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MCNAB GAB

"My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am." Unknown

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Snugs Cuts Me Off At The Pass

2/9/2015

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     There were times when I would have to tell Snugs he couldn't go riding with me. Reason being many - perhaps I was training a new horse that wasn't used to a dog yet. Or it was Rusty's turn to go and the two of them together could be a handful if I wasn't paying attention to their shenanigans. Another reason was Snugs was a very hard keeper. He looked like an Ethiopian marathon runner - it didn't matter how much or what he got fed; he never gained an ounce. I worried about him burning too many calories.
     
     After I had saddled up a string of horses and tied them all up along the fence line, half the day had gone by. I was in a hurry to get moving and the first horse was going to go on the river loop. This day Snugs needed to stay behind so I tied him up with a horse lead rope in the shade with a water dish and gave the command to stay and behave. What was I thinking? Those two commands never registered with Sneaky Snugs boy. He had come to me a little late in life and already had an opinion on how things should be.
     
     I climbed on board my horse and lit out on the trail which leads out behind our 100 year old redwood barn that rims Bernard Creek. We headed west at the old Highway 166 that separates the old Bernard Homestead from the Garcin Ranch Homestead. This is mountain country with ridges leading down to the Cuyama river bottom. As I dropped off the old highway I took a dirt road that leads to a large tunnel and goes under the new highway. It's big enough to ride a horse through and take all the cattle from one side to the other. The road becomes very steep nearing the tunnel entrance and I had to focus on the slippery terrain with loose dirt. I reined in my mount to shorten his stride and keep from sliding awkwardly down the hill. Right about then, out of the corner of my eye, I spied a black and white streak of movement up ahead. Lifting my eyes I saw Snugs snickering at me, bouncing up and down on his front legs. I was shocked to see him there, as he didn't come up from behind. He had to have crossed the canyon and gone over the ridge and dropped down at the precise moment, like he knew where I would be!
    
     "Oh my gosh," I said out loud. "I can't believe it Snuggie Snookums Sneaky Snickers - how did you get loose?!" Turns out he had chewed through the lead rope and freed himself. He looked just like he was snickering at me as if to say, "You can't leave me behind - I will go wherever you go and cut you off at the pass. Haha, aren't I cunning!"
    
     "All right boy, you can go. I'm not about to turn around now that I've come this far, you sneaky Snookum." I laughed out loud and I swear he he was laughing back with a gleam in his eye and a bounce in his step.
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Snugs Takes on Ornery Cow, Saves the Day!

2/4/2015

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PictureSimilar encounter with Jeff Jaquish's dog Dot. Used with permission. zingpix.com
     One day I was minding my own business working the training horses when my hubby Justy showed up. He said he had one of the neighbors cows on us by Porter Flat in the river bottom area. He had come to get a couple of his dogs and a horse.
     It wasn't more than a half hour later and he returned to get two more dogs and told me the story. This cow was mean and ornery and had brushed up in the arrow weed. He had roped her off his horse and sent the dogs into the brush to bring her out. She wasn't budging so he took the two fresh dogs with him for a total of four dogs. He was going to show that old cow - she had better get in the trailer or she was going to be chewed to pieces!
     I continued to saddle my training horses and go about my daily work, when no sooner did Justy show up again and asked for Snugs. His dogs were not getting the job done. As much as he despised Snugs at times for chewing the ears off his cattle, he needed the toughest dog on the ranch.
     So I agreed to bring Snugs down and away we went. As soon as we got there I untethered Snugs from the back of the pick up and asked Justy where to send him. He pointed to the dense arrow weed and made a skiitlehimup sound - ssssskkkkiiitttllehhhmmuuppp, sssshhhhhh, get'm snookum snickers snuggles and away he flew, disappearing into the thick brush. Within seconds you could hear the bawling sound of the cow and the brush crackling.
     Justy was on his horse and holding the end of his lariat when suddenly the cow came busting out of the arrow weed with Snugs attached to her nose! She shook violently, trying to throw him off. Snugs was relentless and held on. Justy moved into position and threw the end of the rope to me to quick feed it through the slats in the trailer side. I got it done and got the rope back to him. He took a daly to the saddle horn and held fast. The cow jumped into the trailer and was able to rid herself of Snugs while I quickly flung the trailer door shut and latched it.
     Whew! Snugs saved the day! Four dogs could not accomplish what one Snugs could - he was our hero! The dog with the brave heart!



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Snugs Meets Mama Bear

1/28/2015

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Picture
http://www.free-picture.net
     Snugs was a great help when it came to training horses. He was my riding partner and could cover the ground with the ease of a thoroughbred race horse. Oftentimes horses came to me that just needed what I call lots of sweaty saddle blankets. In other words, they didn't know their bottom and most horseback riders today just can't give them enough work for the horse to figure out that the days can be long and they'd better conserve their energy.
     
     Smokey, a bay roan quarter horse with a huge engine needed those kind of miles. As a barrel racing competitor, flying around three barrels in less than 20 seconds doesn't exactly teach a horse to be calm and quiet. His new owners wanted him for trail riding and packing. Yikes! One extreme to the other. Living on a ranch that has plenty of steep mountains and cow trails galore, I was the right person for the job. Smokey definitely needed an extended stay at "Horsey Boot Camp".
     
     One day after I had legged him up enough, we challenged what I call the Goat Trail. Aptly named because it goes straight up the mountain for more than two miles. The trail was made back in the late 40's by using a cable dozer, clearing thick chaparral of red shank, yucca, and chemise. The soil consisted of 60 million year old limestone with clam shell fossils and bits of ocean mammal bones. This was one of the accesses to the back country where the Garcin clan would take hunters, as well as bring cattle down off the mountains. Our ranch is in the foothills of Cuyama Valley - named by the Chumash indians meaning "Valley of the Clams."
     
     Rising from the valley floor, the sounds of 18 wheelers, Harley Davidsons and the occasional booming of woofers in the speeding cars on Highway 166 began to fade away. I stopped to give Snugs a chance to rest and let Smokey blow. I looked down, feeling like I was soaring above everyone and watched the vehicles racing back and forth looking like little ants in the distance.
    
      Once to the top, the terrain becomes oak-studded grasslands with red shank and long expanses of meadow and grassy ridges along with cow trails and old roads. I call it the outback as it reminds me of the landscape in the movie, Man From Snowy River. All was quiet, no human inhabitants are within miles of this wild, remote place. Smokey picked up an eager trot - that climb didn't slow him down a bit and only got his engine running stronger. He has a huge heart and it was going to take many miles to get him to slow down. Snugs had no problem keeping up with Smokey - they were well matched. We continued on towards Willow Springs and then veered right to take us down to Bear Valley. As we headed down the old overgrown road Snugs ran on ahead where he knew there was a water trough. He couldn't wait to jump in for a cool swim and to lap up the fresh spring water. He disappeared around a bend as Smokey and I continued our steady trot down the old windy limestone road weaving through the chaparral.
    
      Suddenly Snugs reappeared, racing towards me at full speed. Then I saw why. No more than twenty yards behind him was a large cinnamon colored furry bear! My first instinct was to not let Smokey see what was coming, as I didn't know him well enough to trust him with my life. I spun him around before he knew what was happening and kicked him into a full gallop back up the trail. Looking behind my shoulder I could see that Snugs was gaining on us and the bear was still behind him. I reached down and slapped Smokey on the side and released more rein. He stretched out and the sides of the road became a blur. Again I looked over my shoulder and could see that the bear had stopped 100 yards or so back. As I pulled up Smokey, Snugs was right there, tongue hanging out and sides heaving. "Thanks a lot", I told him, "you were bringing that bear right to us!" He just looked up at me with those big brown hush puppy eyes as if to say, "That was a close call!" 
     
     I looked back and saw the bear standing with her nose sniffing in the air, when suddenly there appeared a little bear cub. Then another, then a third - and then last but not least, a fourth red cub! Oh my gosh - what a sight to behold as the four very young cubs stood up imitating mom. They all looked our way as if to say, "Now don't you come back again!"
     
     Needless to say, we didn't make it to the water trough that day for a drink and we headed back for the ranch, thankful for avoiding a close encounter with a protective mama bear.
     
     
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My First McNab

1/19/2015

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     Snuggles Snookum Snicker Boy - yes that is a long name and he earned it! Snugs started out with the name Snuggles. After all, he belonged to a nine year old girl before I acquired him. Snuggles was getting into trouble! He was a neutered one year old McNab without a job. His little owner would go off to shool and her single parent mom went to work daily - leaving him to his own devices. Which included escaping his enclosure and going to the neighbors to herd their horses around.
     Through the grapevine we were contacted and I agreed to give Snuggles a try at our ranch, working cattle over 40,000 acres of Central Coast California rugged chaparral. Tough job, but the alternative did not look good for Mr. Snookum . . .
     After tearful goodbyes from his young owner, we loaded Snuggie into the front seat of our Chevy pickup and he rode the whole way back to the ranch in my lap. All 60 lbs of him, with his long gangly legs and his hush puppy eyes staring me in the face. He knew I was his new partner, and the bond between us would become stronger than I ever imagined.
     Once back at the ranch I introduced Snugs to my beloved red-tri Australian shepherd, Rusty. Little did I know at the time that the three of us would become a team that could stop the wildest of cows and move the meanest of bulls!
     This is just the prelude to so many adventures that Snugs and I shared together. Be sure and check back as I will be sharing many of them with you.
     Until then, Happy Tails!
Snugs and Rusty
Snugs and Rusty
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    I'm Teri Garcin and I breed McNab collies. I want to share my love and knowledge of the breed and help promote to the world what great dogs they are. Please share your own knowledge here as we come together to support this awesome breed, the McNab!

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