Second Wind or Power Through?

Thursday evening, we made up for not being productive this week. Since it wasn’t raining, we decided we better get over to the neighbor’s and pull the fence posts along the road. The neighbor said we could buy the fence posts along the gravel road as long as we go out there and pull them.

Mike hooked the little trailer up to the tractor and we headed down the road to start pulling fence posts. It worked pretty slick. Mike drove the tractor and was the bucket man, while I wrapped the chain around the posts to pull them out. The weeds and grass were HUGE! I ended up walking into a patch of grass that was a foot taller than me! Granted I am only 5’3” so it doesn’t take much for grass to be taller than me but most of the pasture line the grass was chest level. Oh what I would have given to run the herd out in that pasture.

We were out pulling posts for about an hour. We were able to pull 30 fence posts! ROCK ON! Now when we fence the mare pasture in we can use those fence posts! I’m excited. I swear I’ve been nesting. I’m not sure why though. We now have 30 fence posts, 90 straw bales, and 50 alfalfa bales! And if the weather holds, I should be getting my big squares of hay! YEAH!

After pulling the fence posts I needed to take a break. We went from upper 50s and lower 60s to mid 80s. I’m not used to the heat yet. I had to take a break and grab something to drink. Mike and I both headed for the house. We both made a mistake and sat down in the kitchen at 8pm. After guzzling my drink I started to nod off! I knew if I didn’t get back out there that I’d fall asleep at the kitchen table.

So out I went. Call it a second wind? Or maybe just powering through? Either way, I grabbed my helmet and headed over to saddle up Maverick. I rode Maverick around for a little bit. I think we are both directionally challenged. I can’t seem to figure out how to properly ask him to turn in the direction that I want. I want to try Chaos’s bridle and see if that helps any. I have a feeling that the setup that I currently have for Maverick doesn’t fit him. I may need to go find a different bridle, at a minimum.

I tried to put a breast collar on Maverick to see what he would look like. Unfortunately this saddle I’m using sits weird or something. I couldn’t get the breast collar to fit, it was too small! I’m going to have to see if any of the other breast collars would even fit on Maverick with the saddle I’m using. I also need to get the back cinch readjusted. The current billets are WAY too short. I think I can put them on the pony saddle and they would fit. But otherwise, they most definitely don’t work. I think the only way to keep the saddle from slipping is with the back cinch. I’m not sure if Maverick has ever had a back cinch on or not. But I guess it’s just another element for him to get used to. He really does thrive on change.

After riding Maverick, I quick did chores. It was starting to get dark out. I did take some time to relax on Maverick and watch the horses come in from the pasture and watch the lightening show to the north. Maverick was so content to stand there with me sitting on his back he even cocked a leg! CRAZY! I’m really starting to like him, even if we ARE directionally challenged.

I set the pony pasture up in a different place so keep your fingers crossed that Skippy doesn’t try to escape. I think where I had them the grass was no good. That’s about the same location I had them in when Skippy tried to make a break for it. Right now the pony pasture is directly in front of the barn (the grass was getting tall and I didn’t want to mow). I’m thinking of moving the pony pasture to the north side of the dog pen. The grass is probably as high as Tommy so it would last at least two days. I figure if I put the pony pen to the north of the dog pen and then work them down towards the chicken coop, that when we actually get to doing the fencing on the north side of the chicken coop we won’t have to fight the weeds and tall grass. I guess we’ll see how it goes. I also want to permanently fence in some of the trees behind the tack room and pony night pen. We’ll see how productive I am this weekend.