It's raining here at the farm. The sky is overcast and dreary. At first light we set out to feed horses in the misty drizzle. Everyone was especially antsy to get out of the stall - not sure why - my guess is the weather.
We dragged some round bales to the pastures who were getting low and did a few barn chores before the sky opened up on us. So here I am, typing a long overdue update on the farm!
Last Saturday - wow, that was already one week ago! - we finally decided on a farm to purchase our grass/legume hay. I have an enormous stack of contacts for hay; some local, some from out of state, some come with recommendations, some test their hay and some don't. So, how did we decide? I will enlighten you on this exciting topic!
(1) Cost
As a facility that strictly boards horses (we do not supplement our pockets by breeding, training, etc) we make very little moo-la. So we have to consider the cost of the hay.
(2) Quality Control
Horses can be sensitive creatures in many ways, particularly with digestion. You feed them 70% alfalfa/30% orchard, then suddenly switch it on them, they might throw a colic-hissy-fit! So of great concern to us is the consistency of the product, and consistent hay is achieved by quality control - testing hay from every batch to ensure it's protein, digestibility, moisture, etc is similar to the other product they sell. Also, as a business we have a budget and we plan ahead. If we plan on purchasing 25 100lb bales of O/A, we don't want to arrive at the distribution site and have to buy 45 60lb bales. We want the same hay every time and we need it to be available all the time (and not "sell out" before we get there).
(3) Professionalism
It is important to us that we support a hay producer that is professional. Your money and our money should go to someone who is treating their customers and employees well. We want good customer service so in the case of an issue (ie, moldy hay) we will be treated professionally. An example of a producer that is "sweet" but not professional is someone who is not punctual. Time is money and we don't have time to wait around. Someone we want to do business with understands this concept.
-- Those are the three primary qualities we searched high and low for. Who did we finally decide to do business with?
Larson's Farm
Larson's Farm came highly recommended by several credentialed individuals, including our vet, Dr. Erica Lacher.
They have a website, which is a huge step above 90% of other sellers, and their customer service was superb. The receptionist was able to answer all my crazy questions and even add her own suggestions. Their products are tested for quality control - bales from every batch are tested. The bales are all weighed when you purchase them - you only pay for the weight of hay that's put in your trailer. It's not a flat fee ($15 from a feed store could get you gray, 60lb bales today and green, 75lb bales in a week). Their hay is fresh, shipped by train or truck (this depends on cost - they choose the cheapest route to keep hay prices down) from western US.
They operate during specified business hours and their employees were very helpful.
With this high quality forage you get the most bang for your buck.
Currently only JW and Pokey are getting this awesome O/A hay. It is $20 per bale. We just started feeding it last week so we are not exactly sure how long a bale will last, but my guess is that it will last a minimum of 10 days (1 flake a day).
If you would like your stall horse to receive O/A, just let me know. If you want to purchase a bale for your pasture horse to feed when you are here (it would be too tricky to try to feed a flake to a pasture horse in the pasture), let me know.
It's still raining and the temperature will drop to 40 degrees tonight. I don't know about you, but I cannot wait until summer!
Every day, a little something about your horses
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Who let the horses out, woof, woof, woof
It has been an uneventful week with unhindered daily routines.
John zips through morning feeding at 6:30am, first making a mad dash for the paddock followed by two hunger-crazed donkey monsters. He's got his own efficient routine and all the horses behave wonderfully for him, with the exception of Tie... Kidding!
In the evenings after Tie finishes his massive quantities of soaked beat pulp, alfalfa cubes, senior feed, corn oil, probiotics, and fat supplements (did I forget something?), we have been putting him out with Tav, who takes his own sweet time eating his dinner. So it actually works perfectly. We don't have to wait on either horse since they both take about the same amount of time to eat. Funny thing is, Tie eats about 50 times more than Tav, but Tav just loves to savor every single little morsel of grain.
In the mornings John soaks feed, feeds the barn horses, brings Tie in, feeds Tav, then heads out to feed the boys' pasture. The boys have a tendency to carry their big rubber buckets around (Bodhi *cough*). We can't just ask Magic to follow us to a bowl and pour his grain. Why, you ask? Because of the dark horse spirit living in the woods. Magic must eat as far away as possible from the spirit's domain - the evil woods. Magic always, always eats facing said woods.
The other boys don't seem phased by the dark horse spirit floating about in their pasture. Dusty pins his ears and dives in to his bucket, Cas and Bodhi arrive at the next bucket side-by-side. Cas gets fed, then Bodhi gets his 10 pellets.
From there John heads down to feed the oldies; Jedi, Ufir, and Molly. If you haven't pet Jedi in a while, I encourage you to feel for his ribs. He has gained so much weight!
John gets back to the barn, lets JW and Tie out, then the girls, then Pokey (because by now Tav might actually be finished eating!).
Be sure to always close the gates behind you! We came home last week and the driveway gate had been left open and two horses had somehow escaped their pasture. The horses were still on the property, but we have had horses escape and make it down to the paved road before. Please close the gate behind you even if someone else has left it open. Thanks!
Today should be a rainy, dreary day. I hope you get lots of relaxation time and stay dry!
John zips through morning feeding at 6:30am, first making a mad dash for the paddock followed by two hunger-crazed donkey monsters. He's got his own efficient routine and all the horses behave wonderfully for him, with the exception of Tie... Kidding!
In the evenings after Tie finishes his massive quantities of soaked beat pulp, alfalfa cubes, senior feed, corn oil, probiotics, and fat supplements (did I forget something?), we have been putting him out with Tav, who takes his own sweet time eating his dinner. So it actually works perfectly. We don't have to wait on either horse since they both take about the same amount of time to eat. Funny thing is, Tie eats about 50 times more than Tav, but Tav just loves to savor every single little morsel of grain.
In the mornings John soaks feed, feeds the barn horses, brings Tie in, feeds Tav, then heads out to feed the boys' pasture. The boys have a tendency to carry their big rubber buckets around (Bodhi *cough*). We can't just ask Magic to follow us to a bowl and pour his grain. Why, you ask? Because of the dark horse spirit living in the woods. Magic must eat as far away as possible from the spirit's domain - the evil woods. Magic always, always eats facing said woods.
The other boys don't seem phased by the dark horse spirit floating about in their pasture. Dusty pins his ears and dives in to his bucket, Cas and Bodhi arrive at the next bucket side-by-side. Cas gets fed, then Bodhi gets his 10 pellets.
From there John heads down to feed the oldies; Jedi, Ufir, and Molly. If you haven't pet Jedi in a while, I encourage you to feel for his ribs. He has gained so much weight!
John gets back to the barn, lets JW and Tie out, then the girls, then Pokey (because by now Tav might actually be finished eating!).
Be sure to always close the gates behind you! We came home last week and the driveway gate had been left open and two horses had somehow escaped their pasture. The horses were still on the property, but we have had horses escape and make it down to the paved road before. Please close the gate behind you even if someone else has left it open. Thanks!
Today should be a rainy, dreary day. I hope you get lots of relaxation time and stay dry!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Poor Raccoon
Late afternoon today I went out to play with Satin. I was armed with my video camera so that I could capture our play session for future reference. I was walking across the pasture towards the herd of girls, filming as I walked, when suddenly I realized there was a raccoon in the view finder.
He was halfway between the 4 girls and me, just standing there very stiff. At first I thought he could have been annoyed out of his napping spot since the girls were trudging around in the woods. The landlord's dog was barking, too, so maybe he scared him out? But as minutes ticked away he remained in that same spot, in the sunshine, barely taking two or three steps. The girls finally noticed me and started approaching.
Of course now I'm concerned about rabies and Shellie, followed by Dancer, start towards the peculiar creature in their pasture. I rush over, shooing them away, still filming. (I'll add he video later)
The raccoon didn't even move or respond to the horses coming within 12 inches from him! I knew something was very wrong. I called Alachua County Animal Services right away and they said they'd dispatch some officers immediately.
As I was trying to get Dancer, Shellie, and Betsy away from the raccoon's general vicinity, Satin came out of the tree line, walked right up to the raccoon, and while I am yelling and rushing up to her she nearly touched noses! You can imagine how nervous I was that she was going to physically touch him! She finally came to me, I haltered her, and got all 4 girls to leave the pasture. I locked them out and waited for ACAS.
Shellie found a stash of mints in my brush tote in the barn and spilled the tote and the bag of mints all over the ground. She only ate about 5 pieces before I cleaned up her mess. I put the mints in the feed room and while my back was turned she knocked the brush tote over again. Curious girl!
JW spent the entire time hollering for the girls while they were out of sight playing in the barn. He was very worried and galloped across the pasture, yelling for them. The girls weren't phased. Poor JW! Tie just stood there watching JW make his pass.
After ACAS picked up the sick raccoon the girls were able to return to their pasture, much to their disappointment!
I'm glad the raccoon doesn't have to suffer any longer.
He was halfway between the 4 girls and me, just standing there very stiff. At first I thought he could have been annoyed out of his napping spot since the girls were trudging around in the woods. The landlord's dog was barking, too, so maybe he scared him out? But as minutes ticked away he remained in that same spot, in the sunshine, barely taking two or three steps. The girls finally noticed me and started approaching.
Of course now I'm concerned about rabies and Shellie, followed by Dancer, start towards the peculiar creature in their pasture. I rush over, shooing them away, still filming. (I'll add he video later)
The raccoon didn't even move or respond to the horses coming within 12 inches from him! I knew something was very wrong. I called Alachua County Animal Services right away and they said they'd dispatch some officers immediately.
As I was trying to get Dancer, Shellie, and Betsy away from the raccoon's general vicinity, Satin came out of the tree line, walked right up to the raccoon, and while I am yelling and rushing up to her she nearly touched noses! You can imagine how nervous I was that she was going to physically touch him! She finally came to me, I haltered her, and got all 4 girls to leave the pasture. I locked them out and waited for ACAS.
Shellie found a stash of mints in my brush tote in the barn and spilled the tote and the bag of mints all over the ground. She only ate about 5 pieces before I cleaned up her mess. I put the mints in the feed room and while my back was turned she knocked the brush tote over again. Curious girl!
JW spent the entire time hollering for the girls while they were out of sight playing in the barn. He was very worried and galloped across the pasture, yelling for them. The girls weren't phased. Poor JW! Tie just stood there watching JW make his pass.
After ACAS picked up the sick raccoon the girls were able to return to their pasture, much to their disappointment!
I'm glad the raccoon doesn't have to suffer any longer.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The rain has come and gone
We had a tremendous amount of rainfall over the weekend - based on the amount of water in the rubber feed buckets in the pastures, we estimate about 3 inches.
Having grown up in flat Sarasota, I am used to standing water after a downpour lasting for weeks. Especially during the winter when the ground doesn't seem to soak up any moisture.
This property is a different story! We've had torrential downpours and the puddles have lasted only a day or two. That was the case this weekend. We trudged through sopping wet mud to feed horses Sunday morning, but by Sunday afternoon the ground was hardly damp!
We are very pleased to have "high and dry" pastures for the horses.
Some of you may know exactly what goes in to maintaining and managing a boarding facility and some of you may not have as much experience with this side of the barn. For the record, boarding horses is not at all lucrative! As a matter of fact, for the many hours that John and I put into the farm, be it feeding, cleaning, fixing, or planning, we make roughly $2.75 per hour. But we love that we can provide a wonderful environment for wonderful people and their wonderful horses!
That said, we continue to try to offer ways to help YOU save money. We offer a limited board exchange "program" that allows you to do some work to reduce the cost of boarding. We basically pay you about $7/hour (this is 3 times more than we make when we're the ones doing the work). We can't pay everyone to work as frequently as they want or else we would be paying for feed out of our very empty pockets! But we do want to offer opportunities for you to not only take a few bucks off your board, but also get involved on the farm.
I mentioned in previous posts that we'll be offering a "Work Day". There will be a handful of tasks to accomplish such as picking manure from pastures, picking up tree limbs, picking up old hay from pastures, and so on. We'll likely have to restrict the amount of hours, but I think it will be fun and worth your time!
If you're interested, let me know!
See you at the barn!
Having grown up in flat Sarasota, I am used to standing water after a downpour lasting for weeks. Especially during the winter when the ground doesn't seem to soak up any moisture.
This property is a different story! We've had torrential downpours and the puddles have lasted only a day or two. That was the case this weekend. We trudged through sopping wet mud to feed horses Sunday morning, but by Sunday afternoon the ground was hardly damp!
We are very pleased to have "high and dry" pastures for the horses.
Some of you may know exactly what goes in to maintaining and managing a boarding facility and some of you may not have as much experience with this side of the barn. For the record, boarding horses is not at all lucrative! As a matter of fact, for the many hours that John and I put into the farm, be it feeding, cleaning, fixing, or planning, we make roughly $2.75 per hour. But we love that we can provide a wonderful environment for wonderful people and their wonderful horses!
That said, we continue to try to offer ways to help YOU save money. We offer a limited board exchange "program" that allows you to do some work to reduce the cost of boarding. We basically pay you about $7/hour (this is 3 times more than we make when we're the ones doing the work). We can't pay everyone to work as frequently as they want or else we would be paying for feed out of our very empty pockets! But we do want to offer opportunities for you to not only take a few bucks off your board, but also get involved on the farm.
I mentioned in previous posts that we'll be offering a "Work Day". There will be a handful of tasks to accomplish such as picking manure from pastures, picking up tree limbs, picking up old hay from pastures, and so on. We'll likely have to restrict the amount of hours, but I think it will be fun and worth your time!
If you're interested, let me know!
See you at the barn!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Catch-up
We're all caught up!
John and I rolled 12 of the 16 round bales that were delivered last weekend into the hay barn yesterday. When unloading them from the big delivery trailer they often land on their flat side. When it comes time to relocate them into the safety of the hay barn we have to flip them on to their round side, and man, is it hard! These bales weigh about 750lbs! It's especially difficult to flip a bale when you're laughing... And then add in the extra challenge of a gaping whole eaten out of the core by two fat donkeys. It's hard to roll an uneven round bale!
But we managed to roll them into the hay barn, cover them with tarps, and drag the remaining 3 bales to their new pastures. None of the pastures were actually out of hay, but the horses still think 'new' hay is sooo much more exciting than that 'stuff' they've been eating for five whole days.
Pokey and Tav were very polite when we had to drag through their pasture and out the back gate to bring Pasture 5 a bale. They both minded me when I told them to "keep back". But as we raced to get into Pasture 5 before the boys noticed, they started galloping towards us! "FOOD!"
John and I have this routine down pat and the horses have finally started to realize that they are not allowed to eat the hay as we're unloading it! We keep them away from the drag for safety reasons, but also don't want them taking a bite out of the bale netting.
I stripped 6 stalls yesterday - removing almost everything from Pokey, Tie, JW, Betsy, Dancer, and Shellie's stalls. Then we brought two enormous truck loads of shavings and divvied it up among the freshly cleaned stalls.
I spread about 15 loads of old shavings around the area along the path towards the hay barn. It's hard to say when an area is 'at capacity' for being used to spread manure, but I plan to start spreading elsewhere soon. But now that the area is all cleared of brush I will be making it into a play area! Barrels, cones, tarps hanging from the trees - this is going to be fun! Perfect for doing your Natural Horsemanship training and bomb-proofing.
A special thanks to Alex for picking up several wheel barrels of manure from the pastures! I love to see a pasture without piles of manure in it - the way it should be!
If you're interested in working off a portion of your board, consider joining us on a "work day". Stay tuned!
John and I rolled 12 of the 16 round bales that were delivered last weekend into the hay barn yesterday. When unloading them from the big delivery trailer they often land on their flat side. When it comes time to relocate them into the safety of the hay barn we have to flip them on to their round side, and man, is it hard! These bales weigh about 750lbs! It's especially difficult to flip a bale when you're laughing... And then add in the extra challenge of a gaping whole eaten out of the core by two fat donkeys. It's hard to roll an uneven round bale!
But we managed to roll them into the hay barn, cover them with tarps, and drag the remaining 3 bales to their new pastures. None of the pastures were actually out of hay, but the horses still think 'new' hay is sooo much more exciting than that 'stuff' they've been eating for five whole days.
Pokey and Tav were very polite when we had to drag through their pasture and out the back gate to bring Pasture 5 a bale. They both minded me when I told them to "keep back". But as we raced to get into Pasture 5 before the boys noticed, they started galloping towards us! "FOOD!"
John and I have this routine down pat and the horses have finally started to realize that they are not allowed to eat the hay as we're unloading it! We keep them away from the drag for safety reasons, but also don't want them taking a bite out of the bale netting.
I stripped 6 stalls yesterday - removing almost everything from Pokey, Tie, JW, Betsy, Dancer, and Shellie's stalls. Then we brought two enormous truck loads of shavings and divvied it up among the freshly cleaned stalls.
I spread about 15 loads of old shavings around the area along the path towards the hay barn. It's hard to say when an area is 'at capacity' for being used to spread manure, but I plan to start spreading elsewhere soon. But now that the area is all cleared of brush I will be making it into a play area! Barrels, cones, tarps hanging from the trees - this is going to be fun! Perfect for doing your Natural Horsemanship training and bomb-proofing.
A special thanks to Alex for picking up several wheel barrels of manure from the pastures! I love to see a pasture without piles of manure in it - the way it should be!
If you're interested in working off a portion of your board, consider joining us on a "work day". Stay tuned!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Hip, hip, hooray!
Wow! What a beautiful day it has been so far!
It's a gorgeous, sunny 65 degrees out right now (noon o'clock) with expectations to rise to low 70's. Personally, I'd like it to be in the 90's, but I know the horses are just loving this weather!
We'll be moving some round bales this afternoon - Pasture 5 (Magic, Dusty, Bodhi, Cas, and part-time Tav) have already devoured their bale from 5 days ago. These big bellied boys need some exercise! But look who's talkin': my two mares, even Dancer, the typically skinny girl, have enormous hay bellies. Now that the weather is more pleasant we all can give (and receive) our much needed aerobics.
We'll be spending a lot of time this weekend catching up on removing manure from pastures.
See you at the barn!
It's a gorgeous, sunny 65 degrees out right now (noon o'clock) with expectations to rise to low 70's. Personally, I'd like it to be in the 90's, but I know the horses are just loving this weather!
We'll be moving some round bales this afternoon - Pasture 5 (Magic, Dusty, Bodhi, Cas, and part-time Tav) have already devoured their bale from 5 days ago. These big bellied boys need some exercise! But look who's talkin': my two mares, even Dancer, the typically skinny girl, have enormous hay bellies. Now that the weather is more pleasant we all can give (and receive) our much needed aerobics.
We'll be spending a lot of time this weekend catching up on removing manure from pastures.
See you at the barn!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sunshine!
Hints of spring are in the air! Rays of sunlight are peaking through the dreary winter clouds. The ice has melted away. It's almost as if we had a real winter season!
Winter is hardly over, but c'mon Florida, it's been cold for long enough! Let's has some of that natural southern heat we've all bee yearning for. Get me out of these smothering clothes, thaw out my fingers and nose, and let me stay outside for longer than 10 minutes!
All the horses seem to be more relaxed now that we're warming up to 65 degrees for the high. That long cold spell was making some horses bonkers. The horses were feeling claustrophobic in their blankets, getting dandruff from not being able to roll in the dirt, and feeling overall anxious! All that static has gotten to their brains. They've had enough of the cold, too. Well, except for the northerners like Bodhi and Betsy. Besty started shedding her winter coat when it was 55 degrees!
They've had enough of me shocking them with static every time I take their blankets off. Bring on the Spring!
We've been busy with a thousand tasks, John and I. We don't get back into the house from barn chores until after 8:00pm. So we've admittedly gotten behind with some upkeep. Several stalls are overdue for fresh shavings and many repairs we've been meaning to accomplish are on the back burner.
We hope to get shavings in all the stalls today - keep your fingers crossed!
As for repairs, we've got a nice long list. My Father is a Florida contractor and an all-around handy man. He's generously offered to come help get us caught up on farm tasks like fixing the stall latches, permanently fixing those darned gate hinges that keep falling off, putting shelving in the tack room and feed room, and many, many other overdue tasks!
If you'd like an opportunity to work off some of your board, we're offering a chance to do just that! We'll be organizing a "Work Day" on a weekend and you'll be invited to participate for any length of time. I'll post the event on Facebook and you can RSVP there, or just call/email me anytime.
Join me in the warm weather dance!
Winter is hardly over, but c'mon Florida, it's been cold for long enough! Let's has some of that natural southern heat we've all bee yearning for. Get me out of these smothering clothes, thaw out my fingers and nose, and let me stay outside for longer than 10 minutes!
All the horses seem to be more relaxed now that we're warming up to 65 degrees for the high. That long cold spell was making some horses bonkers. The horses were feeling claustrophobic in their blankets, getting dandruff from not being able to roll in the dirt, and feeling overall anxious! All that static has gotten to their brains. They've had enough of the cold, too. Well, except for the northerners like Bodhi and Betsy. Besty started shedding her winter coat when it was 55 degrees!
They've had enough of me shocking them with static every time I take their blankets off. Bring on the Spring!
We've been busy with a thousand tasks, John and I. We don't get back into the house from barn chores until after 8:00pm. So we've admittedly gotten behind with some upkeep. Several stalls are overdue for fresh shavings and many repairs we've been meaning to accomplish are on the back burner.We hope to get shavings in all the stalls today - keep your fingers crossed!
As for repairs, we've got a nice long list. My Father is a Florida contractor and an all-around handy man. He's generously offered to come help get us caught up on farm tasks like fixing the stall latches, permanently fixing those darned gate hinges that keep falling off, putting shelving in the tack room and feed room, and many, many other overdue tasks!
If you'd like an opportunity to work off some of your board, we're offering a chance to do just that! We'll be organizing a "Work Day" on a weekend and you'll be invited to participate for any length of time. I'll post the event on Facebook and you can RSVP there, or just call/email me anytime.
Join me in the warm weather dance!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Warmer weather in the future
Although the low for tonight is about 25 degrees, the high for the day was a sunny 55. The horses' blankets came off around noon and everyone got to feel the cool breeze on their fur. The ice around the troughs is mostly melted away and it's actually kind of NICE outside instead of dreary, icky, frigid cold.
Yesterday morning and evening everyone got a hot bran mash mixed with their grain. I added salt and minerals to everyone's food (except Bodhi who is eating a supplemental feed high in electrolytes already). In theory the salt should encourage the horses to drink more. Added salt in addition to mushy, sloppy, warm wheat bran will help with smooooth digestion of all that coastal hay. Fingers crossed that every remains healthy and doesn't have impaction issues! We are doing everything we can to avoid colic during this awfully cold spell.
JW is feeling his oats now that he's back on the farm! For those of you who didn't know, JW made a 5-day trip to Springhill Equine (at their new facility!) to have minor surgery to flush his sinuses. The vet okayed him to go straight out into the pasture when he arrived home, so I turned him loose after unloading him. To say he was happy to be home would be an understatement! He bucked and crow hopped and caprioled, farting all the way. He hollered like a stud, telling everyone at Greener Pastures that the King Had Returned! Of course Tie was the only one in his pasture and he just stayed out of JW's way. The girls met him at the fence, especially the flirtiest of them all, Shellie.
Each time we have let him out in the morning since his arrival home JW has bucked and farted in pure joy! He is definitely feeling much better without all that snot in his skull!
Tav and Pokey are an adorable match. Pokey has recently been dealing with some emotional issues. It seems he may be missing his true love, Goose, who left us in late December. Pokey seemed fine next to the pasture of mares with his two pals JW and Tie. When JW left for the vet Pokey was alone with Tie and his neighboring girls. Tie is not too fond of conversation and the girls always play coy, so I think Pokey was beginning to feel pangs of loneliness. When JW returned and took his best friend, Tie, for himself, Pokey probably felt abandoned.
In his emotional state he did not want to be played with or have fun and sort of threw a tantrum, not allowing his poor mother, Ashley, to catch him. It was as if he was saying, "I don't want to talk about it! You can't make me!"
It's hard to say what is really going through Pokey's head, but by his actions we can certainly tell he's nervous. Perhaps it all the changes on the farm - Goose leaving, JW leaving then returning, the cold weather, and things unseen to our human senses. Poor Pokey need some undemanding, quiet time spent with his mom. It will take time and patience, but he will eventually let his mom comfort him.
In the mean time, John and I are giving Pokey his space. If he immediately walks away from us when we enter his space, we recede.
Now Pokey has a new pasture mate, Tav, and they get along wonderfully. They share their hay and munch nose-to-nose. They play dominance games all day and you'll often see Pokey standing very close to Tav as he sleeps lying down in a patch of sunshine.
Pokey dressed himself:
As I was walking through pasture 4 today to remove Molly's blanket, but also to survey the fence line, look for fallen limbs, and make a mental note of the grass status, the three oldies (Molly, Jedi, Ufir) came galloping to me. Molly was feeling very playful and stood almost on her tiptoes, nose in the air, tossing her head. It's sweet to see the old horses with so much energy!
Blankets will be back on tonight and I will be feeding another hot bran mash with their grain this evening.
Tav napping.
Yesterday morning and evening everyone got a hot bran mash mixed with their grain. I added salt and minerals to everyone's food (except Bodhi who is eating a supplemental feed high in electrolytes already). In theory the salt should encourage the horses to drink more. Added salt in addition to mushy, sloppy, warm wheat bran will help with smooooth digestion of all that coastal hay. Fingers crossed that every remains healthy and doesn't have impaction issues! We are doing everything we can to avoid colic during this awfully cold spell.
JW is feeling his oats now that he's back on the farm! For those of you who didn't know, JW made a 5-day trip to Springhill Equine (at their new facility!) to have minor surgery to flush his sinuses. The vet okayed him to go straight out into the pasture when he arrived home, so I turned him loose after unloading him. To say he was happy to be home would be an understatement! He bucked and crow hopped and caprioled, farting all the way. He hollered like a stud, telling everyone at Greener Pastures that the King Had Returned! Of course Tie was the only one in his pasture and he just stayed out of JW's way. The girls met him at the fence, especially the flirtiest of them all, Shellie.
Each time we have let him out in the morning since his arrival home JW has bucked and farted in pure joy! He is definitely feeling much better without all that snot in his skull!
Tav and Pokey are an adorable match. Pokey has recently been dealing with some emotional issues. It seems he may be missing his true love, Goose, who left us in late December. Pokey seemed fine next to the pasture of mares with his two pals JW and Tie. When JW left for the vet Pokey was alone with Tie and his neighboring girls. Tie is not too fond of conversation and the girls always play coy, so I think Pokey was beginning to feel pangs of loneliness. When JW returned and took his best friend, Tie, for himself, Pokey probably felt abandoned.
In his emotional state he did not want to be played with or have fun and sort of threw a tantrum, not allowing his poor mother, Ashley, to catch him. It was as if he was saying, "I don't want to talk about it! You can't make me!"
It's hard to say what is really going through Pokey's head, but by his actions we can certainly tell he's nervous. Perhaps it all the changes on the farm - Goose leaving, JW leaving then returning, the cold weather, and things unseen to our human senses. Poor Pokey need some undemanding, quiet time spent with his mom. It will take time and patience, but he will eventually let his mom comfort him.
In the mean time, John and I are giving Pokey his space. If he immediately walks away from us when we enter his space, we recede.
Now Pokey has a new pasture mate, Tav, and they get along wonderfully. They share their hay and munch nose-to-nose. They play dominance games all day and you'll often see Pokey standing very close to Tav as he sleeps lying down in a patch of sunshine.
Pokey dressed himself:
As I was walking through pasture 4 today to remove Molly's blanket, but also to survey the fence line, look for fallen limbs, and make a mental note of the grass status, the three oldies (Molly, Jedi, Ufir) came galloping to me. Molly was feeling very playful and stood almost on her tiptoes, nose in the air, tossing her head. It's sweet to see the old horses with so much energy!
Blankets will be back on tonight and I will be feeding another hot bran mash with their grain this evening.
Tav napping.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Cold Front Continues in Florida
Last night was a record low at 18 measly degrees. All our hoses were left dripped to keep from bursting. But we quickly learned over this past freezing week that taking the hoses off the spigots is the best strategy, otherwise your hose freezes and can split.
Luckily, none of our hoses split before we learned this little detail, but many of our hoses were funkily frozen in the mornings. You could pick up the S-shaped hose from one end and the entire length of hose would lift into the air, retaining whatever shape it was in. Funny! You can see in the picture below just how thick the water on the trough had frozen -- and this was taken at 1:30pm in the day!
You may notice excess water around the troughs, some of it may still be frozen if you get out to the barn before the sun melts the ice. All this extra water is from keep those spigots running.
It was an awful 15 or so degrees when John started feeding at 6:30am this morning. We keep the barn windows and doors closed up at night, hoping that it will keep some of the chill out. We weren't really sure it was working and didn't feel a difference in temperature, but now we have proof! Our little thermometer inside the barn read 30 degrees. John took it outside the barn and it immediately started dropping! It as 10 degrees warmer inside the barn! Yay!
I kept everyone's blanket on until about 12:30pm - as soon as I got back to the barn. It was still a nippy 48 out, but the sun was shining and everyone was munching on hay. I figured those furry bodies needed a break from the blankets after keeping them on for days! I did end up taking everyone's blankets off yesterday at about 3:30pm. It was still very cold, but those horses were dying to feel the soil on their backs.
Here's an adorable shot I snapped today. Like any mom, I was snapping pictures of my baby when Betsy stuck her nose in the shot. I just assumed Satin would pin her ears like usual... but instead I caught this cute picture!
And the white chipmunk...
And the boys...
Luckily, none of our hoses split before we learned this little detail, but many of our hoses were funkily frozen in the mornings. You could pick up the S-shaped hose from one end and the entire length of hose would lift into the air, retaining whatever shape it was in. Funny! You can see in the picture below just how thick the water on the trough had frozen -- and this was taken at 1:30pm in the day!
You may notice excess water around the troughs, some of it may still be frozen if you get out to the barn before the sun melts the ice. All this extra water is from keep those spigots running.
It was an awful 15 or so degrees when John started feeding at 6:30am this morning. We keep the barn windows and doors closed up at night, hoping that it will keep some of the chill out. We weren't really sure it was working and didn't feel a difference in temperature, but now we have proof! Our little thermometer inside the barn read 30 degrees. John took it outside the barn and it immediately started dropping! It as 10 degrees warmer inside the barn! Yay!
I kept everyone's blanket on until about 12:30pm - as soon as I got back to the barn. It was still a nippy 48 out, but the sun was shining and everyone was munching on hay. I figured those furry bodies needed a break from the blankets after keeping them on for days! I did end up taking everyone's blankets off yesterday at about 3:30pm. It was still very cold, but those horses were dying to feel the soil on their backs.
Here's an adorable shot I snapped today. Like any mom, I was snapping pictures of my baby when Betsy stuck her nose in the shot. I just assumed Satin would pin her ears like usual... but instead I caught this cute picture!
And the white chipmunk...
And the boys...
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Frozen troughs and frosty pastures
It is cold.
We head out to feed at 6:30am. Troughs are frozen solid, water buckets are filled with chunks of ice, ice patches form from the dripping hoses. Yes, it's freezing. Well below freezing!
We get the horses out of their stalls as early as possible to stretch and move and warm up. This morning the girls went out first. For some reason they all followed Fatso-Satin into Pasture 2 (normally where Pokey and Tie live). John tried to encourage them out the back gate of that pasture but they wouldn't willingly budge from the hay. So he just left them there and put Pokey and Tie in the girls' pasture. Get their brain juices flowing from the pasture change!
It's almost 1:00pm and the temperature hasn't risen above 39 degrees, so I can't in good judgment take anyone's blanket off! But they need to be brushed and roll, so if you can come out and give your horse a break from their blanket, please do! I may take their blankets off for an hour if the wind dies down... Or maybe only 20 minutes! I am sure everyone is feeling cramped and restricted in their blankets.
Stuff for sale!
I am personally selling 3 Wintec saddles. A friend of mine dropped off a pair of leather english riding boots to see if anyone is interested. I think they are size 8. They are in the tack room if you want a look. Just make an offer and let me know.
If you'd like to sell something and want me to advertise, just shoot me a note. Or, you can just post a note in the barn for everyone to see!
Stay warm!
We head out to feed at 6:30am. Troughs are frozen solid, water buckets are filled with chunks of ice, ice patches form from the dripping hoses. Yes, it's freezing. Well below freezing!
We get the horses out of their stalls as early as possible to stretch and move and warm up. This morning the girls went out first. For some reason they all followed Fatso-Satin into Pasture 2 (normally where Pokey and Tie live). John tried to encourage them out the back gate of that pasture but they wouldn't willingly budge from the hay. So he just left them there and put Pokey and Tie in the girls' pasture. Get their brain juices flowing from the pasture change!
It's almost 1:00pm and the temperature hasn't risen above 39 degrees, so I can't in good judgment take anyone's blanket off! But they need to be brushed and roll, so if you can come out and give your horse a break from their blanket, please do! I may take their blankets off for an hour if the wind dies down... Or maybe only 20 minutes! I am sure everyone is feeling cramped and restricted in their blankets.
Stuff for sale!
I am personally selling 3 Wintec saddles. A friend of mine dropped off a pair of leather english riding boots to see if anyone is interested. I think they are size 8. They are in the tack room if you want a look. Just make an offer and let me know.
If you'd like to sell something and want me to advertise, just shoot me a note. Or, you can just post a note in the barn for everyone to see!
Stay warm!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Snug as a bug
We've closed up all the stall windows and barn doors. Shellie, Betsy, Satin, Dancer, JW, Pokey, and Tie are snuggled up in their thickly bedded stalls, blankets (or wooly coats!) on. Tonight is the first of almost a week of very cold nights! All the pasture horses are blanketed and actively warming their bellies with hay.
The rains that fell heavily on Greener Pastures brought this frigid front to our farm. It rained for nearly 12 hours, and it was no drizzle! It came down hard through morning feeding so we kept everyone dry inside their stalls, picked out the manure, gave them more hay and fresh water. We had Tie tucked away in a stall and had one more stall empty. We chose to bring old Molly up to the barn to get her out of the downpour. We towel-dried her, brushed her down and combed her mane to help her dry more quickly, knowing the cold weather was on its way. Finally, around noon, the rain came to a stop and the sun began to peak through the dreary clouds.
The horses were itching to stretch their legs and run!
Pokey, JW, and Tie trot off into their pasture, heading straight for the hay. Nothing too exciting. But the girls always give a show. Shellie is very much the instigator of all happy horse behaviors and that day was no exception. She first got Dancer to race with her across the pasture, kicking and bucking and galloping, showing off their Thoroughbred genetics! As Dancer absentmindedly ran around the pasture (showing off the dumb-blond Thoroughbred stereotype), Shellie would rush past Satin and Betsy to try to get them going too. Satin finally left her hay to canter around, BUCK and REAR (Satin stores up her energy so that she can make her explosions count!), then trot back to the hay. Betsy sometimes followed at the trot, just to appease Master Shellie. Shellie then finished off the fun with 3 nice rolls in the damp dirt, and big snort and shake, and a toss of her head. Time to graze.
With all this moisture comes thrush, so be vigilant with hoof picking. Several horses on the farm had thrush when the farrier trimmed them just a week or two ago. The horses who get stalled have a slight advantage in that their hooves get a relief from the damp grass and hay in the pastures when they get to come into the dry stall. So for the horses that don't get to stand in dry shavings, I recommend picking their hooves as frequently as possible (obviously daily is ideal). Also, with the weather being so cold, horses' coats should stay curried and clean of crusty mud. If their coat is matted down from sweat or dirt, they have a more difficult time fluffing up their hair to keep warm. And the horses that wear their blankets for long periods of time should have their blanket removed and their coats brushed at least once a day if possible, especially if their blanket is staying on all day and night.
Consider offering your horse T&A or O&A hay through the winter. For an additional fee we can provide a grass/legume hay to keep their weight on when the nutrient-rich grass is gone. A legume hay is also prudent not only because it provides higher protein content, but the more "stemmy" the hay, the less likely your horse will experience colic or impaction from the finer coastal grass hay. Adding a legume/grass hay in addition to the coastal can help avoid this. But, because we know not every horse should eat this higher protein hay, we continue to supply mineral/salt blocks in every pasture to ensure (we hope) adequate water consumption - again, to avoid impaction.
Cheers to happy, healthy horses!
The rains that fell heavily on Greener Pastures brought this frigid front to our farm. It rained for nearly 12 hours, and it was no drizzle! It came down hard through morning feeding so we kept everyone dry inside their stalls, picked out the manure, gave them more hay and fresh water. We had Tie tucked away in a stall and had one more stall empty. We chose to bring old Molly up to the barn to get her out of the downpour. We towel-dried her, brushed her down and combed her mane to help her dry more quickly, knowing the cold weather was on its way. Finally, around noon, the rain came to a stop and the sun began to peak through the dreary clouds.
The horses were itching to stretch their legs and run!
Pokey, JW, and Tie trot off into their pasture, heading straight for the hay. Nothing too exciting. But the girls always give a show. Shellie is very much the instigator of all happy horse behaviors and that day was no exception. She first got Dancer to race with her across the pasture, kicking and bucking and galloping, showing off their Thoroughbred genetics! As Dancer absentmindedly ran around the pasture (showing off the dumb-blond Thoroughbred stereotype), Shellie would rush past Satin and Betsy to try to get them going too. Satin finally left her hay to canter around, BUCK and REAR (Satin stores up her energy so that she can make her explosions count!), then trot back to the hay. Betsy sometimes followed at the trot, just to appease Master Shellie. Shellie then finished off the fun with 3 nice rolls in the damp dirt, and big snort and shake, and a toss of her head. Time to graze.
With all this moisture comes thrush, so be vigilant with hoof picking. Several horses on the farm had thrush when the farrier trimmed them just a week or two ago. The horses who get stalled have a slight advantage in that their hooves get a relief from the damp grass and hay in the pastures when they get to come into the dry stall. So for the horses that don't get to stand in dry shavings, I recommend picking their hooves as frequently as possible (obviously daily is ideal). Also, with the weather being so cold, horses' coats should stay curried and clean of crusty mud. If their coat is matted down from sweat or dirt, they have a more difficult time fluffing up their hair to keep warm. And the horses that wear their blankets for long periods of time should have their blanket removed and their coats brushed at least once a day if possible, especially if their blanket is staying on all day and night.
Consider offering your horse T&A or O&A hay through the winter. For an additional fee we can provide a grass/legume hay to keep their weight on when the nutrient-rich grass is gone. A legume hay is also prudent not only because it provides higher protein content, but the more "stemmy" the hay, the less likely your horse will experience colic or impaction from the finer coastal grass hay. Adding a legume/grass hay in addition to the coastal can help avoid this. But, because we know not every horse should eat this higher protein hay, we continue to supply mineral/salt blocks in every pasture to ensure (we hope) adequate water consumption - again, to avoid impaction.
Cheers to happy, healthy horses!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The boys
Yesterday at morning feeding time John and I walked out to Pasture 5. We refer to this heard as "The boys". Magic, Tav, Dusty, Bodhi, and Cas. As we approached the gate we expected to see the boys hanging out awaiting their breakfast like usual. But there was not a single horse in sight.
John poured Tav's grain in the feed stall and I called to the horses. Still nothing.
Peculiar, I thought. The only explanation could be a fence down and everyone escaped. Before I took one step to begin my search, I looked up and saw a very funny sight. I elbowed John and whispered, "Look, look, look!"
Just peeking out from around the bend of woods was all 5 horses abreast in a row. All looking at us like WE were the aliens sent to eat them. They stood like statues, every one of them, staring directly at us. Magic took about two steps forward and stopped. The other 4 followed his lead, just taking a few steps. Brave Bodhi walked a few more steps, followed by Cas. But they were still hundreds of yards away! They kept this up for several minutes. Finally I called out, "Hi boys!" Reassuring them that we weren't the monsters in their game.
They blew snorts of relief and came up to eat their grain.
But, the fun didn't stop there. Magic has this "thing" he does at feeding time, mostly in the evenings, where he acts like there is a ghost in the woods to the South of their pasture. He'll be eating, then abrubtly lift his head as if something scary just whispered to him. And he'll even take it to the next step and trot a few steps away from his food. None of the other horses notice the thing in the woods, but it does stir up excitement.
So I moved Magic's bucket further from the woods a few weeks ago. He still sees and hears the ghost (maybe a raccoon family?) in the woods, but since he gets to eat closer to his herd he feels safer. Perhaps it is the alpha horse keen senses that distinguish him from the rest. Bodhi just calls Magic a big baby and threatens to kick him.
Gotta love the boys!
John poured Tav's grain in the feed stall and I called to the horses. Still nothing.
Peculiar, I thought. The only explanation could be a fence down and everyone escaped. Before I took one step to begin my search, I looked up and saw a very funny sight. I elbowed John and whispered, "Look, look, look!"
Just peeking out from around the bend of woods was all 5 horses abreast in a row. All looking at us like WE were the aliens sent to eat them. They stood like statues, every one of them, staring directly at us. Magic took about two steps forward and stopped. The other 4 followed his lead, just taking a few steps. Brave Bodhi walked a few more steps, followed by Cas. But they were still hundreds of yards away! They kept this up for several minutes. Finally I called out, "Hi boys!" Reassuring them that we weren't the monsters in their game.
They blew snorts of relief and came up to eat their grain.
But, the fun didn't stop there. Magic has this "thing" he does at feeding time, mostly in the evenings, where he acts like there is a ghost in the woods to the South of their pasture. He'll be eating, then abrubtly lift his head as if something scary just whispered to him. And he'll even take it to the next step and trot a few steps away from his food. None of the other horses notice the thing in the woods, but it does stir up excitement.
So I moved Magic's bucket further from the woods a few weeks ago. He still sees and hears the ghost (maybe a raccoon family?) in the woods, but since he gets to eat closer to his herd he feels safer. Perhaps it is the alpha horse keen senses that distinguish him from the rest. Bodhi just calls Magic a big baby and threatens to kick him.
Gotta love the boys!
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