When One Door Closes...

…another one opens. I’ve been racking my brain to figure out what to do with the big herd. The pasture is done. The only visible green are the milk weeds that came up after Mike sprayed. I knew the mare pasture was done (although Rabbit and Mayhem are still making an attempt at finding the last green shoots of grass).

But I walked out to get Jim last night and knew for a fact that there was nothing left in the big pasture. The bottom of the pasture is full of fox tail. We haven’t been able to use the bottom of the pasture for two years. It was too boggy this spring to spray and now it’s too late to do anything. There’s no point in throwing grass seed or fertilizer. It doesn’t look like we are going to get any rain any time soon.

I realized just yesterday that we haven’t gotten a drop of rain since Memorial Weekend. I was going through a few pictures and the last time I can remember rain was that weekend. It wasn’t a lot but it was enough to keep things wet. It was misting the first day and then we had a decent rain. After that, I can’t remember any rain. It’s been a month and a half with no rain and nothing is surviving.

Yesterday morning our neighbor returned from his trip and asked Mike what happened to our pasture. Even from the road the pasture looks terrible. Mike and I had both been considering begging the neighbor to let us rent out his pasture but we hadn’t quite gotten up the nerve. I hate to impose and find it rude when people stop out and ask us if they can use one of our buildings. It just seemed a bit over-zealous of those people. So I didn’t want to do the same thing to the neighbor.

Luckily for us, the neighbor’s plans fell through and when he was approached by someone else to use his pasture, he said it was already spoken for. Then he told Mike that if we wanted to use it, we could. When Mike told me the good news, I burst into tears. Last year we used the neighbor’s pasture but stayed out of a good chunk of his pasture so that he could hay it. He said this year we could use the entire thing. Last year we moved the horses about once every one to two weeks so they were at the neighbors for one or two months (I can’t remember now). It was such a relief to not have so much pressure on the pasture. And now we are blessed with getting to use the ENTIRE pasture. I don’t like having the herd in one strand of electric but at this point, I don’t think the herd will care. They will most likely be pretty content to stay in greener pastures.

I had thought of hauling Rabbit up to Mom and Dad’s for the rest of the summer but if we can throw up some electric in the other mare pasture, I think it’ll hold for at least a month. That way, we could pull two horses from the big herd and take to Mom and Dad’s. I don’t know how lush the neighbor’s pasture is but I know Mom and Dad’s pasture is really lush. If I take two of the harder keepers and haul them north, then maybe I won’t have to worry as much. I haven’t quite decided yet. I’m still tossing around ideas and need to come up with the best case scenario.

Mike and I will be out putting up electric fence at the neighbor’s this weekend so we can pull the big herd immediately. There is absolutely nothing left in our pasture and neither of us want to start feeding hay just yet. The price of hay is going to be high so I want to save as many of our current bales as possible. I also have to pay the hay guy for last year’s hay. I got off a few months last year and can’t seem to get caught back up. So instead of saving up for this year’s hay, I’ve been saving up for last year’s hay. It’s frustrating but at least all our debts will be paid and I’ll just have to keep plugging along.

We are supposed to be back in the upper 80s and even upper 90s by this weekend and next week. Neither Mike or I can handle the extreme heat right now so we’ll hopefully get up early this weekend to get the fencing done and the horses to the neighbor’s place while it’s still cool. If anyone wants to help, I’d be more than happy for the extra hands. I’m not exactly sure when we’ll start but the earlier in the morning, the better. It might take us the entire weekend to get the electric fence up, but it’ll be worth it in the end. I’d feel so much better if I could get everyone out on greener pastures for the next two months. I’m not going to be able to do anything for the entire month of August so the sooner we can get the horses on green pastures, the better.

So although the door (or gate) is closed because there’s no grass in our pastures, the neighbor opened a new door (or gate so to speak) to give our horses the opportunity to graze. I am eternally grateful to our neighbor. I am blessed to know such amazing, awesome, and thoughtful people. I can’t put it into words.

Also, I don’t want anyone to forget about the upcoming Colton Jubilee Days. I’ll be sitting in the shade with the ponies. Mike even mentioned that we should bring Bo. So if Mike can come with, we’ll probably bring Bo along too. And then you can meet the most amazing gelding ever! He holds no grudge against what was done to him and is such a ham. I love talking about him and would love to have the opportunity to show him off to you. So if you can make it, we will be there for sure with ponies in tow and most likely Bo too. It’s next Saturday, July 21st in Colton. I sure hope you can make it. If it wasn’t for our good friend running the trail ride, I wouldn’t have this opportunity to share Bo’s story or other horses of Borderlands. Again, I count my blessings and am eternally grateful to such amazing, awesome, and thoughtful people. My gratitude is beyond words.

It always seems that when I think I hit rock bottom, I am blessed with the kindness of friends to lift me to the clouds. I couldn’t run the sanctuary without everyone’s moral support and encouragement to continue on in my passion. Thank you everyone for your kind words, thoughtfulness, and willingness to help when I so greatly need it. We are truly blessed at Borderlands with such wonderful people (and horses). Your generosity humbles me and leaves me speechless.