Standard Routine

In this age of technology, life is supposed to be easier so we can do more. I'm not sure that's actually the truth. I think I just pack more in and try to make everything work. I was thinking the other day about a typical day at Borderlands and thought I would share. Oh sure, there are days where we do extra around the place or where we get home late so we don't haul extra water back to keep the 100 gallon tanks completely full for the mares and the blind pen.

But I thought I would share in my torture so you too can see the basic routine.

5:00am – Wake up, don coveralls, and head outside to do chores.

5-5:30am – Throw hay to ponies, break open their water, bring out fresh water, and do a quick once over on Tommy and Skippy. Throw hay to the mare pasture, check water, and do a quick once over of Rabbit, Mayhem, and Flower. Walk back to the blind pen, check water, and do a quick once over of Queen, Babe, and Thor. Throw hay to the big herd in the drylot. Ensure there are enough extra piles for everyone to eat and move around. Do a quick once over of Dude, King, Rain, Chaos, Bo, Jim, Zeke, Brego, Ivan, and Maverick. Check water.

5:30-6:00am – Get ready for work (shower, find half way clean clothes, and make lunch).

6:00am – Wake hubby up so he’s not late for work. Let dog out and start car if frosty out.

6:15am – Head to work.

7am-3:30/4pm – Start paying job.

3:30/4pm – Head for home.

4:30/4:45pm – Finally home. Let dog out, get mail.

5:00pm – Chat with hubby for a few minutes to see how his day went and play on computer for a few minutes.

5:30pm – Head out to do chores.

5:30-7pm – Chores (this is the routine as it currently stands, it was much longer when Sam was around.)

• Pull Bo and Jim into barn and prepare their grain (ok, not really pull, they rush in but you know what I mean).


• Prepare Flower’s and Rabbit’s grain. Pull Flower out of the pasture and grain her. Grain Rabbit (in the pasture).


• Prepare Queen, Babe, and Thor’s grain. Haul grain back to blind pen and feed.


• Climb the gauntlet of gates and doors to get to the alfalfa. Grab slivers of alfalfa for Babe, Thor, Queen, Flower, and Rabbit.


• Toss alfalfa to Queen, Babe, and Thor.


• Pull hay into wheelbarrow and haul over to the ponies. Make sure there’s enough for night and morning feeding. Toss evening feeding and stash morning feeding out of Skippy’s reach. Do a once over on Tommy and Skippy to make sure they are ok and happy.


• Go back to the hay bale and pull more hay for Rabbit, Mayhem, and Flower. Pull enough for both morning and night feeding Stack the alfalfa and trudge back to the mare pasture. See if Flower is done (most likely not).


• Check in on Bo and Jim to see how far along they are with their grain, usually not done yet.


• Trudge back to the hay bale and start pulling hay for the big herd for both evening meal and morning meal. Insert explicative when the hay decides to not cooperate (we’re talking the big squares by the way).


• Climb a few gates and peek in on Bo and Jim. Typically they are done by now. Open up the barn to let them out and toss grain dishes out of the stalls.


• Climb back over the gates and drag hay wagon full of evening hay closer to the drylot fence.


• Fight the big slivers of hay into smaller piles and start tossing.


• Get to the recently climbed gate and toss the remaining hay over in big slivers.


• Climb over gate and grab one of the slivers.


• Start dragging and dividing the remaining hay to make enough piles in enough spaces so everyone gets enough hay without fighting.


• Do a once over on everyone to make sure they are ok and happy.


• Climb over the gate again and drag the yellow hay wagon under cover. Thank my lucky stars for the second hay wagon already ready for the morning feeding.


• Climb into the blind pen and pull grain dishes. Do a once over to ensure everyone is ok and happy.


• Carry grain dishes back to the barn.


• Check on Flower to see if she’s finally done with her grain. Toss a sliver of alfalfa for Rabbit.


• Open the gate for Flower and toss the remaining alfalfa. Toss evening hay into piles. Do a once over on Flower, Rabbit, and Mayhem. Climb out of the pen.


• Carry the dishes back to the barn.


• Pick up all dishes for next night’s feeding.


• Prepare Flower’s beet pulp mash for next night’s feeding.


• Mike usually hauls water while I’m doing the other chores. But if he’s gone and I haul water, add an extra half hour.


• Haul two 5-gallon buckets of water to Tommy and Skippy.


• Haul three to four 5-gallon bucks of water to the mare pasture.


• Haul three to four 5-gallon bucks of water to the blind pen.


• Double check the automatic waterer in the big pen is working properly.


• Let the big dogs out to run and play. Haul water to their pen and feed.


• Trudge back to the barn and feed the cats.


• Say a prayer and a blessing that you are done with chores one more night.

7-10pm – Make and cleanup after supper, laundry (I swear I get dirty just stepping outside), a little bit of computer time, and fall asleep the minute the weather comes on.