Water Troughs

I forgot what it was like to do chores in the dark. I enjoyed the time off and tried to relax (meaning I did nothing but sleep). So my productivity went down the pooper these last four days. Unfortunately it looks like winter will be here this week.

I did get to enjoy a "life quality" moment this morning. When I tromped on out to do chores this morning at 5am, I had the good fortune of a bright, full moon. I enjoyed watching the moon change from a bright white to a bright orange. The moon was absolutely gorgeous. I love doing chores by the light of the moon but getting to watch the moon change colors really made me appreciate chores (even if I was out so early). Every time I would peek around a corner or even look up from watching the horses, the moon would be a different shade of beauty.

I had the forsight to put the water heater in the mare's water trough. Unfortunately I only have one automatic waterer so the mares, Maverick, Longhorn, and the ponies get to deal with ice. I'm hoping to put the mare's water heater on a timer so that I don't have to break open their water every morning and night.

I had to break Maverick's and the mares's water this morning (tested out the heater and it works but I still wanted to break the water open just in case). Unfortunately for me I'm not the brightest person in the world (at least not in the morning). Instead of tromping back to the barn to get my hammer I decided to use my foot. You know where this is going!

Smash, smash, KERSLASH! Right foot soaked! Well, not really soaked but wet enough to be cold and freeze to my coveralls and get my leg wet. That was Maverick's water. Then I went to the mares's water and did the SAME thing. Smash, smash, KerSPLAAASH! And I proceeded to get even wetter. Like I said, not the smartest one but maybe I'll blame the morning!

I noticed the weatherman is calling for a major cool down this week. I'm not sure how the oldsters will handle this change. I'm sure that there will be wind. When isn't there wind in South Dakota? I'm debating on putting Queen, Babe, and Sam in the barn for the night. That way if there is wind, they can get out of it and if it's just cold, they can at least not have the cold air settle on them; they can have a roof over their heads to try and keep some of the chill off.

I think I'll feel better knowing they are in the barn. Sam is simply NOT picking up weight fast enough. If he has to generate enough heat to stay warm how will he ever generate enough fat to keep him warm this winter. I also want to make sure that he's getting enough to eat. So call me a weiny but I think I'll baby them this week to let them adjust to winter.

I will have to do a bit more planning though. With Mike gone this week chores will take me a little longer. If I have horses in the barn, chores will take me even longer yet. But I guess that's the price I'll have to pay to satisfy my concious.

Maverick

FEED ME NOW!!

Babe's Eyesight

I've been so wrapped up in Sam's health issues/depression and Bob's passing that I'm afraid I've neglected the rest of the herd.

I realized this weekend that Babe is losing the rest of her eyesight. When I originally took Babe, I was told she could see shadows. We came to the realization she could see shadows as far as going in to a building or coming out of a building but other than that, she was blind.

Babe's left eye was milk white but her right eye was the one she could see shadows. Last winter while staying at her "winter home" we thought that perhaps her hearing was going. Once we moved her back, her hearing came back. I think it was that there was so much more traffice at her "winter home" rather than here.

I had noticed that her right eye was starting to get a bit more cloudy. It wasn't but a couple days later that her eye started to run and now it's turning milk white like the other eye. She stills gets around without any problems as long as Queen doesn't spook her. Now that I have the mares in this pasture, they are closer to the big herd and Queen prefers the company of the geldings over Babe. So when Queen comes back out (of a place I've tried to fence off and she still sneaks in) she spooks Babe.

We will simply have to be more careful around Babe from now on. Stinker Queen is being no help. I did watch Babe trot up the hill tonight for her grain so she's still in good spirits and isn't letting her lack of vision get her down.

Sam too seems to be perking up. I'm not sure what happened but it seems Sam needed a full week to mourn Bob's passing. Sam and Brego have been hanging out a bit more so that makes me feel better knowing Sam isn't alone any more. I am surprised that Sam is doing so well in the barn. He used to freak out being in there all alone but now that he gets fed his grain in the barn, that's the only place he wants to be. He'll even come up to the barn all by himself (which is something he'd never do six months ago) and wait around for me to bring his grain.

I'm still worried about his weight. I'm so surprised that his weight loss took me by surprise. I should have been more careful and had a better eye. I'm also so surprised that they can lose so much weight so quickly and yet it takes ten times longer for the weight to go back on (wish I had that problem).

I can't yet talk about Bob. Some day soon I'll tell of his passing. Just know that the world lost a very special individual and I miss him dearly.

I'm also getting myself all worked up. This coming Saturday is the Sioux Falls Regional Livestock horse sale. I hate this sale. I do have to give credit to the auction house. They run the place very well, it's just the fact that so many lives will be lost at this sale.

I'm also upset about another horse. I have been looking for a horse for dad to ride. I know there's enough to choose from here at Borderlands. I found the closest thing to what I've been looking for. And I've been looking for three years.

So we went to meet the horse and go for a ride. She then proceeded to tell me that others have looked but no takers and that if no one bought him, that he and two others would head to a sale December 5th. She wont' budge on the price which throws me completely for a loop. She obviously hasn't been to a sale lately. I low balled but she didn't bite. She has to get her asking price but I know she wont' get that at the auction. I'm not sure what auction she'll be going to otherwise I'd just wait and see. But I hate trying to bid.

He's a very nice horse and I think once I get to know him I think some of his quirks could be resolved. He's short, he's gaited, he's got experience, he's everything I've been looking for. Unfortunately the hay I have, will only cover the horses already at Borderlands. It will not cover any additional mouths. So what do I do? Go in search of more hay and buy the horse that I've finally found after searching for three years (and know that I'll be saving him from an unknown fate) or do I let him go and focus on the horses already here at Borderlands and try getting the horse dad will be riding more miles?

So tell me, what do I do? 1) Buy the horse and scrounge up the money to buy hay from someone/anyone or 2) let the horse go and just focus on the horses at Borderlands?

So besides the decision to put Bob down, actually putting Bob down, Sam's illness, and now trying to decide what to do about this horse, I've got myself completely worn out. Right now I'm just going through the motions. I'm afraid I havent' really even done much with the horses which is a shame since the last few days have been nice. And around here you should always take advantage of a nice day.

I may or may not blog much this week. Mike is gone for work so I'm home alone all week trying to get all the chores done plus a little bit more. I don't think I'll get to do any extra stuff with the horses this week, just same ol' same ol'.

Sam Broke My Heart

Poor Sam. This morning he broke my heart. I was afraid some of the horses would get a little depressed with Bob's passing. I figured some would mourn Bob's passing.

Last night Rain was a bit depressed. I should have spent more time with him. He was more interested in being petted than eating so that says alot. I don't think King was close to Bob but he was in a lovey dovey mood too.

I figured Dude and maybe Chaos would be a bit upset but they seemed more intersted in food. Chaos is hanging out with Dude a lot more, or maybe it's the other way around I'm not really sure. But I think they may be at a loss without their leader in charge.

Sam on the other hand I thought was best buddies with Brego. Only in the last month has Sam been hanging around Bob. I was afraid that Sam would be depressed over Bob's passing and I was right. I thought maybe Sam would hang out with Brego a bit more but Brego is insistant that he pick on poor Zeke.

The dynamics are definately changing. Last night after I kicked Sam out of the barn all he did was stand there. I am hoping he was just full. But instead of hanging out with the big herd he headed out to the pasture. I'm wondering if he thought Bob was out in the pasture. I didn't stick around to see if he started calling for Bob. I wouldn't have been able to keep it together.

This morning when I called for the boys to come up from the pasture for breakfast Sam came wandering up and went directly to the leanto where Bob used to hang out. Everyone else was up and eating but Sam went to the barn to look for Bob because he wasn't there. Once he was in the leanto and realized Bob wasn't there, he turned around and went for a hay pile. But it was obvious Sam was looking for Bob. I feel terrible. It breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes.

Poor guy. He lost his best buddy mid-April (with his previous owner) and now he lost yet another buddy mid-November. I don't care how tough you might think you are, no one should have to go through so many losses and changes in one year. To make matters worse, Sam isn't a tough guy. He's pretty sensitive to everyone and everything. So losing Bob is yet another blow to his spirits.

I'm afraid his only joy right now is his evening grain. I'm trying to pump him full of as much grain/alfalfa as I can so he can start packing on the pounds. The winter coat hides the fact he's super thin. I can only hope I'm doing the right thing.

I can't yet blog about Bob's passing. Maybe later this week. But right now my heart is still missing Bob too much to write about it.

Wordless Wednesday

Wishing I was in the Black Hills on a vacation.

View from the cabin in the Black Hills.

Stairs leading to Flag Mountain Lookout.

The Final Decision

Last Friday I made "the call". I have been a total mess ever since. I gave myself a full week to enjoy Bob and his quirks before I have to say goodbye. I may not have many posts to add this week. I've become a complete blob and can't really think. I cried non stop Friday after calling and spontaneously start crying any time I think about what's coming since then. I have a permanent lump in my throat. Please excuse my absence if I don't add any posts or if they are rather downtrodden. My heart is breaking.

I'm not sure who all actually reads this but if you do, please do me one huge favor. Go hug your horse. Hug them, love them, pet them, cherish them because someday you'll have to say goodbye. Don't let one day pass without giving your horse a hug. Even if they make you SO mad, go hug them anyway.

Zeke

I finally found the camera. Yeah!!

I'd forgotten that not too long after bringing Zeke home I took some pictures of him. Normally I try to take pics of all the new animals. I somehow let Longhorn slip through the cracks on getting any pics. It's been so crazy around here lately.

The following are pics of Zeke. The markings on his neck are called Bloody Shoulder. There's an ancient tale that goes with the story of a bloody shouldered horse. I'm not sure if it's true of all horses but Zeke really is one heck of a horse. I'm not sure if it's because he's a Bloody Shoulder arabian or if it's just him in general. But I truely think I got lucky in bringing Zeke to Borderlands. (oh how I wish the grass was still that green!)

You can't see it in the pictures but Zeke actually has three white hooves and one black hoof. I normally shy away from white hooves after the troubles with King's white, flat feet. But Zeke's hooves are pretty strong. Have I mentioned how much I like him?! :-)

I haven't really gotten a chance to try him out on a real ride but just puttering around the yard with him has been enjoyable. He reminds me so much of Ace. The previous owner said he was 14 years old but his back tells a different story. I guess I don't really care what age he is. I did see in a catalog a saddle pad for swayback horses. I'm contemplating ordering it just for Zeke.

I received my hay yesterday too. I'll blog about it another time. But least to say I am less stressed by having 70 large square bales stored in my hay shed and hay barn. It's a good feeling. Now I have to patiently wait for the bill. uuugh

I also made the decision this week that I have to call the about Bob. I was going to do it yesterday but wanted to enjoy the day. So I'm making the call tomorrow. I know you all might think that I'm being a weiny but that's fine. I do not like to play god. And it seems November is the month I have to play god. I had to make the same decision last year in November and now I'm doing it again. I hate November. I hate playing god. I've actually been in such turmoil this entire week knowing that I need to just do it. I guess this is the price I have to pay for having older horses.

Sorry, I don't mean to bring everyone down but my heart is pretty heavy right now and I'm struggling with the idea. I have to keep reminding myself that even though it's hard for me, I'm doing the right thing. I'm not sending them down the road to a fate unknown.

And speaking of fates unknown, there's another big horse sale December 5th. It's being held at the same place that I got Longhorn. It never ends. So many lives that will have their own turmoil and new uncertain fates. It makes me exhausted just thinking about it.

I know I can't save them all but I guess I can make a difference in a few. And even though they may only have a few short years here, I've tried to make them as happy as I can. I want them to know that when they pass, they will pass with dignity and respect; and will be greatly missed and loved.

Oh for Lush Pastures

Oh to return to lush pastures and warmer weather. Oh for more sunlight so that I can actually work with the horses. I guess instead I need to remember to take pictures in the spring/summer so that during the months of snow I can reflect on the lush pastures I'll soon have.

The following pictures were taken early summer when the pasture was nice and lush. Late mornings are great for taking pictures in the summer. Winter is a different beast for taking pictures. Now if I could only find the darn camera!

King with Brego and Chaos in the background. King is still dealing with sore muscles. The vet gave me some powder medicine but I may have to take him in for a shot. Not looking forward to that spendy shot and the possibility it could kill him.

The only bad thing about having a white horse is they show off the dirt.

I've changed my work schedule so that I can now get home a half hour sooner so I can do chores in a little bit of light. I took advantage of the new schedule and headed right out the door. I had almost all my chores done before darkness set in. It's amazing how much light there is even after the sun sets.

I've now had Brego for a year and a month. He looks pretty good in the above picture and that was only six months of good quality feed. When I first got him, you could see his ribs, hips, and spine. I've never had a horse come in to Borderlands that bad until him. I'd rate him as a 2 on the scale. I'm not sure but I think both Brego and Maverick went through yet another growth spurt this fall. I think next spring Brego will be ready for the trainer. He was a conformation wreck when I first got him so I wanted to give him a year. Now that a year has passed I think his body can handle some intense training.

I'm getting my hay tomorrow so even though I no longer have lush pastures I can start properly feeding the herd good quality hay. I've been using the small squares but they are just ditch hay. They can handle that type of hay until true winter sets in. Then they need the good quality hay. It'll cost me a fortune but everyone seems to thrive on dairy quality hay.

I need to stuff poor Sam full of the good quality hay to get him back to shape. The cold/infection and ulcers really took a toll on the poor guy. I'm thinking of taking him to the vet. When I gave him a shot of penicillan the junk from his nose cleared up. The problem is, he still has a huge welt from the first shot. I've been giving him uniprim but today is the last day and he still has a bit of stuff coming out of his nose. So it may be time for yet another vet bill. Why do all the vet bills come during the fall?

King, Brego, Chaos, Bob, and Dude enjoying the lush pastures that are now gone. At least with fall/winter I can actually catch the horses and look them over. In the summer I have to tromp out to the pasture in search of them. I'm hoping this year with the wet weather the cockleburs along the creek bed didn't get a chance to grow. I should probably get my lazy butt out to the pasture and do some fence checking and look for King's missing flymask (which he lost months ago)!

I worked Maverick a little last night. He seemed to really respond to some roundpen work. I'm not sure what the heck I'm doing but making him go both directions seemed to really get his attention. If I would have had more light (and better footing) I might have been willing to hop on. I won't have time to work Maverick tonight. I also started working on getting him to lift his feet. I spent last night and the night before working on that. He learns pretty darn quick. I know he's smarter than I am!

I still need to clean out the hay shed for the hay tomorrow. I also have to pull down Maverick's temporary stall in the hay shed. Once the hay is in place I can figure out where to put the temporary stall. Maybe by then we'll have the permanent stall in the hay shed built. Mike has the door almost complete. I think he's waiting on me to help figure out the latch.

I'm almost giddy about getting my hay. I just wish that I knew how much it was going to cost me upfront. I guess that's just a part of dealing with this hay guy. I'm sure it's going to be spendy. I have a general idea of what it will cost me but I better do some recalculating so I don't fall out of my chair when they hand me the bill.

Riding Time

I decided last night that I would enjoy the nice weather and ride a couple of the horses. I pulled Bob and Sam out so they could graze. I know that I need to make that phone call for Bob soon. He isn't really getting any grass when he eats, unless it's the small grass. I know that it's coming but I keep trying to fool myself. It's devistating no matter what.

I started pulling out different horses and then decided I might as well pull everyone out so they could have a lesson in standing patiently. No that standing patiently while everyone else is standing around does much good for teaching them to be by themselves. But at least this way I was able to handle the big herd.

I admit I chickened out and didn't ride Maverick. His drylot is almost to the point where I can ride in it again. The bigger lot is dry but I had to get everyone out to ride in there. I also didn't want to ride by myself and Mike was busy working on the car.

Instead I started out riding Zeke. Oh I do so enjoy riding him. I then decided I would switch over and ride Rain. I didn't realize what a difference there is between the two. Zeke is much calmer. Rain always gets flighty when I ride in the yard. With Bob and Sam in the yard I didn't want to go out on the road (and deal with hunters). I only rode Rain for a few minutes and then switched to Chaos. I haven't been on either Rain or Chaos since mid September. Both did OK for not having worked them in almost two months. I need to get back to riding more on everyone.

I very much enjoyed my little bit of riding. Daylight savings time really takes a huge chunck out of my riding time. Hopefully I can get a bit more organized and start riding in the shed. I've switched my schedule so I can hopefully snag an extra half hour of daylight to sneak in a ride here and there.

Chores always take so long that I underestimate the amount of time they take, especially when I'm in the dark. I did find out that my hay should be coming Wednesday some time. Luckily I have the day off so I can be there to supervise. Now I have two days to move panels and do some final cleaning before my hay arrives. I can't wait.

I will have to move some of the small square bales but there aren't that many left to move come Wednesday. I was hoping that the small squares would hold out and I could use them the middle of winter for Maverick since he eats so much more than every one else. I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't go buy more earlier this summer. I've gone through almost 200 bales already and we aren't even to mid November.

Lazy Days of Summer

I know, I know. I need to get NEW pictures of all the horses with their fuzzy coats on. But it's so hard for me to pass up the lazy days of summer. Actually I was going to take some pictures this weekend and I seem to have lost the camera. Go figure!

I guess instead you get to enjoy a few reminders of early summer.

Rain and Sam. This was taken before the "falling out" between Rain and Sam. I'm not sure what happened but now Rain is back to hanging with Bob. Although now Sam is hanging out with Bob so who knows what the dynamics are like. I actually let Sam and Bob out to munch grass on the lawn and those two were side by side the entire time. You would have thought they were an original team or something the way they were acting. I'm not sure if it's a draft thing or not but I think so.

Chaos with Dude's belly hanging out. Even know Chaos looks pretty muscular and he hasn't been ridden since mid September. I can only imagine what he'd look like if I rode him every day. He'd be drop dead gorgeous.

King. He still isn't over his sore muscles. I guess I'll have to break down and get another appointment with the vet to get the issue resolved. I want him back to being a riding horse instead of a pasture pet. He's too young to be a pasture pet. King's poor nose was sunburned for most of the summer. At least he was a better troooper about me putting on sunscreen.

Dude with his sunburned nose. He does NOT like sunscreen. I may have to invest in a full lenght flymask next year for him and King. Their poor noses were burned but he doesn't like his head messed with. I did some reading and heard someone call his hip problem "Hunter's Bump". I still need to do some research on it but I'm now more inclined to research Hunter's Bump rather than what my vet called it "Bear Hump". I was a little intimidated searching online for Bear Hump. Teach me not to ask for the scientific word for his ailment.

That's it for pictures today or until I can track down that darn camera. It's either in the Explorer or lost somewhere in the house. I guess it's a sign I need to get more organized or take more pictures so that I know where the camera is at all times!

Guess Who

Can you guess who is who?

Top pic is of Sam.

Bottom pic is of Dude.

Kramers Report

I snuck out to Kramers today to see what horses were there. I was actually shocked to see so few horses. I'm not sure if it's a good sign or a bad sign.

1 mini palomino
1 dark brown/black weanling was tied next to the paint below
1 black/white paint weanling was tied...pot belly so I'm guessing wormy
2 jack intack donkeys. One had poor feet (but nothing like Longhorn's)
1 black/white pony (or maybe it was a weanling I don't know)
1 white pony (or maybe it was a weanling I don't know)
1 buckskin/grulla yearling. I'm guessing it was a yearling. Looked really young but it had a saddle on and looked like they were going to ride him/her in. Maybe he/she was a two year old but if that's the case she/he REALLY needs time to grow. Definately looked like a baby.

I didn't stay to see the prices. I think they were going through the birds/rabbits so I never bothered to venture any further than the horses. I'm guessing there were few horses because of the nice weather. Today was the second nice day in a row so I'm guessing people were taking advantage of it. I know I should have!

General Friday Ramblings

Sam definately has his appetite back (if he ever really lost it). Thursday was day two of his 5-7 day treatment of unaprim. I've already noticed that his nose is no longer running. Why oh why didn't I just give him unaprim right away instead of treating him for ulcers first???

I'm surprised that he's willing to eat soaked beet pulp. It must mean that he either is that hungry or he's acquired a taste for it. Either way I'll happily feed him beet pulp. I want him fattened up and soon! I think Sam actually prefers the soaked alfalfa pellets over anything else.

I had to run to TSC last night to pick up a bag of alfalfa pellets and some senior. I wish the pellets were as cheap as the cubes but if Sam prefers pellets I may just stick with what he likes. I'm tempted to try the cubes on him but I'm not sure how well that will work for the winter. The cubes have to soak overnight but the pellets can soak within minutes if I have warm water.

I've also taken to hauling out two buckets of warm water to make the grain soak up faster. I was so spoiled this summer not having to haul warm water. I guess I wont complain. It's just part of having oldsters.

The weather is supposed to be goregous so I'm hoping to sneak a ride in on Zeke. I threw his bridle on one day this week and just poked around for about five minutes. I decided I'd hop off and ride Rain for five minutes too. I think Zeke was jealous. He followed us around and even when I hopped off, Zeke kept following me around. I'm sure he's bored and wants to get out and stretch his legs.

Luckily the bigger drylot is starting to dry out. Maverick's drylot is still a swamp unfortunately. I'm hoping that with the warmer weather and the wind, both drylots will be solid enough so that I can start working Maverick. I figure if I can't work Maverick during the week I better work him during the weekend. I'll admit I'm a bit intimidated by getting on him but I need to get on and ride so I can start working his mind again.

I'm hoping to run over to Kramers tomorrow just to see who is there and what the prices are going for those poor souls. We'll see if I can stomach staying that long.

Inner Turmoil

uugh. I'm in turmoil. In the last two days I've seen people post two free horses. So tempting but I need to figure out my limits. Last month I saw somone post two horses for free also. There NEEDS to be a venue for people who are trying to do the right thing find their horses good homes instead of dumping them at an auction.

Every horse, no matter what, with enough elbow grease, time, and patience can become an amazing horse. I need to figure out how to get more people involved with their horses.

I guess I'm just stressing because now is the season where people are giving away horses and there isn't much I can do about it. Wish I had more of a stockpile of hay to support these giveaway horses.

Sam's Cold Treatment - Day One

I'll be the first person to say I hate giving shots. I'd rather get shots than give shots. In saying that, last night's cold mecidine treatment didn't go so well. I didn't get enough penicillan in Sam to make a difference I'm betting. I hate having to poke him on both sides just for one shot. His neck is still swollen from when I gave him the first shot back on Saturday just to see if it would help.

I've decided I'm going to take the weiny way out and use the powder instead. The powder will take longer but it also means that Sam won't hate me when he sees me and won't have a completely swollen neck.

I was hoping to keep my costs down and since I already had penicillan it seemed like the best answer. But I forgot I have problems giving shots. I can give vaccinations but shots of penicillan don't seem to go very smoothly.

Thank goodness for family. Once again mom is going to run to the vet and pick up the Unaprim so I can start treating Sam through that method instead. I'm almost out of the alfalfa pellets so I may have to make a fast trim in to TSC just to pick up a bag. I'm running low on Senior so I may end up making a tad longer stop. I've switched Sam over to Senior and that seems to be helping with his ulcers. Of course I've cut him way back on grain but if the senior is better on his stomach than senior it is!

Whenever Bob is done with his food dish (and there's always a little bit left), Sam steals it and licks the dish out. I can't figure out why since the only thing left is the beet pulp juice and maybe a flake or two of beet pulp. I've tried giving Sam beet pulp before and he totally turned his nose up at it.

It could be that he's just that darn hungry. So I'm trying the beet pulp again. But this time I'm going to mix it with warm senior mash to see if that will convince him he doesn't mind beet pulp. I hope he gulps it all down so that I can switch him over to beet pulp and get the weight back on him. Otherwise I'll keep pumping him full of soaked alfalfa pellets since that seems to make him happy.

I have to admit that both Sam and Bob are wearing on me. I'm always so worried about their condition. I know I need to decide soon with Bob and I can't bring myself to make "that call" and Sam looks so bad that I'm not sure how to put more weight on him. I guess I'm stressing over things that will just take its course but it's hard for me to sit back and not do something!

I guess today will be day two of Sam's treatment or it may be day one depending on how I want to look at it (based on treatment method). Keep your fingers crossed that Sam starts putting weight back on ASAP and he can kick this cold in the next few days.

Sam's Medicine

Yesterday was day eight and the last day of Sam's ulcer meds. Luckily it appears he's over his ulcers although I've switched to senior feed to help reduce any stress on his stomach.

Today starts day one of his cold medicine treatment. We have four to five days of treating Sam's cold with penicillan. Poor Sam. He can't seem to win these last few weeks.

Two weeks ago he came down with a terrible cold and ulcers. He could very well have had this cold for longer than I realized. He'd dropped quite a bit of weight by the time I realized he was sick. Even with me seeing him every day in the barn I didn't notice until two Saturday's ago.

Hopefully we'll be able to get Sam back on the mend fast. He's lost too much weight so I'm now trying to figure out how to quickly, but safely, get as much weight back on him before cold really hits. Unfortunatley he doesnt' like beet pulp. Sam is a picky eater.

Please say a prayer that Sam recovers from this cold quickly and gains enough weight. He looked so good this summer and now... not so much. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Chores in the Dark

Let me just start off this post with one quick negative. I hate doing chores in the dark! Daylight savings time has made chore time a little less enjoyable. Ok, now that my grumbling is off my chest I'll continue. :-)

I decided yesterday to try and keep the horses on their normal morning routine (and I needed to go to work early). So the horses didn't think anything of my "early morning" routine. I've been pulling Maverick out of his swamplot so he gets a break from the mud. I feel bad for him but I have no where else to put him. I did have the forsight the night before to prepare for a late chore night last night. I'm glad I was half way prepared!

I had to run a few errands in town yesterday so I didn't get home until late, or what the horses would consider late. Before daylight savings time, the sun would set about 6:30pm. With the time change, the sun sets about 5:30pm and I was just leaving town at that time (and I still had a half hour drive home plus another 15 minutes of unloading groceries).

By the time I finally got home, it was dark. Luckily a full moon was out making my chores not so unbareable. I rushed home and started the drafts on their warm mash and then the mares on their warm mash.

Monday night was Sam's last treatment for ulcers. I have to call the vet today and see what I need to do for his cold. I gave him a dose of penicillan Saturday (under vet recommendation) and that seemed to clear up his runny nose. Unfortunately his runny nose was back last night. It wasn't as bad but I think I need to figure out a treatment plan with the vet. I'm expecting I'll have to take Sam in. He's lost over 100 pounds and can't afford to lose any more. I don't think it was the ulcers causing him to lose weight; I think it was this damn cold he can't seem to kick.

While the drafts were in eating, I threw out a bale of hay. Last week the main herd turned up their noses at the ditch hay. This week, by the time I let Bob and Sam out, the entire bale was gone! I figured that would be the case so I threw out another bale. The same thing happened last year where I had to start feeding hay the first of November. I'm afraid my pasture didn't hold out as well this year with more horses on it so I'm going to be forced to feed more hay sooner.

When I went to get that first bale of hay, I heard a noise in the hay shed. Normally I don't think twice about being in the hay shed but beings that it was pitch black and not having anyone but myself in the shed, the hairs on my arm raised up and I went on full alert. Actually, I bolted out of there and went to get the dogs. They never found anything but I felt better knowing I had the dogs with me in case something WAS back in there. It is varmit season.

When I went to feed the ponies last night I think Longhorn was overly hungry. Typically Tommy and Skippy whinny and let me know their disgust in having to wait for me. Apparently that attitude has rubbed off just a little on Longhorn. He doesn't do the full loud "heehaw" but he's getting louder. I doubled over laughing. I love to hear Longhorn talk!

No unusual stories for this morning. Most of the main herd was up in the leanto. I think they were expecting me to throw them yet another bale of hay. I know there's nothing left in the pasture but I wasnt' prepared yet to start doing morning chores for the big herd just yet. I had plenty of time this morning so I may start rethinking my morning routine. I need to figure out a way to fatten Sam up and fast.

I wont' be able to get home tonight until close to 5:30pm so I'm sure to do chores in the dark yet again. My only hope is that the rain holds off and I can use the moon to help me through my chores. Luckily I have lights in both the normal barn and in the hay barn. I guess it's time for me to change my work schedule so I can at least see everyone for five minutes before darkness sets in.

Daylight Savings Time and 200 Posts

It doesn't seem possible but.... I've already had 206 posts from the first day I started blogging. And if I remember correctly, I started blogging on Daylight Savings Time back in March. So it's official, I'm a bloggerholic.

Speaking of Daylight Savings Time, I know most people are loving the extra hour, except me. While everyone else exclaims about having an extra hour, all I can think about is losing that precious hour in the evening to do chores. At some point the only way for me to see the horses will be by flashlight unless I change my schedule...again.

So I guess we'll see how this week goes. I'm afraid I'll be doing chores by the light of the moon and flashlight this week no matter what. The weather has been gorgeous the last two days so I'm betting that my hay will be delivered soon.

That means two things. 1) I still need to clean out a couple of areas where the hay will go and 2) I need to stay late a couple of days so that when Hay Day comes, I can take time off work and be there to "supervise" the process.

As far as cleaning goes, I've been pulling Maverick out of his swamp and putting him in a temporary stall in the hay shed. I'll have to move the temporary stall somewhere else although I'm not sure where. I know Maverick prefers his time on solid ground rather than his swamp time. I still have a bit if old loose hay/alfalfa that I need to scoop up and get out of there.

So I guess the next couple of days are going to be busy ones for me. But I'll feel 1,000 times better once I have this years hay supply at Borderlands.

I have much more to report from this weekend but thought I would note that I've posted over 200 blog entries and to top it off I met that 200 mile marker at the end of Daylight Savings Time. A nice coincidence for me!