Fall Scenes

Apple? Did you say apple? I'm coming. I love apples!

 First I have to get by Boots!

 I am the fearless horse watcher! You want an apple? Give the password!

 Meanwhile, back at the pond, Brooklyn is learning those pesky ducks can now fly the length of the pond!

 The trees are turning fast! Another night with the low temp being -3C ( 26F). Pretty soon they will be bare sticks.

 Why can't I catch a duck? I am bigger, smarter and cuter!

 Meanwhile, back at the ranch acreage, Mr. Coyote was enjoying some sun.

 He and I are going to have words if he doesn't quit yipping under my window at night!

Getting Ready

It is now mid August and time to be thinking of stocking up for the winter. 25 bales on board, enough for 2 horses for one month. Seven more loads to go! Normally i can get 35 bales per load, but my back will not allow me to get the extra tier on the truck, so I make an extra trip.

The Ford is a 7700 series and does not even notice the load when going up the steep hill coming to our place. This load is last years hay, but still good and cheap at the price $2/ bale. this years hay will be $5/bale and I will be picking up 150 bales of that.

With all the rain this year, and the great hay crops, i am surprised that the price hasn't dropped. I see signs that people are exporting to drought areas, so i guess that's the reason it is holding up.

I gave the girls a small sample and they wolfed it down. They were reaching, trying to feed off the truck when I was backing into the storage area. They have a good memory for some things!

Time goes fast when you are having fun!

Wordless Wednesday, Again.

No More rain for a while!

Some serious Munching!

Do you ever get the feeling that you are being watched?

It Looks Like Winter is Over!

Today, April 21, the snow pack is starting to go down! The driveway is a sea of mud and almost impassible, even with a 4 wheel drive. However, it is starting to dry up.

The horses are looking like a sorry mess, with lots of dead hair waiting to be brushed out. In a way, it's good for them to become accustomed to being handled again. It has been a long winter!

 It doesn't help when critters like Tucker decide to lay down and roll in the mud. I got most of it out, but I am sure she will roll again, soon.

 Alpine looks a little spotty. It seems that every year she sheds in a mottled pattern.

 The goils dress up not too badly, but how long they will stay that way is anybody's guess!

Wordless Wednesday. On Guard

Boots

Biz, Alpine, Boots,Tucker

Boots

Tucker

More Horses and Things

Hot. +1C  and sunny! What better day for a ride? It was Alpine's turn and she was not impressed by being forced to get up and do something. It will be a while before we get to ride in the paddock due to excessive snow, however the roads were good and not too icy.

 I even let Alpine trot for about a mile! She is a trotting devil.

My outriders were away. It's hard to leave them at home. We did manage to wander up to a moose at the crossover. I figured it was going to get exciting, but Alpine listened to me (from Defcon3 level). There was a whole bunch of stiffening, but no attempt to flee, fortunately. When they are loose in the pasture and a moose shows up, there is panic, running and blowing. Good horse! she trusted me.

Sorry there are no pictures of the moose because I wasn't sure what was going to happen. It was safer just to be prepared and not to complicate the issue.

Before playtime, I took the opportunity to use the snow blower to get rid of some big drifts in front of the trailer. We may need the room. There is the possibility of a heavy snowfall on Sunday. Hope not!
Only 21 days till Spring!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

The Old Horse Laugh

Foot Trimming..Again

Tucker was the victim patient this time. Her feet had not been done for a while due to her weight loss and physical condition. She is now back up to 1023 pounds which is still 100 pounds below her normal weight and was starting to grow hoof again.

 Nippers at work. Sorry for the blurry photo. I don't know why, but it happened.

One foot done and three to go. Fortunately, they only have to be done every 6 to 8 weeks as my back ain't what it used to be.

I consider this chart to be real progress. I almost put her down at the end of December. I'll see if we can enjoy her this summer. At 27 years young, it is unlikely that she will see another winter. As you can see, it is difficult to keep her weight regulated. The others are relatively easy in the cold weather.

This is a very useful and simple tool for keeping track of  a horse or pony weight during the winter when hay isn't cheap!

The top scale is in cm, the next is horse weight in pounds, third is horse (or pony ) weight in kg and the last is number of hands high. For the last, a foot on the D ring keeps it tight on the ground.

Early Spring!

The last few days have been great, with another 10 days to come! Temperatures have been above freezing by up to 5 degrees Celsius and I have been able to do outside chores with no jacket or gloves! I took 5 wheelbarrows of "black gold" out of the horse paddock today and filled the horse trough with water. Putting off what I should have done earlier paid off. Working with hose and water when it's not -40C (-40F) like last week was much more enjoyable!

Biz... aka "the Culprit

After several (many) attempts to tip over my wheelbarrow, I decided to saddle up the culprit and get her to show some respect. For some reason, she likes to tip over wheelbarrows, preferably when they are full.

The ride was great! She behaved, the roads had very little traffic on them and we picked up 2 dogs along the way for the walk.

When you look at that face, how can you stay mad at her?

January Ride

The day was great, with a temperature right at the freezing mark. There was no need for gloves, but I took them anyway. A neighbor stopped to chat on the way home and took the picture for me. Biz was very well behaved (as usual) and enjoyed the chance to get out of the pasture a see some newer scenery.

In the next subdivision over, a large track hoe was excavating for a new building. I am sure that she has never seen one operating and making all the clanking and banging noises. We moseyed on up and watched it work for a while. Other than keeping one ear on the machine and the other ear on me, it was a non event.

We had to stick to the roads because the field snow is up to my boot tops (when saddled). We tried an entrance, but gave it up as I did not want to get Biz all sweated up. Besides she and I are both a little out of shape.

Crazy Weather!

Just when we get used to -30C (-22F), Yes it is possible, we get a Chinook blowing in over the mountains and we get days of +11C  (+52F). Go figure!

 Basically, it makes a big, sloppy mess! Where there was salt and sand on the roads there is now foot deep slush! Our driveway is sort of in the shade, but has gotten a wee bit slippery.

 The fields have shrunk their snow depth to about 50%. That makes for tough walking when you are sinking in about 8 inches every step that you take. We had a very high wind that knocked a lot of branches down, blew the garbage can over.

 Alpine likes her blanket, even on warm days and will not let me muss with it.

 The beady eye is on me. Leave my blanket alone!

 Boots doesn't mind at all. Guess which direction the 3 horses are.

For those that have been wondering how Tucker is doing, here is part of her weight chart that shows that she is slowly putting on weight.

It was quite funny to hear from our southern daughter-in-law to find out that Whitecourt was 7 degrees C above Houston Texas! We were +11 and they were only +4. I suggested that she move north to catch the heat wave.

Update on Tucker

Underneath this is a BIG hole in the sole, and a DEEP hole. We had to get the vet back out as Tucker  reverted to a three legged horse once again. I tried to clean it out by myself, but she would not let me near it. The vet tried with the same result. After all, she is an 1100 pound horse.

So more sedative and another heavy dose of penicillin!  Once the sedative kicked in, he tried again, and again had difficulty. I grabbed an ear and twitched it hard to get her mind off the foot. Take your thumb and forefinger and grab an ear as hard as you can squeeze at the same time twisting the ear. This reminds you of your old school days, right?  It worked and he cleaned out the abscess again, and opened it up more. 

I will spare you pictures for two reasons. 1: It was a bloody mess with gobs of black stuff. 2: I couldn't hold the camera with one hand and twitch the ear with the other at the same time as dodging the odd hoof heading my way.

Under the duct tape is the hole packed with blue stone ( copper sulphate) and a one foot square of old denim to keep the chemical in and the dirt out.

When the vet was done, I soaked the hoof well with a solution of Epsom salts and water.

This morning she came running to greet me as if nothing was wrong. Due to the waterproof pack I put her back into the field with the other two horses. That's where she wanted to be. Once in with them, she stopped pacing and settled down.

I guess this is another use for duct tape that Red Green hasn't figured out!

Signs of Spring

The poplar leaves are starting to come out. My noisy wood pecker is back. He can be very annoying when he sounds off on a fence post about 06:00 am.

 The fields are starting to show more green, and the horses are spending more time looking for something big enough to bite off.

 Best of all, the rhubarb is leafing out!

 One more shot of Mrs. Woody.

Spring is finally starting to happen. Pretty soon I will be able to sit back and watch the grass grow!

Dancing, Acreage style

OK, if you want to dance, I am bigger so  I get to lead.

 That's it, you are getting it

Sway a bit to the left. Good!

 Come on, pay attention! Never mind those other two.

Much better!

 You've got the steps, let's do it again!

Wordless Wednesday

The Girls ( plus Friend)

Spring time is not the time to be taking portraits because all three of the Girls are shedding like crazy. I have been brushing almost daily, but they still look like woolly mammoths. What can I say? They are horses and aren't too worried about "lookin' good", even though they are all mares.

Tucker's Fire Star aka  "Tucker "

 Tucker is 23 this year and is still going strong, well, slowing down a little. She gave up being the alpha mare when Alpine showed up on the scene, without even a fuss. Tucker is now number 2 in the herd between Alpine and Biz.

Masten Alpine Black Magic aka "Alpine "

Alpine is the queen. When the ears go back and the neck goes forward, it means one of three things:  

1. Coming through! I am the Boss. 

2. Don't muss with 1150 pounds of PMS! 

3. You are too near my feed, my friend, or________ (fill in the blank. 

Biz aka "Biz "

What can I say? Biz is now eight years old, laid back and gentle. She is a nice horse to ride and has good manners.

I put the AKA in just to make her feel good. It makes her feel like royalty having a title.

No paddock pictures today as it is a sea of mud, and you know, the stuff that horses produce. Yecht!

Oh yeah, the "Friend" is still on guard in case you missed him.