e’re finally having typical end-of-March weather in the northeast. I wasn’t complaining about the early summer, tho! However, a return to normal is probably for the best, worldwise. We jumped the gun and planted peas and pansies last week – all have survived the inevitable frost, although a little worse for the wear.
Even the crocus in my shell garden are “burnt”.
It’s a beautiful spring morning, so I lugged my camera along on barn and coop chores.
I’ve got new muck shoes.. plastic sloggers I found at the hardware store.
They’re kinda like crocs, only more comfortable!
Don’t mind the dog-haired yoga pants… it is what it is.
As soon as I let the chickens out of their coop in the AM, they are looking to the ground
for the treats I leave. Today it’s tomatoes left over from last night’s dinner
and dry oatmeal sprinkled about.
Treats my chickens love – oatmeal, tomatoes, raisins, cracked corn, canned corn, corn on the cob
popcorn, lettuce of any kind, sunflower seeds, yogurt, stale bread crumbled, meal worms – blech.
Up at the barn, the horses have finished their grain and are waiting to be turned out.
Max wears a cribbing collar (which I hate, but it’s necessary)
because he sucks wind (to get high!) … and wind-sucking, or cribbing, causes him to colic
if he does it too much.
It’s a bad habit that you hope a horse doesn’t develop.
The strap prevents him from being able to do it enough to cause colic.
The decision to blanket or not blanket horses is an individual one…
many feel horses don’t need blanketing and if left along to grow their own natural coat,
they don’t need it, especially if they have shelter from the elements and are well fed.
Opie comes from a line of quarter horses bred for show, who were never allowed to
grow winter coats. And so, he never grows a thick enough coat to keep himself
warm. I’ve tried to get his body to do so, it just doesn’t happen.
Thus, he is blanketed in Winter. Max’s owner has always blanketed him as well,
although he grows an exceptional winter coat. At his advanced age of 25
keeping weight on him is difficult and necessary. The blanket helps keep his body
insulated, and keep his body weight acceptable in winter months.
We have piles of different weight blankets in the barn for the boyz.
The blanket swapping depending on weather is definitely a nuisance.
Miniature horses like Lacey and Coady
grow ample winter coats, they never need blanketing.
Since it’s warm out this morning, blankets have been switched to “windbreaker”.
I’m going to talk myself into yoga in a few minutes…
Wherever you are, I hope you are able to get out there and enjoy the day.
Spring allergies have kicked in.. Benadryl, here I come.
