February

With all the crazy weather we're having lately (70s one day, a few days later ice and temps in the teens, high winds, etc.) there hasn't been much riding going on around here. I've been trying to keep horses and donkeys comfortable, clean, warm, and happy, with all the usual help from my dear daughter and husband. 

Salina has been really wanting to be back with the big boys the past two weeks, and we've compromised by allowing her some turn-out with the entire herd each day. This give the donkeys a chance to go off duty and have some wild donkey fun - usually the two of them running like mustangs all over the farm, making metallic sounding squeaks that sound like machinery of some kind and not two little donkeys.

Salina is bossing the pony and hanging out with Keil Bay, and occasionally shifts allegiance over to Cody for a bit. Usually by the time her next meal is served, she's ready to come back into her paddock and barnyard, and the donkeys are just as happy to come with her.

As you can see from the photo, the kittens are growing up. It happens so fast! They are now trying out all the possible sleeping spots in the house, fitting themselves into spaces probably not quite meant for cat naps, which seems to be a major criteria for cats choosing favorite spots. Pixie loves this pot, and she might as well enjoy it now, because she's going to be too big for it soon enough!

I woke up feeling off today, so am hanging out on the bed and watching the horses outside my window. And reading. And playing on the iPad.

For anyone who loves reading and books, head over to Jordan Rosenfeld's blog every day this month. She's counting down the days until her novel, Forged In Grace, comes out, and celebrating with a literary quiz question or two every single day. The winners get copies of different books every day. This Wednesday (February 6th) the winner will get a copy of my Claire Quartet collection. So far, the questions are fun and the giveaways are great! 

Here's the link to go play and win: Jordan's blog

Happy February! 

ice day on the hill

We're getting ice pellets, sleet, and freezing rain today - it's piling up in some areas and not at all in others. Horses and donkeys are in the barn enjoying loose hay, stuffed hay nets, and warmed up water. Keil Bay took a little run through the barnyard earlier but other than that, they seem to be content to just hang out and munch their way through this winter day.

at liberty with the Big Bay

Keil Bay was so caked with mud yesterday I went out earlier than usual thinking it was going to take longer to get him clean. Just as I went out the back door he was at the water trough giving himself a shower with his hoof, which basically re-constituted the mud and made a real mess halfway down both sides and the saddle area was drenched!

I decided we would just focus on the grooming and see if his back dried off by the time we finished. In the midst of the grooming it became clear he needed his sheath cleaned, and since the temp was in the mid-60s, and we're looking at several really cold days this week, I figured we'd just go ahead and do the full spa treatment.

He was fully cooperative with the sheath cleaning but once I finished that and the first once-over groom, he untied himself two times, indicating he was ready to be done. But I wanted to get every tiny chunk of mud off, and still had his hooves to pick, so he had to wait me out.

When I finished it was just starting to get dusky out. We went for a quick walk in the arena and I found that daughter had left the lunge whip out there - she'd been free lunging the pony - so I took Keil's lead rope off, picked up the lunge whip, and asked him to walk on.

He was incredible! He used the entire arena to walk, using the diagonals to change direction each time so we were working both ways exactly equally.

After he'd warmed up at the walk, I did two trot steps and he lifted his back and went into his gorgeous floating trot. We alternated walk/trot for awhile, and then I did two canter steps - no response - but when I called out can-ter! he did a lovely transition into the canter and did this beautifully many times in each direction.

By the end he did a bit of gallop with a big buck thrown in going both ways, and then we did a few more walk/trot/canters each way and finished up in the near-darkness.

I don't do this a lot with Keil, but it was such a joy to see him move and feel his energy as he transitioned up and down at my request.

When I took him out to the front field he didn't want to leave me but stood there after I removed his halter and kept his eyes on mine. "Go on and have your hay with your buddies," I said several times, and finally he did.

There's no walk from the barn aisle to the barnyard through the gate to the backyard and into the house better than one that ends a good time with the horses and donkeys. And that's just about every single time I take that walk, so I'm celebrating today. I'm lucky I get to be part of the November Hill herd.

how to deal with crazy weather and evaluate your horses for lameness all at the same time

It's been raining here for two days now, and the local weather station has predicted snow tonight. As beautiful as snow is, I am having a hard time getting excited about inches of anything that melts landing on this already-saturated ground. But what can I do?

I had to drive my daughter to her biology class today. She went out early and got the barn cleaned up, no easy feat after a night of six equines eating hay and dropping manure inside the stalls and barn aisle. I went out after she finished to feed breakfast and get them set up for the couple of hours I'd be gone.

I cleaned up the extra manure they'd dropped since daughter went inside. Cleaned and filled water buckets. Checked water troughs and filled one. Cleaned feed tubs and put them away. Heaped mangers with hay. Gave out some peppermints. And, in a rare occurrence, closed the gates to both fields. It is so mucky out. I didn't want them rolling in the mud and I didn't really want them tromping through it either.

Since I closed the gates to the fields, I decided to open the gate to the arena. My last remark as I left the barn was this: I'll be back soon. Go in the arena if you get bored but don't roll in there!

The arena is grayish white screenings and it is a huge grooming nightmare when they roll in it wet. Worse than mud! But it drains well and cleans their hooves and gives them a place to parade around when the weather gets like this. So.

The drive to biology class was harried. Steady rain, poor visibility, having to be there on time. We were three-quarters of the way there when I realized we had time to spare. "Let's stop and get ice cream!" We drive by a local creamery where the cows live outdoors and are treated humanely. We're not getting our usual raw milk right now because Molly escaped in the fall and had a date with a Black Angus. She is taking some time off until her calf weans. So for now we're buying the local dairy milk and I love supporting their ice cream arm of operations.

Ten minutes later I had a coffee shake and daughter had a chocolate chip cookie dough waffle cone and all was much, much better. The rain seemed less wet somehow, and the landscape less bleak. Even the thought of four inches of snow seemed light and fluffy. All thoughts of mud had escaped my mind.

I dropped daughter off and headed back toward home. My husband picks her up and today he had double duty, as son was already at play rehearsal, so he had to pick up daughter first, then get son. I got ten minutes back toward home and suddenly the truck seemed to be having a hard time accelerating. Something felt off, but I was so cheerful, I decided it had to be the rough road. I drove on. Then I realized something was really wrong. I looked for the next safe place to pull over on the country road I was on. As I pulled off the road I smelled a horrible burnt rubber smell.

I got out. The front right tire was flat to the rim.

I called husband. He was at work, probably a half-hour away. He said he would be there as soon as he could. Somehow, even with the flat tire, I was still buoyed by that coffee milkshake. I cleaned out the glove box and the compartment between the front seats. I cleaned out my purse. I wrote in my little blue Moleskine, listing the names of all my books that are published and those that are in progress. It was not a list of things to do, but a list of things I have done. About the time I finished this list, husband showed up.

He sent me home in his car while he stayed and got the tire changed.

When I got home it was an hour past Salina's first lunch time. I hurried out to the barn to feed her. Of course all the morning hay was gone. The three geldings were in the arena, trotting around.

I fed Salina, replenished the mangers, and then proceeded to muck the stalls - and the arena. The arena had been pristine when I left, but now it was studded with beautiful hoof prints. It was clear from the patterns that I have three very sound horses. The walk and trot strides tracked up perfectly. The cantering was big and bold. All frogs looked to be healthy and loading well. 

Salina and the donkeys had wisely stayed in the barn, making a communal manure pile so their space stayed tidy. They were also clean and dry.

The geldings, of course, had to prove the old saying that if a horse is sound he can roll all the way over. All three were gray on both sides.

Now we're just waiting for the snow to start.

(all photos courtesy of dear husband and earlier in the week before the rain set in!)

busy week catch-up on November Hill

Last Friday we had hoof trims. In spite of the mud lately, everyone's hooves are doing well. My husband has taken over learning the trimming process, as he is stronger than me and much better at manipulating the rasp and the hoof knife. I'm still learning what to look for, so I can stand there and point out to him what he already knows while he's doing the trims!

At this point he has completely taken over the donkey trims and is doing a good job. He's also doing touch-ups on Keil Bay and Cody about every two weeks, which is really making a difference since their hooves tend to grow really fast.

His next candidate will be the pony - who has pretty much perfect feet. We'll likely put him on the touch-up schedule along with the geldings, but will see how it goes once that gets started.

The trimmer will come every 6 weeks to do Salina, Cody, and Keil Bay, and to check the others and continue teaching. It's given us a lot more confidence and is a relief to know that small things can be corrected in between trims!

We've taken a slow approach to purchasing the tools. We started with a rasp and new hoof knife, a sharpener, and gloves. This trip the trimmer had a hoof stand a friend was selling at a great price, and we grabbed the opportunity to add that to our tools. No more using a landscaping timber!

On Saturday the chiropractor was here for Salina, Keil Bay, and Cody. They all had minimal issues, but all seemed appreciative of the work, especially Salina and Keil. Since they were getting 48 hours off with the chiro, and since all this timed with two really warm days, I went ahead and did their deworming on Sunday (I generally don't ride them on deworming days, and I also try hard to time the deworming when we're not having extreme weather or on the cusp of a big weather change).

Now, as soon as this rain/cooling front moves through, we'll be all set ride again. I spent yesterday getting pine pellets, peat moss, and stocking up on feed supplies, then getting the stalls topped off. We were just getting dried out from the last rain spell, but it's muddy again and they're all trying hard to be the muddiest horse on the property. It's way too warm to blanket them, even with single-weight turn-out sheets!

Spring bulbs are coming up already, and the tree bark chewing started. The herd completely girded a red oak this year, which forced us to scurry and wrap more trees in the front field in case they decide to look for another one. So far, so good.

It seems greener this winter than it usually is - we over-seeded the back field so that's looking nice, but even in front, the grass is still growing. So much for my theory that the chewing has to do with them missing the green stuff!