I've about had it with winter and all its snowing, blowing, below freezing, insulator snapping glory!! When I left work last night it was about twenty below with a wind chill advisory, not sure what the temp was with the wind chill, blowing to beat h*ll, and had snowed about a foot. OK, maybe not quite a foot, but close enough!! I needed to pull a round bale in with the horses still, plus go home and pack for my trip to my mom's today for the Midwest Spanish Mustang Club meeting on Sunday. My "help" as I like to call him, had fallen asleep and wasn't waking up to my phone calls. He had taken my house key with him so I was locked out of my own apartment!! I had to go bust into his parent's house at 2 am and wake him up. We drive to the farm, and I already know there's trouble when I see hoof prints next to the garage door outside my car window as I'm layering scarves on. Horses are no where to be found, except for Token. Who, bless his heart, never escapes. Until that night. I saw his head behind the fence one minute, and the next he's racing around the yard screaming for the other horses. Which I guess helped us out, because they must have heard him and came crashing across the field headed for home. I went about my usual "the horses have escaped" routine. Figuring out where the fence is down, then grain, some bucket shaking, maneuvering the horses through the hole, dumping grain, runing back to the fence to repair it before they get done eating, and generally swearing like a sailor. Token took a little more convincing, and he and Adella had it out for a few minutes once I had him back in. He and Remme will stay in with the rest of the herd for the weekend until I get back. Their back paddock is in no shape for horses right now! I've heard, supposedly, that nicer weather is on its way. Guess that's when the major repair work will get done. Josh and I have a new plan for the fence, one that will hopefully make it stronger. These plastic insulators don't hold up to the northern Minnesota weather at all!! Plus there's no tree cover on the one side since they cut all the trees down the year before I moved out there. That doesn't help with the blowing. Some of the drifts are up to the top of the fence in some places!!
Plans are being put in place for new paddocks. I think the guy I rent from is going to gravel the one side he said I could have. He's going to probably give me the field on the other side. Which is good and bad. Good cause it's larger, bad cause it's more open and surrounded by CRP that they hunt during deer season. I am excited for more room!!
Thursday is tentative for a trip to Kim's. My friend is going to buy a gelding from him. We are going to pick up him and another horse to take to the trainer's. Should be interesting because I will be picking up my new trailer also!! :) Can't wait!!
Hopefully I don't get any late night calls from my landlord or Josh about horses running loose. I need a vacation where they all behave!! Meetings on Sunday. Will report back on that!
Becky
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Every time I start.....
Ok, so it's been like a month since my last post. I am not going to lie, I have started about five different ones during work and never got to finish any of them!! Lots has happened in the last few weeks. I've been busy busy with work, feeding, and attempting to do some training on the warmer days. Which are few and far between.
Taxes have come back, and I finally have money!! YAY!!! It's pretty much gone already though. I bought myself a trailer, or am in the process of buying myself a trailer. A five horse stock, 6 by 16 feet, hay rack on top, feed bins, tack area, the whole shebang. It's awesome!! I'm so excited!! I pick it up in Fargo on my way to Kim's ranch to pick up my two new mares, Blue Northern and Wyoming Trailblazer. Well, one is mine, the other goes back in the spring so Kim can breed her. I am also getting Blue Northern's weanling stud colt out of Black Knight Warrior. I don't really want him cause I don't have the room, but he's coming anyways and will be for sale. It'll be interesting to see how he turns out. We'll be putting up another paddock come spring time at my current place. Once the mares are back up to condition they'll be turned out with Remme. I am excited to see what Remme and Blue Northern produce. She had a magnificent medicine hat filly by Remme's dad before he died, so hopefully they can make something of that caliber. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!!
Things are getting hammered out for the Fargo Expo. I am bringing Okauchee and Ransom this year. Hopefully some little kid will fall in love with him and take him home. He's going to be the perfect kid's horse. He's already completely in love with my little girl. It would be nice to keep him for her, but I have to sell something to make room for more!! The plight of every horse owner. Ransom follows me around like a little puppy dog and has discovered treats. He's just to cute. I want to love him forever!! If Julie comes to the Expo I will be able to pick up my saddle and hopefully back Okauchee while we are there. I think I'll make Kim climb on him first!! Ha ha, he's a lot bigger then me. Harder to dump. We'll see how it goes. It should be a good time no matter what.
Going home this weekend for our Midwest Spanish Mustang Club meeting. We are going to talk about the Midwest Horse Fair and the Minnesota Horse Expo. I wish I lived closer, then I could bring horses to both. It'll be nice to see Jane and her horses again. Plus the rest of the club members. It's been awhile.
Ok, I am getting busy at work so I better go. I think I covered everything!!
Becky
Taxes have come back, and I finally have money!! YAY!!! It's pretty much gone already though. I bought myself a trailer, or am in the process of buying myself a trailer. A five horse stock, 6 by 16 feet, hay rack on top, feed bins, tack area, the whole shebang. It's awesome!! I'm so excited!! I pick it up in Fargo on my way to Kim's ranch to pick up my two new mares, Blue Northern and Wyoming Trailblazer. Well, one is mine, the other goes back in the spring so Kim can breed her. I am also getting Blue Northern's weanling stud colt out of Black Knight Warrior. I don't really want him cause I don't have the room, but he's coming anyways and will be for sale. It'll be interesting to see how he turns out. We'll be putting up another paddock come spring time at my current place. Once the mares are back up to condition they'll be turned out with Remme. I am excited to see what Remme and Blue Northern produce. She had a magnificent medicine hat filly by Remme's dad before he died, so hopefully they can make something of that caliber. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!!
Things are getting hammered out for the Fargo Expo. I am bringing Okauchee and Ransom this year. Hopefully some little kid will fall in love with him and take him home. He's going to be the perfect kid's horse. He's already completely in love with my little girl. It would be nice to keep him for her, but I have to sell something to make room for more!! The plight of every horse owner. Ransom follows me around like a little puppy dog and has discovered treats. He's just to cute. I want to love him forever!! If Julie comes to the Expo I will be able to pick up my saddle and hopefully back Okauchee while we are there. I think I'll make Kim climb on him first!! Ha ha, he's a lot bigger then me. Harder to dump. We'll see how it goes. It should be a good time no matter what.
Going home this weekend for our Midwest Spanish Mustang Club meeting. We are going to talk about the Midwest Horse Fair and the Minnesota Horse Expo. I wish I lived closer, then I could bring horses to both. It'll be nice to see Jane and her horses again. Plus the rest of the club members. It's been awhile.
Ok, I am getting busy at work so I better go. I think I covered everything!!
Becky
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Hay Abound!!!
Well I got hay, and lots of it!! Which is a good thing. But, of course, I paid way to much for bales that I thought would be bigger and of better quality. Oh well, it's there and that's all that matters right now.
We had another jail break Saturday, but I'm not sure this one was on accident this time. I was at work that night and got a phone call from the guy I rent from. He said that the sheriff had called his dad wondering if they had horses on their property because some were loose. I sent Josh out there, and, sure enough, the horses were out. He said that gate was down. Well then when we were out there meeting the hay guy yesterday I noticed that two of the actual fence posts were bent outward. So I went to investigate. Turns out the wires were all messed up and the top one had been re-tied to the wood fence post with bailing twine. It looked like someone had tried to drive through the fence with a big flatbed truck. So I made some phone calls. Joey, the guy I rent from, was out of town all weekend. I knew that before I even knew about the fence. He said that his grandpa wouldn't have been out there because I guess he's not doing well at all. His dad rarely goes out around the horses when he's out at the farm, and he didn't mention to Joey when he called that he had to fix the fence. Or that he had even been out there at all. My friend that works at dispatch said that the first 911 call came in at twenty after one that day that there were horses on the highway. At ten to two the last entry in the computer said they were heading back up the road toward Joey's place. I didn't get any calls until after seven. Now, if the horses learned how to tie wires up with bailing twine I am going nation wide with this show!! So Joey and I are thinking about putting some cameras up. He has had problems with people just stopping by and messing with his stuff before, and I am thinking that next time the horses get out I am going to have problems with the police. I will help pay for some cameras, I was planning on getting a few foaling cams for spring anyways. If it catches whoever is messing with my animals it'll be well worth it.
On to the next order of business. The Midwest Spanish Mustang Club is having a meeting the first of March at Jane Greenwood's Zen Cowboys in Lonsdale, MN. Anyone interested in attending can e-mail me for more info.
Oh, I almost forgot. I am looking for a 6 by 16 foot stock trailer to make a trip out to Kim's ranch. I am going to pick up two mares, Blue Northern and Wyoming Trail Blazer. Blue Northern is a blue corn mare, SMR #1709, by Chickasaw Warrior out of Wild Water. She will be on permanent lease to me to be bred to Remme. Trailblazer is Kim's stallion Reflection's dam, and will be staying until May til Kim can get her on summer grass. This is only going to happen if I can find a trailer to borrow in time. We'll see how it goes.
Becky
We had another jail break Saturday, but I'm not sure this one was on accident this time. I was at work that night and got a phone call from the guy I rent from. He said that the sheriff had called his dad wondering if they had horses on their property because some were loose. I sent Josh out there, and, sure enough, the horses were out. He said that gate was down. Well then when we were out there meeting the hay guy yesterday I noticed that two of the actual fence posts were bent outward. So I went to investigate. Turns out the wires were all messed up and the top one had been re-tied to the wood fence post with bailing twine. It looked like someone had tried to drive through the fence with a big flatbed truck. So I made some phone calls. Joey, the guy I rent from, was out of town all weekend. I knew that before I even knew about the fence. He said that his grandpa wouldn't have been out there because I guess he's not doing well at all. His dad rarely goes out around the horses when he's out at the farm, and he didn't mention to Joey when he called that he had to fix the fence. Or that he had even been out there at all. My friend that works at dispatch said that the first 911 call came in at twenty after one that day that there were horses on the highway. At ten to two the last entry in the computer said they were heading back up the road toward Joey's place. I didn't get any calls until after seven. Now, if the horses learned how to tie wires up with bailing twine I am going nation wide with this show!! So Joey and I are thinking about putting some cameras up. He has had problems with people just stopping by and messing with his stuff before, and I am thinking that next time the horses get out I am going to have problems with the police. I will help pay for some cameras, I was planning on getting a few foaling cams for spring anyways. If it catches whoever is messing with my animals it'll be well worth it.
On to the next order of business. The Midwest Spanish Mustang Club is having a meeting the first of March at Jane Greenwood's Zen Cowboys in Lonsdale, MN. Anyone interested in attending can e-mail me for more info.
Oh, I almost forgot. I am looking for a 6 by 16 foot stock trailer to make a trip out to Kim's ranch. I am going to pick up two mares, Blue Northern and Wyoming Trail Blazer. Blue Northern is a blue corn mare, SMR #1709, by Chickasaw Warrior out of Wild Water. She will be on permanent lease to me to be bred to Remme. Trailblazer is Kim's stallion Reflection's dam, and will be staying until May til Kim can get her on summer grass. This is only going to happen if I can find a trailer to borrow in time. We'll see how it goes.
Becky
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