How To... Hay & Bedding

While the barn I board at offers full care services, I prefer to stick to self care. Basically this means my horses get a stall, and whoever is working at the farm (aka George and Colleen) turn them out or bring them in once a day and I do the rest. I clean their stall, provide hay, grain, shavings etc on a daily basis. I like it this way because I get to see them every day and when I'm on vacation I still know they're well cared for.

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Now that I'm starting to prep for the arrival of my four legged creatures, I'm remembering the quirky ways of horse ownership and management in Kentucky.

Step 1 - Find a good friend at the barn that doesn't complain when you ask them to go get hay or shavings with you.

Step 2 - If you fail at previous step, find a friend in same situation so you can complain and cry on inside together because you're about to turn your 4-5 person vehicle into a farm truck.

Step 3 - Despite seeing your shavings or hay pile diminish daily, wait until last possible minute to get more. It's a good challenge to see if you can make it to the store and back on your lunch break.

Step 4 - If you have to settle with step 2, make sure you don't clean your car before before going to pick up shavings or hay. It's a fun game of Tetris trying to fit everything.

Step 5 - Stand at the register and act like a fool trying to guess how many bags of shavings or bales of hay will fit in your car.

Step 6 - If you over estimate, don't worry about returning any. Just ask for some spare baling twine or rope and tie the trunk of your car shut.

Step 7 - Finally unload everything at the barn, but only after you let your car sit in a parking lot all day so many people get to see your new handy farm car.

Step 8 - Two options here. a) attempt to clean the hay or any shavings the might of fell out of the bag. b) leave it, you only have horse friends, they'll understand.

Step 9 - For hay - watch your horse devour the hay. For shavings - watch your horse do it's business in your efforts. Regardless, cry a little more on the inside.

Step 10 - Repeat.

Quick Updates - May 25

Today my mind has still weighed heavily thinking of Carlos and still sending lots of virtual hugs to L.  However knowing L had a good drink last night for Carlos, and probably a -few- for herself helps since I know phase 1 of grieving = drinking. Or at least it does in my book. Also I know Carlos is now running in a field of mares and among the racing gods. Who knows maybe he's returned to racing and is having fun having match races with his sire or grandsire.

I'm off tomorrow, work Monday and the rest of the week. These 6 day work weeks are killing me but thankfully this is the final week of them and in June I'm down to normal 5 day weeks. The current supervisor is leaving June 10th and with some desk shuffling I will get my old cubical back. Cannot wait! It's in a quieter location with real walls to separate myself from the frequent chaos among some of the people there. I need a day off during the week so I can make rounds to my favorite KY tack stores. Even if I can't buy anything, I have the overwhelming need to just go see for myself they're still standing and selling things! Quillin's, Fennell's and Central KY Tack & Leather... I AM going to come! 

Also... there's now a Standlee hay store just down the road that apparently sells my hay pellets / cubes way cheaper than a retail store. Gotta check it out. I may have to splurge and buy the duo $30 timothy or orchard grass to mix in with 'normal' hay just to spoil them. Yes those $30 bales are three wire so they are bigger than a 50lb bale. I could probably get away with close to only a bale a month if I feed something else along with it.

Still no idea when I'm going to get my apartment / go back to Michigan and get moving truck / move my cats to KY / anything! It's quite frustrating actually. Last time I got an apartment I moved in the next day. Now they want proof of... everything. 3 paychecks = 6+ weeks to get those as proof of income. Time needs to pass a little faster. I want my cats, my bead and my own bedroom! 

Jenny still may be coming June 5th. Fingers crossed.

Yesterday I texted the barn manager at the farm Echo came from. The previous owner still has her papers since she was gone when Echo was shipped to Michigan. She is going to be back in a week (this woman sure travels a lot for being sick!) so hopefully I can arrange to drive over there and get her papers next weekend. While I'm there I'm going to check out her filly in person! I can't wait to see what Lovely Surprise (her registered name) looks like as a 2 year old. The barn manager told me she's taken after Echo a lot in mentality. I'm -hoping- someway, somehow I can talk to them, find out what has to be finished in her registration process and find her a home where she can be more than a pasture ornament. She's the only 2 year old they didn't send off to training to race because she'd rather be a pet, according to my vet and friend.

The horses get their health certificates done this week on Thursday for the shipper. Last step before moving date! Since I'm still unsure of my full move date the shipper is going to bring ALL my horse stuff now instead of just my tack trunk - thank goodness (and no additional charge).