January Recap

Life is pretty quiet at the Sanctuary right now. It's the winter blues where we feed, water, grain, and simply get through each day. We are lucky and experiencing a warm spell, which means everyone is much happier. It amazes me how grumpy everyone gets when the temps drop. I guess that should be expected. I get grumpy when the temps are subzero and we are dealing with wind chill advisories. This past weekend the temps were in the upper 30s melting a lot of the snow that came during the blizzard. Even without the sunshine, the horses seem more relaxed, which is what I prefer to see.


Everyone is staying healthy *knock on wood*! But it's been a bit since I've posted about any of the horses so we'll do a quick rundown of everyone, their moods, and what they are up to (which isn't much).

• Good Friday Jessie - she's putting on weight and demanding her food. It's hard to tell how much weight she's gained but if you compare her first pictures to now, there's been at last a little bit of weight gain. We are keeping a close eye on her and will continue to see how she fairs.
• Diavlo - He's still the very calm and mellow horse, as long as he's near Jessie. He has terrible ground manners and displayed those during the blizzard when we stalled them from the worst of the weather and I had to take each of the mares and him out one at a time. Otherwise, he's pretty chill and just enjoying hanging out. I think he needs a bit more exercise because his sheath is a bit swollen at the moment. Nothing to bother him, but it comes with the cold and old age.
• Mayhem - She's been off lately. I can't tell if she's not feeling well or if she's just tired. She rests more than most horses but she's also younger and pretty content with the two older horses. So we are keeping a close eye on her. Weather changes of any kind seem to send her into a tailspin of discomfort.
• Dude - As long as the nice weather holds, his hips and back don't bother him. But the minute there's a bite to the air and the temps drop, he's back to not feeling well. We use Buteless every evening in his grain but it only helps so much. He's a pretty stoic character and because he's the lead gelding, won't show pain but I know the colder temperatures really bother him. I'm excited for spring so that he can be comfortable again.
• Jim - He's maintaining weight but I'm afraid he's going to be a hard keeper the rest of the winter. We've added weight booster but may need to increase is grain ration. For 32, I guess that's what we should expect. He's always at the door waiting for his grain, and very excited to see me show up for nightly grain. Otherwise, he's his grumpy old self.
• Zeke - Is enjoying retirement to its fullest. I have never seen another horse enjoy retirement like Zeke. He's fat, lazy, and oh so very happy, which is all I can ask for.
• Brego - With a short winter coat, we are keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get chilled. He's always watching for me and keeping an eye on me when I am around. I know he's telling me something but I'm not sure what it is. He sometimes becomes a hard keeper around this time of year so we may start him on nightly grain. But he's telling me something and I still need to figure it out.
• Maverick - Is bored out of his mind. Lightening keeps him on his toes. I know he'll be glad for spring and summer so we can wander the pastures and not feel cooped up. So far he hasn't destroyed anything major but there's still plenty of winter left.
• King - His feet keep him from moving around very fast but he's happiest when the ground isn't so hard. He wasn't too thrilled when he was blanketed during the last blizzard but didn't seem to mind after it was on him. He's happiest eating right next to Jim.
• Rain - Is full of sass. We still keep a close eye on him when the temperatures drop to make sure he doesn't get chilled. He's super fat this winter so hopefully that will help. I debated on pulling him out of semi retirement but decided he deserves to rest and enjoy these golden years so no drill team for him.
• Chaos - Is now representing Borderlands when we are riding at Dakota Thunder Mounted Drill team practice and performances. We'll see how he does, if he gets to actually perform. He's not interested in being a speed horse but he's a perfect role model for Borderlands.
• Tommy - Is ready for summer and being out on pasture. He's very annoyed with Skippy as of late and would prefer to have some space away from his pasture mate. He need a bit of time out of his pen to get some exercise to help with his cranky attitude.
• Skippy - Is also ready to get out and stretch his legs. He also needs to go on a diet but we haven't started it yet (don't tell him!)

So that's how the horses have been over the past few weeks. We have a fun event that will be on the books very soon and hope to announce it this week. We'd love for everyone to participate in one form of another!


Happy February everyone!