Rip’s Growing Up—But He’s Not Happy About It!

“Scotch and Tomcat (red blanket) are still the roughhousing duo of the herd, forever sparring—biting, rearing, chasing, striking, and ripping blankets off one another.” Photo by Hunter Goodnight

Winter has arrived with a vengeance here in the Rocky Mountains, and though we’re used to braving some serious weather, this year has brought a troubling twist: we’re amid a record-breaking drought, with snowpack levels at an all-time low. Not only does this spell trouble for the local ski economy, that our mountain town heavily relies on—but the ripple effects will be felt across the ranching community, white-water tourism, hay production, and grazing potential. And of course, with so little moisture in the ground, wildfire season already looms large on the horizon. So we pray for snow!

Like many of you, we’re enduring bitter cold temperatures, dipping just below zero at night lately. When it gets that cold, I make an exception for Rip—he gets to bunk with Annie in her foaling stall. They keep each other cozy without blankets, thanks to shared body heat and thick coats. The rest of the geldings wear their blankets, even though they’d be just fine without them. Truthfully, blanketing is more for our peace of mind than theirs.

Rip is a two-year-old now and he’s maturing nicely. He’s scheduled for castration soon, and while he’s still full of that young-colt sass, he’s more of a mommy’s boy than a troublemaker. He’s not aggressive—just convinced that the world revolves around him. With the geldings all treating him like the little prince, he rarely hears the word “no,” and when he does, he’s not happy about it. But that’s where training comes in. It’s time he learns the hard truth of growing up: cue the music… “You can’t always get what you waaant.”

TCody longes Scotch in my Biting System, while Rip is just learning to circle. Photo by Lucy Achenbach

Scotch (now 3) and Tomcat (6) are still the roughhousing duo of the herd. They’re forever sparring—biting, rearing, chasing, striking, and ripping blankets off one another. Tom is definitely the instigator, but Scotch takes it in stride and keeps coming back for more. I’ve started riding Tomcat again in preparation for sending him to the cowhorse trainer next month. The goal of going to the trainer’s is to get him daily exposure to cattle before the show season kicks off. He’s naturally “cowy”—an own son of High Brow Cat, one of the all-time greats in cutting horse bloodlines—and right now, he’s a bit too hot on cows, and needs a more disciplined approach and measured response to cattle.

It’s been a while since I’ve ridden regularly, so it feels great to be back in the saddle and getting both of us legged up again. Like many young horses, Tom has developed a few bad habits under-saddle—cutting corners, dropping a shoulder, getting distracted by other horses, and getting a little pushy in the bridle. So we’re back to reinforcing the basics, shoring up the foundation before he moves on to more advanced work. It’s kind of like tidying up before the house cleaner arrives—you don’t want to pay a trainer to rehash things you should’ve already addressed. Lucky me, this is exactly the kind of training I love to do.

The bitter cold has had one upside: it’s kept me inside long enough to wrap up year-end business tasks and finalize my 2026 public event schedule. (You can check out the full list on my January blog.) While January always brings a slower pace around the barn, there’s still plenty of work to be done—horses to ride, colts to guide, and big plans for the year ahead.

Our indoor arena makes the cold less bitter! Photo by L. Achenbach

As always, I’m grateful for the horses in my life and the lessons they bring. Stay warm, stay safe, and here’s to a productive and peaceful start to the year!