Goodbye Junior

On Friday we said goodbye to Junior. It was a fast decision but one that I've actually been dealing with for the past month or more. In truth, Junior should have crossed the Rainbow Bridge in the  middle of June or even the first of July instead of the end of July. His body was giving out even though his mind was still very much there.


The reason for the hold up had nothing to do with my wanting to hold on to him longer, funds, or anything of that sort. Sadly, it all had to do with logistics. With the vet not being able to take his body, I was left with trying to figure out how to bury him. We don't have enough land and all the fields are in crops so knowing where he would be buried and then either coming up with the funds or begging for some help was my stumbling block.


I found out Thursday that my uncle had the excavator out and he would be willing to bury Junior so I made the call to say goodbye to Junior on Friday. It was fast and really didnt' give me any time to grieve. Of course, it was a decision I knew had to be made and should have been made a month earlier so I think my  mourning period had already begun.


I'm going to miss Junior. Lace and Mayhem can't figure out what's going on. Junior was their boyfriend and herd protector and now it's just the two of them. I need to keep an eye on Lace to make sure she doesn't slip into a depression. She's a mare with every mood swing possible and she shows it. When I brought her home on Friday, you could tell she was confused and down right angry. I wish I could tell them, talk to them and explain.


As I sat there on Friday watching Junior enjoy his last dish of grain, mom and I were talking. They'd been taking care of Junior for the past two months in hopes that he'd pack on the pounds (it worked the last two years). We both agreed that Junior was an amazing horse.


We always get the horses in their golden years but always wonder what they were like in their younger years. Imagine what kind of horse they were when they were 20 years younger. I think Junior was a fantastic horse and probably did some amazing adventures in his lifetime.


Junior came to us on a very cold November day in 2014. He was known for being a hard keeper and I struggled with finding the right combination to keep his weight up. I didn't think he'd be with us for as long as he was. He was 26 when he arrived and he left us at the ripe age of 30, which is older than most that come to the Sanctuary. 4 years seems like a short time to be with us, but it's not about quantity but rather quality.


Junior didn't like a lot of horses around him. He had his reasons so we allowed him to be the one and only gelding who could be in with the mares on a constant basis. It seemed to suit him very well and the mares seemed to adore him like they he was their very own boyfriend. I think Junior thrived with being in with the mares. The few times I had to put him in with the geldings, he was uncomfortable. We always try to match horses with what best suits them and being in with the mares and not having a big crowd seemed to make him the happiest.


I'm going to miss him greatly but I will rest easy knowing that he's fat, happy, and running in lush pastures. There's no more worry about gaining weight, hip pains, or anything else that comes with old age.


I feel a little lost without Junior and Bo these days. Both were my hard keepers and kept me stressing every day. With both of them gone, I guess I'll turn my attention to the next senior that needs me. But it feels odd to not have a horse standing in the barn enjoying a meal that takes forever to eat. It's an odd feeling and almost makes me feel as though I've forgotten something.


It is amazing how quickly you get used to the quirks of the seniors and when they are no longer with, you realize how quirky they were and how much you miss it (even if it annoyed you for the years you had to deal with it).  I can't really put it into words what I'm feeling.


We will miss you Junior. I am glad we had the opportunity to open our doors and let you retire with us at the Sanctuary. Until we meet again some day.

Losing Junior

We’re going to lose Junior.

I’m not sure exactly when but it’ll be sooner than I thought. I’m guessing by the end of the month we’ll have to say goodbye. I am cursed with bays. Junior is the last of the super hard keepers. I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself once all the hard keepers are gone. Bo and Junior have been my hard keepers for the past few years and now there won’t be anyone nearly as hard keepers as those two.

I hauled them to their “summer retreat” the first of June in hopes that Junior and Lace would pack on the pounds. With 24x7 pasture and grain, I had hoped they’d put on weight. They’d have the same here but usually they do better in their summer retreat but not this year.

I have been checking on Junior on a regular basis and he continues to lose weight. It’s not for lack of care or feed or trying. He’s simply no longer able to maintain what little weight he has. He was always a hard keeper. From the get go in November 2014, he was tough to put weight on. Only one winter were we able to put weight on and that was a mix of amazing hay/alfalfa, grain, and a ton of blankets.

I havent’ scheduled the appointment because I havent’ been around him enough to know if he’s given me a sign. I think he has and I’ve ignored it. He’s not a touchy feely horse and the last time I was up there, he put his head into my chest. That’s definitely a sign but I’m still ignoring it.

I am sad to see him leave this world but in truth, when he came to us in November 2014 at the age of 26, I didn’t think he’d last more than a year or two. In fact, he’s lasted until the ripe age of 30. He’s lived a life of luxury since coming to the Sanctuary. No work, no demands, just a couple of mares to keep him happy and away from the commotion of the big herd. He’s never liked big crowds so we always kept him with the mares. Mayhem will be devastated but she’ll adjust just as she had to when she lost her mother, Rabbit May 2017.

That’s the hard part of having young-ish horses. They get attached to older horses and when they leave this world, they leave a whole in the herd and in the hearts of everyone at the Sanctuary (both two-legged and four-legged).

I’m coming to terms with losing Junior but it still stinks. I can only imagine that in his younger years he was an amazing horse and riding partner. He’s been a fantastic horse at the Sanctuary. No real demands but he’ll watch you like a fox when it’s time for his grain. There are very few who could love their grain more than Junior.

I haven’t called the vet yet because I don’t want to hear what they have to say. With it being only a few months where the rendering trucks refuse to take horses euthanized with the chemical, I doubt that anything has been resolved. I had hoped that Junior would at least last until fall so we could bury him out back in the field but that isn’t going to happen. I am guessing that we will still need to find a place to bury him on the old farm place and have to call in a favor to have his body taken care of. We will use the chemical to euthanize as I don’t see shooting him as the respectful way to end his life on this earth. He deserves a better end. I haven’t called because it’ll mean calling for favors to take care of his body. I struggle with that part of death. I’m there until the last breath (and even afterwards) but I can’t be there for the removal. But now I’m going to have to figure out what to do with him afterwards. I guess that’s just how things will be for the Sanctuary until something is figured out.

I’m sure I’ll continue to talk about Junior these next few days but his leaving is weight heavily on my mind these days.

Pictures are from last spring after coming out of winter looking fantastic.

Throwback Thursday

This #ThrowbackThursday is to two summers ago when it was stinky hot and the horses had figured out a secret hiding place in the trees. It was their go to place for shade and the hide from the bugs.

Junior and Rabbit

Random Ramblings

I still can't put my finger on what's wrong with Maverick. I checked him last night, and he was fine. This morning, he was again hiding in his official spot in the lean to. Of course that spot is becoming a coveted spot so maybe that's it. I don't know. My brain and emotions are a bit tapped out as of late. There's all this stuff I'd really like to do and right about the time I find the time to get to it, something comes up and I'm taking two steps back. I guess that's the nature of the beast.


Yesterday was gorgeous, in the upper 40s. I was so ready for spring to get here although it's much to early for that just yet. And today, as the day progresses, the temperatures are continuing to drop and we'll be dealing with single digits again overnight. It's a hard shift on animals and people alike. I worry every time we have a temp change that's drastic. I worry about colic and who it'll be. I guess I'm a bit nervous after losing Ivan and now watching Maverick, trying to decide what's going on with my spunky red gelding that doesnt' seem to be himself lately. I could have sworn I heard and saw a robin this morning during chores. It's much to early for them to arrive but it was a bright moment nonetheless.


I've been fairly quiet on the blog as of late and I may unfortunately continue that trend. I've been under the weather for awhile and I need to get back into the swing of things before I can tackle any big projects. And that's a bummer because I had hoped to move forward with a couple of ideas but that seems to be stalled right in its tracks. I guess we'll see how things go but I don't expect anything to come of it for awhile.


On the bright side, Junior is looking good. I don't believe he's lost any weight. I can't tell if he's packing it on or just leaving it on but in any case, he's looking good for being 30 years old. I honestly didn't think he'd make 30 when we took him in. He was 26 at the time and I figured one or two good years would be all he'd have left in him. Boy was I wrong. I do love it when the horses prove me wrong.


And Brego, oh my sweet, sweet Brego. I went out to do chores the other night and I wasn't feeling well. Brego knew there was something wrong and wouldnt' leave my side. He walked with me all the way from the bottom of the drylot to the barn, never once leaving my side, walking as slowly as I was and stopping every time I needed a break. That boy really knows when I need a bit of comfort. I always thought I'd only get that kind of attention from the older mares. I was wrong. Brego just seems to know. Yet another reason why I do adore him so. He's simply the sweetest horse we have at the Sanctuary.

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday to Lace and Junior last summer. They were not impressed with watermelon

Be My Valentine - Junior

Meet Junior
Junior is our second oldest resident at the Sanctuary. He's a 30 year old grade Quarter Horse gelding. He has a brand on his right shoulder which leads me to believe he was a ranch horse in one of his previous careers. We don't really know too much about his past other than he was a trail horse in his previous career.

Junior is a quiet horse that doesn't want to be bothered by any herd drama. He enjoys being the boss of the mares but doesn't like being in with the big herd of geldings. I think some of his dislike of the big herd is due to his back end. When we first got him, we were told that he would kick if you touched one of his back legs. Well, that has progressed to both back legs. So instead we simply don't allow anyone to touch his back legs and let him simply be. He is protective of his back end as well so if a gate starts to swing shut on his butt, he'll scoot out. I don't know if it's a pain issue or if there's something else going on.

As Junior grows older, he seems to have additional ailments but being that he's 30, he's doing pretty good. He's always been a hard keeper but we've discovered a concoction that so far has worked magic and not only maintaining weight, but putting weight on. It's so fantastic to see the nice weight. It's an ongoing battle to keep the weight on but worth the stress and anxiety.

He's a bit stubborn about being caught unless there is grain involved. If you have food, he'll be your #1 fan but if you don't come with a bucket of grain, you'll be enjoying his quiet demeanor from afar.

Junior would love a sponsor. His monthly sponsorship is $50 and covers a bag of senior, a bag of Ramona feed, and buteless. He also requires trims but only on his front feet. The backs he has to wear down on his own due to the kicking issue. Junior is one of the more expensive horses at the Sanctuary and the $50 monthly sponsorship would  make a dent in his daily expenses to the Sanctuary. In return for your monthly sponsorship, you'll get a monthly update and random pictures of Junior hanging out with his mares and enjoying being in charge of them.

You can sponsor Junior through PayPal at www.paypal.me/Borderlands  or via mail at

Borderlands Horse Sanctuary
PO Box
26160 457th Ave
Humboldt, SD 57035

#MyValentine

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday to last spring with Junior and Lace at their spring pasture in Madison

Happy Friday

Happy Friday

Have a great weekend

Measure Your Feet Day

Did you know, January 23rd is "Measure Your Feet" Day? What's a better way to celebrate "Measure Your Feed" day than to help out the Sanctuary horses with a trim?! Even though the horses' feet don't grow nearly as fast during the winter months, we want to make sure that everyone stays comfortable during the long cold days and nights of winter with proper trims.

We'd love to have our Sanctuary horses sponsored for their trims. Trims typically cost $30. You an donate trims through paypal at www.paypal.me/Borderlands. Simply specify who you want to donate the trim to.

#MeasureYourFeetDay, #FarrierDay

Junior

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday

This Wishlist Wednesday, we wish for senior feed. We aren't picky about the brand, we integrate the senior feed if/when we switch brands. The senior horses (and hard keepers) need senior feed to keep them fat, happy, and sassy during the long, cold days and nights of winter. We want to give them just a little bit extra when they need it to make sure they maintain the correct weight.

Even one bag makes a difference in making sure our senior horses and hard keepers maintain the right weight to keep them happy.

Junior and Lace

King, Chaos, Dude, Rain, and Zeke

Zeke

Trivia Answer 6

Trivia Question 6: Which horse has a brand on his shoulder?

Trivia Answer: If you answered Junior, you're right.

Junior has a spade on his right shoulder.

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday

This Wishlist Wednesday, we wish for blankets. The cold snap we've been feeling is definitely a reminder that some of our Sanctuary residents need blankets to keep them warm during the coldest parts of winter. 

Any size, any color, any brand, and in almost any condition (used is greatly appreciated as well as new) are always welcome. The horses aren't picky on what they wear. It's amazing how quickly certain horses can destroy their blankets while others keep them for a long time.

Bo Update and other Misc Stuff

I sound like a broken record these days. There's just so much to do and so little time to get it all done. I seem to be struggling as of late and not sure how to get everything accomplished. The paying job has me hopping and by the end of the day my brain is done in. I guess we'll see if I can pull through with a fully functioning brain after this. Two and a half months of high pressure coming my way. But enough of that.


The last few days have been so chaotic that I havent' been able to do a really good assessment of Bo. So last night, I did a quick assessment and I am happy.


His leg is healing nicely. I need to do some cleanup and trim the hair around the cut but it's healing so that you wouldn't even know there was a huge gash in his leg. The swelling in that leg has also gone down. There's still swelling in his back legs from his heart failure but that's a different thing. The swelling in the front leg is much improved and he doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. His back end is bothering him, which does give me some concern but he's been having issues with his hips for the last couple of months.


The air pocket that started in his shoulder and that started moving up his neck and wrapped all the way around his chest is starting to go away. The air is out of his neck and there's only a small pocket in his shoulder. It's all in his chest. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not but his body is taking care of him. It's odd to tap on his shoulder to get him to move and feel that air pocket so I'm really happy it's going away. Even in heart failure, his body is still working hard to keep him protected.


He's back in the big herd but I'm not sure if that's helping or not. It's keeping the swelling down because he's constantly moving but I'm not sure about the depression. Being away from horses caused him depression but being in the big herd causes him stresses as well.


We did switch his grain around and he's been improving on that so no ulcers have reared its ugly head. It's Ramona feed and consists of oats, cracked corn, and I think soy meal. He's not gaining weight but he's also not losing weight either. I started adding in some senior feed. Originally it was to get him to eat his uniprim but after he finished with that, I continued on using it to see if that would help with the weight issue.


I think his heart was pounding so bad when we went to the vet that I was sure he was going to die within days. But now that he's home and relaxed with a standard routine, he's a lot calmer. We could have him for a few more months at this rate.. and that makes me happy. I won't prolong his life just to keep me happy but I want to make sure I've done everything. He hasn't told me he's ready to go.


There for awhile, he was off his feed and that scared me but I think now that he's back into his normal routine with the herd, he's much happier and he's been polishing off all of his grain.


We are headed into a cold snap so I'll be blanketing a few of the hard keepers. I struggle with what to do with Jim. He's our 30 year old Tennessee Walker and he's in better shape than Bo, the 16 year old. I wouldn't say that Jim has had an easy life but a lot less stress than Bo's for sure. Both the farrier and the vet have been impressed by how he's aging.  Oh if only all of our seniors would age as gracefully as Jim.


Junior is doing ok. He's enjoying his nightly grain mix. I'm still trying to figure out if the balance of grains I gave him last year will work this year. He seems to be doing ok but I'm keeping a watchful eye on him.


Lace is picking up some weight as well now that I'm graining her. She seemed a tad thinner than I liked...not thin or anything but I like them going into winter fat. She's adamant about her grain these days and will demand she get fed. She's second in command so she'll wait for Junior to go into his stall before I feed her but she wont let Mayhem grab a bite. Smart girl.


The last few days have been crazy busy with non Sanctuary activities. I am hoping for a short period of quiet but with Christmas right around the corner, I don't see that happening. I forgot what it was like to be so excited for Christmas until this year. Five year olds make you excited for Christmas and are so enthusiastic for all the activities. So while we plug along at the paying job and the every day chores, we're throwing in a lot of Christmas activities. So if we aren't around, it's only because I'm buried up to my eyebrows with work and I want to give my attention to my kids during the holidays...not that I don't give them my attention but there's extra activities at this time of year.


I'm sure to write more later but if you don't see me until the end of the week, it's that we are buried and I'm getting prepared for an upcoming storm on Thursday. Winter will definitely be here. Ironic that on the official start of winter, we'll get a snowstorm.

Thankful - Day 3

Facebook reminded me that last year on this day while doing the Thankful challenge, that I was happy for no wind while feeding hay.

I'll have to echo last year's sentiments. I am thankful for no wind. We've had lots of wind lately and it's nice to have a few calm nights and mornings!

It makes everyone happier.

Junior enjoying supper

Lace enjoying her snack

Wishlist Wednesday

Our Wishlist Wednesday item is for waterproofing. We've used Thompson's waterproofing in the past but anything will work. One gallon covers six blankets. I try to re-waterproof all of our blankets every year to  ensure that no one has a soggy blanket during the middle of winter (or in the spring when it's more rain than snow).


We want to make sure that the horses are happy and snug in their blankets.


This is Junior the late winter/early spring after we got him. He was (and still is) a very HARD KEEPER. It takes a lot of grain, good grass/alfalfa hay, and a cozy blanket to keep him snug.

This is Junior last winter/early spring after keeping him on his grain concoction that finally worked for him and keeping him snug in a blanket. I'm not going to debate the need for blankets but Junior needed it to keep the chill off. Of course the big dose of grain every night is probably what did the trick but every little bit helps.

So we want to make sure that all of our blankets are waterproof going into winter this year. The wet season will be upon us soon with cold rains this fall and cold rains this spring, which is when we really need to make sure the waterproofing works.


One gallon of waterproofing handles six blankets. I have six lined up ready to be waterproofed with a couple more that are in need a swell. You can find waterproofing just about anywhere. I picked up a gallon to get me started at Walmart for $10.

Look Whos Driving

I needed to pick up Junior and Lace yesterday and figured I might as well take the dogs to the vet for their yearly shots. I'm all about killing two birds with one stone (sorry, hate that expression but that's totally what I'm filling...getting stuff off my to do list). Time is so limited these days that I have to really sit down and figure out how to squeeze in all that has to get done.

Junior and Lace needed to come home but will hopefully be going back in a couple of weeks. Junior already looks better being on the pasture in Madison so I'm hoping we can get him back up there for a little bit longer. I am already stressed and worried about Bo. I'd rather have only one horse to really worry about rather than two (ok, so I worry anyway but it's different).

Penny was due for her shots so I figured I'd run to the vet and then pick up the horses.

Can you tell they were not impressed with me after their vet appointment.

Farley loves to travel. Penny, not so much. But hopefully we can fix that. Penny is very much overweight and Farley is about right, sitting at 82 pounds. Unfortunately, he's too big for me to lift in and out of the truck but he needs help getting in and out. This is why we dont' travel with him...and he farts. All. The. Time.

This was my view after I got Lace and Junior loaded. Penny tried to talk me into letting her drive home. Not yet girly. you need to be able to see over the steering wheel. :-)

But all is good again and hopefully we can convince Penny that traveling isnt' such a bad thing.

Returning from Summer Retreat

Junior and Lace are home from their "Summer Retreat" much to Mayhem's delight. She's been stuck hanging on the fence line waiting for them to return or hanging out with the ponies. I think she was practically giddy when they returned. Lace, not so much but she was happy to trot around the pasture and check everything out. Junior went right to eating.

The heat took its toll on Junior so he isnt' has plump as I had hoped. But the heat is also taking its toll on Bo as well. So the two hardest keepers are having a rough go of it with this summer heat in the upper 90s with humidity to boot.

I forget how well trained Lace is. I tied her to the trailer to load Junior first. I had forgotten and loaded Lace first only to realize I needed to do the ol' switch-a-roo. Wouldn't you know, I had tied Lace too short and while I was closing the center divider, Lace decided to self load. Of course it didn't go well because she was still tied and *I* was in the way. We collided but I think she took the brunt of the hit.  I guess she was ready to go home. Unfortunately, the flies at the summer retreat are terrible. I have no idea why because the neighbor's feedlot doesn't exist any more but the flies still seem to swarm the minute there are animals.

I am sure that Lace will put Mayhem in her place. When I went out this morning to do chores, all three were standing by the red shed enjoying the morning breeze. When I'd left to pick up Lace and Junior there was a slight breeze but by the time I got home (a full hour later), we had wind. I hate driving in wind, so I was glad I'd made the trip as quickly as possible.

I am hoping that the pasture for these three will hold out. I need to get the other pasture sprayed  before they get into it. The weeds took over a portion of it so hopefully I'll find the time to do some spraying.  Mayhem has been in there a week or two and she's only trampled down along the fence line.

So now everyone is home and happy. I love that Junior and Lace can go to their "summer retreat" to fatten up and get a break but I am always happy to have them come home. The place doesn't feel right without the entire herd relaxing at home. Because the Sanctuary is "Home".

Throwback Thursday

Our Throwback Thursday is to earlier this week! I didn't post any patriotic pictures for the 4th of July so here's the best I can do!

Summer Retreat

Made a quick trip over noon to haul Junior and Lace up to their "summer retreat". Their pasture was done and I've been trying to get them to Madison for over a week now. I'm happy they are up there but will miss seeing them every day. I'm guessing they will stay up there for a little over a month as long as the pasture holds and there's rain to keep the pasture going.


I'm trying to see how I can make the pastures go farther this year to try and hold off on having to use hay. Hay is going to be expensive this year I'm afraid.


But for now, Junior and Lace are happy as larks eating their fool heads off.


Pictures tell better words. I'll post a video later too.

Lace and Junior

Lace and Junior

Stretching Legs

After the big herd moved out to pasture, I spent a few minutes and let Mayhem and the ponies out on some of the lawn that Junior, Lace, and Bo have been eating. The pasture Junior, Lace, and Bo have been on for the past almost two months is done so I was looking to use up the lawn pasture before moving corral panels.


I was also able to find some rouge weeds and get them sprayed when I sprayed the other pasture. I decided to see what the ponies and Mayhem would do on grass. There wasn't really anything left so thought it would be a good time to get them adjusted to grass as well. They were only on the pasture for two days before they burned down a couple of spots.


We had to move the blue trailer around so I lost some fencing. I'll blog about the trailers in another post.


But for now I wanted to show some more pictures of the horses. I had to move the ponies and Mayhem back to their pen but I'm going to play musical pens this week because I'll be gone Friday and Saturday night for the Estelline Rodeo. So those three will go back into the smaller pen that still has a round bale that the big herd hasn't demolished. That bale should last them until I can get back Sunday morning.


After this weekend, I'll be moving corral panels around and getting the next pasture ready. I'll finish up using the lawn pasture and then we'll go from there. I'm trying to save my pastures in case we are going into a drought. After living through a drought recently, I'm not sure I can handle another one so quickly on our heals (it was a few years ago but I'm still not recovered from it financially).


But for now, I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of the ponies and Mayhem. Mayhem was unimpressed with Bo being on the other side of the fence and Lace seemed overly crabby about having Mayhem anywhere close to Junior. Aah, the joys of mares!

Tommy stretching his legs.

Skippy is unimpressed with this heat and humidity

Skippy stretching his legs

Mayhem, Tommy, and Skippy on the "lawn" pasture. This "pasture" is done too so we'll be moving them to a different part of the lawn next week. Until then, they'll be back on a drylot, eating hay.