Saturday, November 24, 2012

What is this boobery ??



 My horses have never been blanketed before, they took it very well. Cody sporting his new blanket in fashionable red. Aubrey is wearing Mare Girls old blanket, it fits him and it will keep him warm. I still miss her.

The little ones have ample fur but we enjoyed dressing them up anyway.

The main reason for introducing blankets is because Cody is older now and needs one, of course we couldn't do for one and not all. Spoiled horses.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Thanksgiving is upon us

Working is all I do, I leave when it is dark and come home when it's dark. Time is flying though, soon it will be spring but first Thanksgiving and Christmas then the long cold months.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year and so I am looking forward to time at home here in our new place with the fancy kitchen. We will be thankful and enjoy a nice dinner.

The animals will join in and it will be a good day.

I took a ticket off the tree at work from the Salvation Army to buy toys for a child that may not have anything for Christmas. It brings me happiness to give and I'm glad that work has provided the opportunity.

I miss helping animals and meeting new ones but for now it is best I help my own. Dusti is old dog and he is showing his age more and more. It is time to take care of my senior.

They are all happy of course that they are all together in this new place.

I'm tired though and I miss them but as time passes it will get easier and we will have fun times again. 

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Kylie's evening, Cooper toots

Kylie had a friend over for the first time at the new house, they stayed up all night and had a pretty good time. Kylie has to live grown up sometimes too much and needs to be a child once and awhile, she of course is growing into a young woman fast but there is still time for child times.

I noticed while trying to sit and watch TV that Cooper our little Sheltie toots a lot. He is always next to me napping when I am on the couch and if I am paying attention I hear a little phhzzz. Of course he always looks so innocent... not.

We spent time yesterday putting stone in the horses stalls, today when we picked the stalls they were much better and easier to clean. Winter is coming and it is time to get things accomplished while the weather is decent.

Now that the truck has been fixed it is time to start stock piling fire wood. We have storage here and it will be important to burn wood to keep the cost of heating down.

The little horses were out all day today, they were tired when they came in. They had a round bale to eat and some nice sunshine. They are in need of a good brushing, they are woolie and wild looking. Cody and Aubrey are muddy and since I am off tomorrow, Kylie and I will spend some fun time with them and get them cleaned up.

It's nice to be home a little and have time to settle in and enjoy the house. I really enjoy the community and Kylie and I like going to eat at the local diner. The sunshine and beauty is something precious to me not so much because it has rained quiet a bit but because I am in an office all day long all week. I love underwriting and I love the company I work for but my heart belongs to nature and being part of it. I hope next year there will be time to spend doing things outside, being with the horses, and long quiet evenings. 

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Hurricanes, Elections and Hay Shortages

My router got ruined with the power outage with our little hurricane storm out here in the boonies. I couldn't do much on the internet for two weeks without WiFi. The storm was bad but it could have been worse, it was of course for many others.

Kylie and I followed the election pretty close and I took her with me when I voted. This election was so important, I really believe Romney was the wrong person at this time and wouldn't have been prepared to face the issues that are presently facing our country. I really have respect for President Obama, he didn't start his term with the best of circumstances, he's been insulted and treated so disrespectfully because of his race, name and heritage, more so than any other president. Any president of the United States deserves the respect of Americans, we must all stand behind our President for the world to see, if we don't than we bring shame upon ourselves.

The most recent trauma in my world is the hay shortage. I have had to think fast in recent days on what to do to survive it. I have learned a few things recently, that I was a very honest barn manager, I also know why people thought the worst or that they might be cheated because they most likely were at one barn or another.

I bought better feed than I could afford given the board I was charging, I always made sure I brought hay in and even though sometimes the sawdust got a little low I pulled it together to keep things going. I didn't have the money to stock pile things and I had to go week to week but the supplies were there when they needed to be. Not one horse ever got slighted food, hay or my attention to their well being regardless of how their owners may have treated me. I loved them all. I went without food and so did Kylie, if I had to go short on something it was always taken from my animals. It may not have seemed to some people like I was doing a good job but they had no idea what I had to go through to get it done.

There are so many people in the horse business that are just not nice people, that aren't trustworthy and take advantage without really caring much about the animals themselves. The hay gouging is just so wrong, what will people who have horses that they honestly love do when it is tough enough to keep them when hay prices are reasonable. How many horses will starve, be abandoned, taken to auction because of the hay prices. I hate this, I hate it when people are just all about the money. Anyone who has read my blog much knows I hate materialism and selfishness.

I am back to managing resources closely with my horses making sure I use good judgement and provide for them with round bales and beet pulp and a mixture of a good food source. I have my heels dug in to face the worst. If I have to put the labor in to do it I'm ready.

It would be nice though to just sit back and enjoy them but for now being able to keep them and meet their needs will have to do.