Do you get the look. Wilda is saying "Enough with the pictures" Come on Wilda, you are really photogenic. Let me take some more.
If you have ever had a mare with a foal, you know that separating a mare and foal is not an easy thing to do. Last post I talked about taking my weanlings away from the mares. It is really hard on both.
I really do not have a good set up for handling the difficult task of weaning foals from mares. But this week end it got easier. But before this week end, I have had no success in separating the foals and mares.
I got them separated easy enough. I thought to myself, piece of cake. But alas, some things are not as easy as they first seem. Case in point. I had gotten the mares separated from their colts. They were in what I thought was a secure barn with tall round pen panels at each end. The sides were heavy oak rails on one side and the side of the barn on the other. The side of the barn is wood with aluminum siding on the outside. Of course nailed into heavy oak boards. And open about half way up. Too high for foals to go over. And the mares couldn't get in either.
The first night all went well. I went up to the barn, fed and watered and of course they were happy to see food. Day two. A friend of Mike's came by the house and told me I had one of the young horses out. It was in my yard. I thought it was a yearling. It was actually one of the weanlings. I could not understand how he could have possibly gotten out.
We put him back in the field with his mother. Of course they were glad to see each other and he nursed and she was happy to have him there. A little later, I went to the barn and found a panel had been opened and not secured back. So when Blaze got to pushing on it, he pushed it enough to get through to the out side. From there he found his way to my yard and was just across the fence from his mother.
I put the mare and Blaze in the barn and fed them grain. I managed to get the two of them into the stall where the weanlings were being kept. Then I got Magic Rhythm out of the stall and closed the gate on the weanlings and put Rhythm back out in the pasture. No problem. I was quiet pleased that I had been so clever. While I was patting myself on the back and thinking how good I am at handling the horses, we took a trip to Van Berts to ride and bring home some of the horses that were in training. I will keep them here over the winter.
I have more on the trip to Van Berts soon. Eleanor wants to tell Michael Brummer what happened there herself. I can hardly wait to write that blog but I promised Eleanor.
While in Stanton, I made arrangements with Chris and Stacie for them to deliver a free standing stall I had bought from them. It is a very heavy stall and I had plans to set it up in my stock barn to put a horse in that I needed to keep in for any reason. I also thought it would be good to keep weanlings in for a time to get over the separation anxiety.
I brought two fillies home with me. One a weanling, Ann's Mt Treasure and a yearling, Flair for Fury. Lucy went into the barn and turned the lights on and I got out to open the trailer to lead the weanling, Annie, out. Lucy called out to me from the barn asking me about where the weanlings were in the barn. She asked me if there was suppose to be weanlings in the big stall. I thought surely she just wasn't seeing them.
I walked into the barn and sure enough there were no weanlings in the stall. I soon saw the problem. One whole panel on the side of the barn was laying flat on the outside of the barn. The barn has been there since the early 70s and the boards are open to the weather so there is some rotten wood. I reasoned what had happened was that the mares were there talking to their babies and putting their heads up in the open spot and pulled it down. I bet there were four surprised horses when that came crashing down.
So I went to plan B as to where to put the weanling for the night. We tucked the two fillies in with hay and water and turned out the lights and came to the house.
The next morning I fed the fillies in the barn and hurried off to a wedding I was invited to. While I was gone, Chris and Stacie delivered the stall. I found I was needing it now worse than ever.
Mike and his friend Jimmy set it up in the barn for me. It was no easy task because that thing is really heavy. I am really grateful to them for doing that. The two guys put their heads together and came up with a plan and soon it was setting in my barn ready for a horse or two weanlings.
Magic Rhythm and her weanling, Blaze was near the barn so I let them in and gave them some feed. Mike helped me put a halter on Blaze and we led him over to the new stall. We secured him in the stall, fed him hay, water and grain. He was a happy as a lark for some time. That is until he found out he couldn't see his mom anymore.
When I left the barn late this afternoon, they were calling to each other. But he is securely fastened in the new stall. And he will be there in the morning. Tomorrow he will get his little room mate back. I get get Wind Socks and Celine in the barn and we will soon have her in with her little pasture mate. Together they will get over being separated from their moms. Soon they will be just as happy with the generous amount of hay and the grain 2 times a day. Plus plenty of water.
I have hired a young lady that is 18 to help me for a couple of months. I am so pleased to have Annie helping with the horses. Today, well yesterday now, Annie and Natalie rode up on the hill. Natalie has been nervous on her horse, Romeo. Annie rode him down and got him to minding her before Natalie got on. Natalie is so thrilled to ride Romeo and actually make him mind her. He has pretty well known that he was the leader in their herd of two. He made Natalie believe that what he wanted to do was how it would be. Annie has already shown Natalie how to teach him she is the herd leader.
Annie rode Blooming Rose yesterday and fell in love with her gait. And her nice disposition. She thinks that Rosie is just the best ever. Annie is a competent rider and will help me learn to be more confident while she is here. Tomorrow the farrier will be here and Annie and I will get the horses in and we'll get the job done sooner. Rosie needs shoes and trimming as well as some of the other horses will need a little trimming.
So once again, I am hopeful that I have someone I can trust with my horses. So far, I haven't found anyone that suited me. Each time I was excited to have help but none have turned out to be what I needed here on the farm. I have known Annie for over a year and never would have thought she would want to come to work for me. But I found out differently last week and she will be here until she goes into basic training in January. She is in the Army Reserves.
We saw H T Friday and he is in pain with his broken ribs but he was in the barn while we were there. Wilda is doing well. She is enjoying J Lee Walker and says he is the best horse she has ever ridden. And she has ridden more than she could remember.
Vera and Larry are both better. Larry seems like he is recovering slowly. They have had a bout of nasties going around on the farm with Wilda and H T both injured this year. And with Larry and Vera both being sick with whatever they had.
And an update on Alyssa. She now has her feeding tube removed and will hopefully go home this week. Her Mommy has sure had a long wait to have her baby girl home with her. Alyssa is almost 5 weeks old now. They may come here for Christmas. We are excited at that prospect.
God bless and keep you in his tender and loving care.
Regards,
Mary
When you are buying a horse, take care not to fall in love with him, for when this passion hath seized you, you are no longer in a condition to judge his imperfections.
Sleur de Sollesell
For I know all things work together for those who love the Lord and for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8: 28
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