 😂❤️

This is why newborn foals are my favorite. One minute they’re figuring out how their legs work… the next they’re convinced they’re training for the Kentucky Derby. 🤣

Be honest… did you smile when the zoomies started? 😂👇

🚨 BREAKING NEWS…

We have reason to believe Lucy called 911.

The ambulance drove right past our house…

Apparently that was unacceptable.

So she did what any responsible neighborhood watch captain would do and attempted to redirect them using the song of her people. 🐺🚑🎶

Then she proceeded to file an official complaint because I told her she couldn’t have second dinner.

The drama. The betrayal. The false accusations.

I’m just trying to keep this dog from becoming a meatball. 😂

Does anyone else have a dog that’s 99% drama and 1% actual emergency? 😂👇

🔥 Marked for more.

When Jagger was born, we didn’t notice it at first…

Then we looked a little closer.

Right there on his back was what looked exactly like a phoenix rising.

That’s how he earned the nickname “Rise of the Phoenix.” 🐦‍🔥

The craziest part?

More than a year later… it’s still there.

Watch to the very end to see the original marking… and what it looks like today.

Do you see the phoenix too, or is it just us? ❤️🐦‍🔥

If you’ve ever wondered why I’ll never trade ranch life for anything else…

This is why.

The quiet mornings.

The horses.

The golden light.

The stillness before the world wakes up.

Some things can’t truly be explained…

They have to be experienced.

What’s the most peaceful place you’ve ever watched the sun come up? 🌅🐴

🐴 Why are these horses chasing me through the woods?! 😳🌿

I had to laugh…

Because Granola and Sunny had absolutely no idea where we were going.

They just knew they didn’t want to miss out on the adventure. ❤️

With weaning comes greener pastures.

Today was moving day for Goldie, Dusty, Granola, and Sunny as they headed to our back pasture to spend the coming months with Angus.

The mares you see following us are Granola and Sunny, and this is their very first time exploring this side of the ranch.

We haven’t driven this trail since bringing the horses up from the back 150 acres last November, so Mother Nature has definitely reclaimed it.

Waiting for them at the end of the trail…

🌿 Hundreds of acres to roam.
💧 Fresh creeks and ponds.
🌳 Giant shade trees.
🦌 Wildlife to share the pasture with.
❤️ A whole new adventure.

At JS² Ranch, our horses actually experience both worlds.

During breeding, foaling, weaning, training, and veterinary care, they’re closer to the barn where we can keep a close eye on them.

But when the time is right…

They get to head to the back pasture and simply be horses.

They’ll spend the next several months grazing lush grass, exploring new country, and hanging out with Daisy and Ferdinand—our orphaned, bottle-raised cow and steer.

🚨 Watch until the end to meet Daisy… she just might be one of the biggest—and friendliest—cows you’ll ever see! 🐄❤️

Now I’m curious…

🐴 What do you think is best for a horse’s mental and physical health?

🏡 Living primarily in barns and pens…

OR

🌿 Spending months roaming large pastures with room to explore?

No judgment at all—every situation is different, and ours get to experience both depending on the season.

Which would you choose, and why? 👇

🐴 PRE-K DROP OFF… Horse Edition. 😂

I thought this day would be full of screaming, pacing, and dramatic reunions.

Instead…

The foals walked into their pens, found the feed, made new friends…

…and apparently forgot they even had mothers. 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

The mares, on the other hand?

They’re convinced it’s the worst day of their lives. 💔

One thing we do differently is prepare our foals for weaning long before separation day. Months in advance, they learn to come into the pens, eat independently, and build confidence away from Mom for short periods.

So when weaning day finally arrives, the routine isn’t completely unfamiliar.

The babies settle in.

The moms… well… they take a little longer. ❤️

💔 Can you relate to these sad mamas? Did your kids run off without looking back on their first day of school… or were they the ones hanging onto your leg? 😂👇

✨ I just have to show this girl off! ✨

This is Ember, formerly known around here as Smudge—and she is Deacon’s half-sister.

She’s only a yearling, but just look at her! 😍

She has grown into an absolutely spectacular young mare, and we could not be prouder of how beautifully she is developing.

A huge shoutout to her wonderful new parents, Marlene and Mike, for doing such an EXCELLENT job with her. ❤️

As breeders, this is everything we hope for when one of our babies leaves the ranch—to see them thriving, loved, beautifully cared for, and becoming everything we believed they could be.

Ember, you sure are making your JS² Ranch family proud! 🐴✨

Who remembers her when she was still little Smudge?

🐴 DAY 2 OF WEANING…

And once again, Pearl and Ella seem far less concerned than their mothers. 😂

The girls came in, found their feed, and settled right into eating.

Moose even joined them for a little snack.

One thing we do differently is begin preparing our foals for weaning long before we completely separate them from their mothers.

Around 3–4 months old, we start bringing the babies in for short periods of time.

They learn to come into the pens.

They learn to eat independently.

They learn that being away from Mom is safe.

That way, when full weaning day arrives, the pen, the routine, and the separation aren’t completely unfamiliar.

Weaning is still a big transition, but confidence is built long before that day ever comes.

So far, Pearl is handling Day 2 beautifully.

The moms, however…

They may need a little more time. 😂❤️

Which do you think is better: gradual weaning, or ripping off the Band-Aid and getting it over with?