WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A RANCHING HERITAGE AQHA BREEDER WITH RANCHO LA CHIMENEA

There’s a lot that goes into breeding a great ranch horse and Rancho La Chimenea has years of experience figuring it out.

BY TIFFANY SELCHOW

Expect the unexpected, but in the best way possible, when you talk to Ricardo Platt of Rancho La Chimenea. To start, his name brings together two worlds, an insightful observation of his heritage and what he and his family continue to accomplish. Ricardo was born and raised in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, but his greatgreat-grandfather Frederick Platt immigrated from New York to Sonora around 1860. There Frederick married a local girl from a small Mexican town. The family developed a long history of ranching in the state of Sonora, leading us to today. Social media was the impetus behind this story, and Ricardo’s dedication to his family’s ranch and horses led to the development of their social media marketing plan.

The social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook (@rancholachimenea) are focused primarily on the US market for horses, but the ranch’s primary focus is raising seed stock cattle for commercial ranchers in Sonora and a big game for hunters. Horses from Rancho La Chimenea come with a different pedigree than most would think in a horse from Sonora and much different than in many modern ranch horses in the US. These horses and their lineage are carefully considered for what the cattle ranch needs, which, as it turns out, is something a recreational equestrian in the United States might also require.

A horse with a job typically makes the best kind. Horses from La Chimenea’s breeding program start life in a pasture with their mothers and, after weaning, are turned out into pastures around the ranch headquarters, which is situated thirty minutes outside of Hermosillo. The herds graze and forage most of the day and typically come in once daily for water. This provides an excellent opportunity to interact with the animals, which leads to horses with friendly dispositions. That attitude also comes from careful genetic selection.

At three to four years of age, a much later start than the common practice on most ranches in the U.S., horses are taken to the colt starter, where they learn their job. And their job is to be a ranch horse who can walk at a steady clip, last all day, move cattle, check waters, and perform many other tasks, all with a personable and agreeable attitude. Oh, and this particular breeding program prefers if they look good while doing it. By design, horses are started later in life because their lineage lends them to slower maturing. Once they are done learning the ropes, it’s time to get to work. After their time with the colt starter, they are sent to one of the three other ranch locations where they are assigned to a cow camp man. Camp men are on horseback daily and generally make two big circles a day, meaning many miles are covered. The circles and the work involved could range from checking cattle to fence to water, depending on the time of year.

Some horses will stay as camp horses for the majority of their lives. Others will return to the La Chimenea breeding program, while some will be sold to the right home for the right reason. The primary reason for breeding their horses at La Chimenea is for the ranch and the work required there, but many aspects of their lineage and training also make for good recreational horses.

With the work ethic instilled in these horses from an early age, the ability to function as a horse in a herd setting from birth, and the long miles with quality wet saddle blankets, these horses are excellent for horse owners in the States. They are trustworthy on the trail and know what it means to work. The horses are given time off and brought back to work several times, so a week off here, and there won’t change their attitude.

A horse of this caliber doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen without dedication and hard work. Ricardo has a long history with ranching and, through that, developed his passion for a good horse. The Sonora region of Mexico has a long-standing tradition of producing great horses, and Ricardo and his late father-in-law worked to add to the legacy. The 1950s through the 1990s saw an increased focus on racehorse breeding within the stock horse sector in Sonora, with little focus on what a ranch needs, so by the early 1990s, breeding their own stock became imperative. Through consistently revisiting priorities and goals and lots of work, La Chimenea’s breeding program – established in the mid-1990s – has managed to get the ranch what it needs in terms of a ranch horse, with the added benefit of producing something that works well for the average person.

The horses produced on Rancho La Chimenea go back to popular sires like Beduino, Jackie Bee, Impressive, and Skipper W, the latter two known for the success of their get in the halter pen. While you wouldn’t expect a halter horse to work a ranch, La Chimenea proves these progenies can do just that and do it well and with style and grace. The genetics of Real Gun, an AQHA World Show Super Horse and NRCHA World Champion sired by the famous sire Playgun have been recently added to the breeding program. The family’s personal touch on these horses allows for a deep connection running through generations of both the family and the horses. To ride a horse out of a mare, you rode and sired by a stallion you raised and rode is something extraordinary and gives a unique insight into what decisions to make next in the breeding program.

While the program doesn’t have the capacity to always raise its own stallions, the ranch does work with industry leaders to pick out the best horse to suit their needs. A recent acquisition from the Stuart Ranch in Waurika, OK, is proving its worth deep in Mexico. Seven S Firewater is by Firewater Canyon, which was in turn sired by Fire Water Flit, one of the original great barrel horse sires. Firewater Canyon’s dam, Mulberry Canyon Moon, went to the NFR, where she won several rounds, winning several hundred thousand dollars, and has gone on to produce colts that have earned approximately a million dollars. Seven S Firewater’s genetic power doesn’t end there but also goes strong through his bottom line. Seven S Firewater’s dam, Seven S Docs Cowgirl, is a full sister to the winners of over 2,200 AQHA points, an AQHA World Show Super Horse title, 20+ AQHA High Point titles, and much more. One of the golden crosses in AQHA is Sugar Bars and Leo, and Seven S Firewater’s pedigree shows that cross up close, on both the top and bottom of his pedigree. The family is understandably excited to see how this well-bred stud crosses on the daughters and granddaughters of the ranch’s senior stallion, Sophisticated Duino, as well as the ranch’s running-bred and Real Gun-bred mares.

While the unexpected isn’t always where the average person chooses to go, it’s often where discovery and insight are found. In the case of Rancho La Chimenea, it’s the place where unexpected crosses of great AQHA lineage have produced an outstanding working ranch horse that can power across the landscape to get the job done, all while looking good doing it. It’s a place where family and friends can gather and enjoy the company of a horse who wants to be in the presence of a human because he’s learned there is comfort there. Ranch La Chimenea is a place where tradition is alive, and it’s brought along into the future by progressive ideas and the ability to see past the fear of the unexpected to find a unique solution.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to raise your own backyard chickens, ducks, or turkeys? In a day and age where food security is an ongoing issue, many folks are deciding to take their food reliability into their own hands. There are many ways to do this including growing a garden and having farm animals, or it could be as simple as having a few chickens to help provide you with farm-fresh eggs.

What people don’t realize is that chickens aren’t the only kind of bird you can have in your backyard. There are several different types of backyard birds that you can consider raising depending on what your goals are. We are going to get into the benefits of owning backyard birds, but first, let’s consider what type of bird might be best for you.

Chickens

Chickens are probably the safest, easiest option for most people. Chickens are easy to come by, most of the time you can get them at your local feed store or even order them online through a trusted source. Chickens are also a great option for those that just want to supplement their monthly groceries while also cutting down on waste since chickens love scraps. They are also quieter than most other backyard birds.

Some downsides to chickens are that they aren’t super weather resistant both to extreme hot or cold weather so you have to be prepared if you live in either extreme climate. In addition, their laying life is much smaller compared to that of other backyard birds like ducks. Something else to consider when looking at getting chickens is that you will need approximately 4 square feet per chicken.

Turkeys

With the exception of the space that raising turkeys requires, in general, they are easier to keep than chickens. They are docile, regal birds that move across the yard with a certain air of sophistication. They create tight family bonds and are fairly intelligent. Turkeys also tend to be cleaner than either chickens or ducks and are great to raise for meat compared to their smaller counterparts. Some cons when it comes to raising turkeys is that they are harder to raise from babies (or poults). Poults tend to be more sensitive to their environment and are slower-moving than chicks and have less of an instinct to run/defend themselves from danger. Another potential con to raising turkeys is that they need a lot of space because they are naturally larger birds. The more space you can give them, the better they will do.

Ducks

Ducks, much like chickens, are great to raise to produce both eggs and meat. They are also highly intelligent and are generally easygoing. Unlike chickens, duck flocks are easy to maintain and expand. A couple of downsides to owning ducks are they do tend to be messier than chickens and other backyard birds, and are also louder so if you have neighbors close by, then they might not be the best option for you to start with. Most breeds of duck that are raised for laying eggs will average 200250 eggs per year. This is pretty similar to a laying chicken, but chickens will only lay at that rate for two, maybe three years before their productivity takes a sharp decline. Ducks will remain productive even into old age, 6, 7, even 8 or 9 years old. Ducks are also more productive layers during the short winter days, while many chickens take the winter off.

Gamebirds

While you might not think you are ready for Game Birds, you might actually find that Game Birds might be a great place to start. Gamebirds, especially quail, are great backyard birds for many reasons, one of which is that they are much smaller compared to other birds, meaning they require much less space. For example, most people recommend that you run one square foot of space per bird. Of course, you can always run with a bit more, but that is significantly less than even that of a chicken. Additionally, quail are much quicker to mature which means less time waiting for eggs or to harvest for meat. Quail are also really quiet, probably the quietest out of the three previously mentioned birds. So while it might be more intimidating, you might want to take a good look at starting with quail rather than another type of backyard bird.