Good Morning!

W

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.


21 thoughts on “Good Morning!”

  1. "It is what it is"… Heraclitus and one of my favorite philosophers. Last week, I think it was, Karen, I did a blog entry entitled Time, the Gift of Eternity and talked about Heraclitus. Interesting man of whom Socrates said, "What I understand is splendid, and I think what I don't understand is so too – but it would take a Delian diver to get to the bottom of it."
    That makes me chuckle; I felt the same say only I said, "What I understand is great and what I don't understand is way over my head."
    grin!

  2. Good morning to you also, busy girl. Love your new sloggers; you could start a fashion statement!

    Always enjoy seeing what you're doing and pics of the animals; & beautiful flowers.

    Okay, I'm gonna go do yoga now too. NOT! 🙂

    Have a great day!

  3. I always have dog hair on me too…. it's just part of my fashion statement. LOL Nice sloggers there lady. I never did get into the Croc scene that so many others did. Just give me some schleppy slippers and I'm good to go for the day.

    No Benadryl here yet… knock on wood. BUT, I know our mock orange blossoms are going to get the best of me when they come out. bleh.

    Enjoy your yoga!!

  5. What a wonderful morning, Karen! I LOVE your new sloggers! I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful day with all your special "friends"…xo Diana

  6. Oh allergies are so bad here. All of is are suffering . Pediatricians I'm seeing some visits. Have a great day Karen!!

  7. I enjoyed going along on your morning chores. Chickens are so funny with their favorite treats. I was told to go easy on the corn because it can make them hot in the Summer. Also, it's like chicken crack, very high in sugar. I am trying to minimize the chicken snacking because they have become obnoxious:-)
    My new rescue is wind sucking, I'm sure from stress. I am not sure I can deal with all of his possible issues so I'm talking to a rescue in New York about taking him, letting him get a lot better, and adopt him out. I think the travel out here and another major change might be too much. I live year round on Allegra and allergies still get the best of me at times.

  8. Ah yes chickens and treats, if they as much as hear the back door creak they all come running. U don't give them treats all the time but enough that they know there is a good chance if I head out the door it is for them. I have a ton of big fat juicy grubs in one area of my yard that I think I will dig up and give them even though it totally grosses me out that they eat them. To each there own I guess! The horses are beautiful and never tire of seeing them. I had to put my horse down from colic such a horrible thing to happen. Well enjoy the spring weather!

  9. I loved learning a bit about chickens and horses this morning! They sure keep you busy! I'd love to come and visit and meet all of your friends!

    Have a great day, Karen!

    XO,
    Jane

  10. Cute clogs! I never have found crocs comfortable and my feet get so dirty through those side holes!
    We just collected the heavy blankets from the boarding barn and are going to hose them off good before packing them away til next winter. Our two are shedding like mad!!
    Grace

  12. Thanks for the explanation on blanketing a horse. I saw a horse when we were in Idaho who had no shelter, no blanket and it was snowing. I felt so bad for the horse. It seemed to do OK so maybe it had a sufficient winter coat.

    Have fun with the Yoga. I'm still trying to talk myself into trying it. Hey, I now have a mat too at least. Baby steps, lol!

  13. Max's cribbing collar reminds me of my sister's retired Thoroughbred named Goose. That horse would crib on ANYTHING! They installed a line of electric fence along the top of the pasture fence to keep him off of it … so he switched to trees. If left unattended in the barnyard, he gnawed on the barn itself. All this WITH the collar on. Sometimes, they're just determined and there's nothing we can do about it.

    I always thought it was cool that I have retired race DOGS and my sister had a retired race HORSE.

    Glad our plants came through the freeze okay.

  18. I like those sloggers–I wonder if Tractor Supply carries them–that's where we shop! I know it's not cool, but I do wear brown Crocs to garden in–I also have a couple of knock off Crocs I wear around the yard–I even wear them as houseshoes!
    Eldest daughter has new chickens and a chicken coop she talked her dad into going to pick it up! I hope the egg business goes well (she only wants to raise enough for family and friends)–I love fresh eggs!

  19. Love stopping by here for various reasons, but one is to learn how much I don't know about horses and what it takes to own them. Very interesting read.

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