Morning routine

Whoa !  Not a good day!  I must be suffering from a hormonal imbalance.  I chewed out poor Vern because he wanted two grilled cheese sandwiches this morning!  Good thing he has a sweet temperament.

Morning smile:  Jon rolling in the manure pile

In the barn with Barley, putting on his coat, he is sooo warm. We just stand there cheek to cheek.  Every morning, a warm cuddle from Barley.

On to Penny.  Every morning she looks surprised about the blanket but she likes attention.  She puts her head down for a scratch between the ears. This morning she leans right into me. I have to scooch her over before I fall over.

I open the big doors and each of the geldings stall doors and they file out, single file. They wander through the sand ring and into their field.  Kingsley needs help to keep moving. Finally he gets out of the gate but I have to push on his ass to get him to clear the gate to get it shut.

Back to the mares, just slide open the doors and get out of the way!  Sierra, Champagne and Lily charge out, heads up, tails up.  Penny looks surprised again.  I get her leadline, put it around her neck, just like yesterday, and the day before and the day before that and lead her out so she doesn't wander through the whole barn and lose her brains.  I've discovered that about thoroughbreds, if things aren't exactly right they get so agitated that they can't think straight.

Frankie

Next on my list is the barn kitties because I need a break from horses. There are four wild kittens, our third batch, and one fat house cat, Theo.  Big Fat Theo, I call him, knows exactly when it's breakfast time in the barn.  Little Frankie gets a cuddle before food but the others are too wild to touch.

Three more horses to deal with.  Jonny is getting a bit impatient by this time.  He is stomping around his stall, bobbing his head up and down and sucking his lips but as soon as he sees his blanket he settles right down and bends his head to help me.  He is only one to do this. In this moment, Crazy Jonny, calms down.
Jacey stands quietly, always does.  She closes her eyes and brushes her face against mine, awwww.  I have to streeeeetch to get the blanket on cuz she's huge!
I have to open Jon's door first, because if she is goes without him, he loses his shit.

Poor Willy is last, that's because he is a good boy now that he has had his little operation.  One wee halter on, leadline clipped up, watching the teeth and out we go sniffing at and knocking over everything on the way.  Ducking our heads under the electric fence, I unclip, slam the gate.  All done!

Well almost, I have to rehydrate the beet pulp, give Jacey and Jon hay and check their water.  I notice that Kingsley is just now moving away from the gate. Now as long as the weather doesn't turn, I am done for the day!

Two days to go ...