Marlboro Man, the kids, and a couple of cowboys had to gather a pasture of mustangs the other day. They needed to wean the colts, and the only way to accomplish this was to corral all the horses into a pen and weed out the colts one by one.
This is much easier said than done.
Wild horses, it turns out, are wild.
They don’t always go where you want them to go.
In fact, they very rarely go where you want them to go.
Here. I’ll show you.
Oops! Wrong way!
Head ’em off, Josh!
Okay, there they go…
Oh no!
And just like that…it all falls to pieces. It can happen in an instant.
So all they could do was just regroup…and try again.
They had no choice; they had to get the colts weaned before any hanky panky started happening.
Hanky panky isn’t allowed on our ranch.
Well, in the equine population, anyway.
On a related note: Because we have only mares on our ranch, there is no breeding among the mustangs here. The only way we would have a pregnant mustang mare on the ranch would be if she was pregnant when she arrived.
Again, no hanky panky allowed.
I’m the enforcer.
“Eight hooves on the floor, now!”
Here’s Marlboro Man, giving some last minute instruction.
“You’ve got to ride up on them a little more.”
“Go easy…just ride smooth.”
“If you’re out of buttermilk, you can just add a teaspoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk and you’re good to go.”
Oh, sorry. That last one was mine. Crossed synapses.
Ultimately, it took three trips out and back to get all the mustangs corralled in the pens.
I watched from the middle of the pasture, my two boys in the backseat of the pickup, picking each other’s noses.
My heart raced the entire time.
These animals will always—always—take my breath away.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
