The
proprietor of Mission Falls Ranch in Saint Ignatius,
Montana, USA, Joan Mason is an avid equestrian, champion dog
breeder, and world-class artist!
Welcome
Joan!
Describe
Mission Falls Ranch…
We found
a small ranch in the most gorgeous spot as my husband was retiring from the US
Forest Service in 1985 and so we switched gears from USFS to Ranching and
bought Gelbvieh Cattle. We raised cattle for 20+ years here and in the
process, started raising and training Border Collies to help us with the herd.
When we quit cattle, we bought a few sheep to continue training the dogs.
Now one of our main businesses is the dogs. We have been raising
working Border Collies for 27 years and have 9...with pups coming every so
often (2 litters due this month). We are up against the Mission Mountain Tribal
Wilderness and have Mission Creek flowing through the ranch.
We are
looking for a new farm dog, and love collies!
Would a border
collie make a good addition to my farm?
We don’t raise sheep…
Yes,
Border Collies do make good companion dogs (w/o sheep), but they do have to
have a 'job'. The job can be your running buddy, Agility Star, Search and
Rescue dog, Frisbee champ of the farm, or keeping the moose off the lawn (some
of our dogs are in Alaska doing just that)!
If I
purchase a pup, but unable to travel to Montana; will you ship a pup to my farm?
We do
ship dogs and have shipped as far as Panama City, Panama.
We have
dogs doing Agility in Chicago, Atlanta, Florida, and Pennsylvania, Search and
Rescue in Libby, Montana, dogs keeping geese off golf courses, and just goofing
off here and there being companion dogs.
Do you ship pups anywhere/international? If you do, what is the process?
Panama
was the only dog we shipped out of the country...lots of paperwork but it can
be done! We have sold to Canada but the people have come here to get them
and fly home with them. I do all the flying arrangements and
paperwork...figuring out what airline, routes etc, would be best for the puppy.
What
should I look for when acquiring a new dog?
Whether
or not you get one from us, you should look at the track record of the breeder
(how long have they been breeding, what are they breeding for, etc); whether or
not they guarantee the puppy's hips and eyes; the temperament of the pup...and
the best indication of that is the temperament of the parents; is there a
contract...and what are the terms. We do guarantee hips and eyes, have
concentrated on breeding good outgoing bold personalities in the parents (no
shy ones), and do not have a contract with hidden strings. We register with the
American Border Collie Association.
Do you
have a border collie story/anecdote to share?
There are
so many over 27 years! Just in the last 3 years the pups that we have
saved for ourselves out of the litters or bought, have learned to go in and out
the cat door (learned by watching our 3 cats). This really helps in the
potty training but unfortunately Border Collies eventually get bigger than
cats. We are constantly rescuing 'stuck' pups and/or replacing a
destroyed door!
I've heard sheep can be difficult to keep. Is that true?
Sheep
actually are smarter than they are made out to be. They can spot an open
gate in 4 seconds flat. They are just herd animals and flock really well (good
for BC's). So they do things in groups. They aren't hard to
keep...the trick is in the fencing. You need a good sheep fence to A.
keep the sheep in, and B. keep the dog out, (until you want the dog to work the
sheep and are controlling the situation). Dogs should not be in with the
sheep unattended...making for a "dog gone wrong" scenario.
Your
paintings are absolutely stunning.
What
medium do you use?
Thank
you! I paint (and have been painting for 55 years...and my very first
painting was commissioned by my High School art teacher ) primarily in oil and
oil pastels on a variety of surfaces...canvas and masonite but have been
experimenting with textural surfaces...paper, cloth, egg carton (mulched and
shredded), dryer lint (yes you can paint on that!) and other things glued to
the canvas or masonite. I then paint on those surfaces...am always surprised by
the results so it is very fun.
…and
horses?
I have
only concentrated on painting horses for the past 3 or 4 years...before that I
painted people, livestock, wildlife, dogs, and a few landscapes but horses are
my passion. I raised Arabians for many years...both Pinto-Arabians and
Straight Egyptian Arabians and love them. I love everything about
horses...from the smells, the curving lines of the movement, the times when the
horse and I communicate by breathing each other's breath, and the welcoming
nicker when I go out to feed. So it was natural when I gave myself
permission to 'do what I want and not what others expect'...it would be horses
horses horses.
Where do
you like to paint?
I
primarily paint in my studio at home...have done Plein-Aire painting and also
do teach workshops from time to time (love seeing people 'catch-fire'
creatively).
Where are
you currently exhibiting?
I am
currently working toward an up coming show in Missoula, MT at the Artist Shop
in the fall, and have two shows currently running now...one at the Sandpiper
Gallery in Polson, Montana, the other at The Hangin' Art Gallery in Arlee,
Montana, for the month of July.
Do you
welcome visitors to your ranch to see your amazing collies, gorgeous horses,
and view your artwork?
My
husband Lynn and I do welcome people to come to the ranch...to love on the
dogs, see them work, pet the horses, do some art, or just rest and relax.
We are thinking of offering Art Retreats in the future...we are just in
the planning stages right now. But it is a marvelous place to paint and
photograph.
Connect
with Joan…
All artwork and photographs (c) Joan Mason. No duplication without permission.
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