A Sunday with Horses

In the winter, barn time means more working and less riding. It's just a fact, at least at the barn I "play" at. Last Sunday (my only barn appearance of the week in the winter), I decided to take a picture tour of my duties.

Get ready for some excitement!!!



The first thing I do is pull in the geldings from the back pasture. In the winter these old guys are more than happy to get into their warm hay filled stalls. Once they are cozy in their stalls, I toss the resident stallion, Casper out to play. There he is above having a good old romp! Next weekend, I will get out the clippers and clip, groom and pamper this unkempt boy.



Sometimes after I turn Casper out, I ride. On this day I rode Bobby who was great, but didn't get any pictures of that. After riding, I hay the horses (no pictures), then break ice out of buckets and water (no pictures of that delightful chore either). After that, I trudge outside to retrieve the bratty mares. On this Sunday, I experienced the demise of an old and dear friend. My wonderful yet old Miller's Warm Toe boots, lost the sole out of the right boot :(. I about cried!!!



Since I was halfway to the mare's pen when my boot died, I had to ponder whether to let the ladies *I use that term loosely* up, or to change into my untainted EMU boots. This is the picture I took of the barn yard side of the barn. The middle section of this huge barn is an old cattle barn. The rest was assembled sometime in the 1970's I think. It's even survived a Tornado - kind of looks like it too - but it's solid, sturdy and very much loved!

I decided to let the mares up. Here is their empty field.

Here's Diablo. He's the youngest horse at 2! He had brain surgery in the Fall (if you know what I mean), and I love him more and more each day. He's a bit head shy, so every time I'm there I love on him and he seems to be getting better and better. Here he is debating an escape.



Once I've dragged each and every rotund mare in as well as Casper and any other random horse that's out and have them tucked into their individual stalls - see above - I begin the arduous task of .....

Sweeping.

Just look at those floors! This picture was shot just inside the barnyard door *barn yard door is directly to the right, feed area to the left.* This picture is shot halfway down the barn aisle. There are over 40 box stalls and 6 standing stalls in this barn!



Here is Reese or Spaz, not sure which one she is. She helps me with chores and enjoys batting stray poo balls down the hallways and getting in the way. She's a sweetie though, and we love her!

The horses know when the sweeping begins, it's not long before their favorite chore; grain time! One by one horses begin moseying to their wooden feed boxes. The nano second one sees me hang that broom and open the first grain bin, it's all over. A chorus of nickers embrace the barn. Becoming more and more urgent as horses watch others be fed, and very eagerly anticipate their turn - I love this part. Each horse has its' own distinct sound. I love it when a sweet dainty mare has a manly deep nicker - "HUMM HUMM HUMMPH", she'll demand. I always laugh. I also love Bobby's high pitched, bitchy tone - he becomes very very demanding during grain time. He begins with a cute little chortle, and once he realizes he's not first on my list of horses to grain, he brings in the head tossing and dying walrus bellowing.



With the graining out of the way, that signals the end of chores on a winter's day. By this time, I'm usually alone and it's always dark out. Sometimes I get a little freaked out - it's always so silent except for the steady, munch munch munch and slop slop slop of the horses' finishing off
every last kernel of their delicious grain/corn/pellet/equine senior mix. I love the way the barn looks as I drive away. Last Sunday everything was blanketed in a deep blue - maybe it was the way the snow reflected the winter sky, I don't know, but it was beautiful and peaceful.

I do a final check on the piggy ponies, then I shut off the lights, say my good nights and head home.

Good Night sweet ponies!