mornings at the barn

Horses are on night turn out now so I am at the barn a couple of times a day, to let them into their stalls and again to check on their hay and water.  They come in and have their breakfast and relax out of the bugs and the heat for the day.

I, on the other hand, head out to the garden, in the sun and the bugs. Barefoot, hatless, gloveless and working with the sprinkler on is keeping me cool and happy. The garden is full of my little babies, pushing their way through the dirt.  Each vegetable has it own signature leaves that I have been looking for since the end of May.  And they are here!  

The barn swallows are happy with the new arrangement since the big barn doors are always open now, not shut overnight.  They can go get breakfast a little earlier. Vern was talking to one mama birdie in her nest last night, so cute... both of them.  I heard a lot of furious chirping this morning as I walked in. Oh no, what's up?  Hmm there's Theo strolling by, has he been bad or is he just waiting for me and cat food?  

I reflect back on my harrowing mornings in the past and am very thankful that I have learned that horses, at least these horses,  are kind and aren't stumbling along trodding on my feet or bowling me over. Much happy mama at 9 am, coffee in hand, horse kisses, warm and sunny.

Today's smile was brought to me by Sierra nibbling up apple crunchie treats from between the bars on her stall.

First time I got stepped on by a horse ...

was today!  Not a happy mama!

I was thinking how Thoroughbreds are such high flight animals... hahaha thats not what I was thinking at all but to be fair I am sure that's why they are so jumpy.  Penny came in the barn third instead of last and started screaming and rushing around in her stall as Lily strolled into her place beside her. Once everyone was in and it didn't look like they were rushing at her pile of food, did Penny calmly go about eating.

who's that masked beast?  Where's my cape?

A few of the horses, two thoroughbreds (apparently they are thin skinned and are affected by bugs more) and a newbie to the farm are wearing fly sheets. These are quite an elaborate things, like a horse blanket but with lots of extra tight flaps.  I ain't never gunna complain about putting winter blankets on again. Anyway, these things are tight and I imagine quite hot and with tight little bindy clasps, lots of them and extra flaps. Sooo while struggling with these things and sweaty horses and poo covered sticky bits, one fellow spooks (because the hooky bits jangled in a different way today? I don't friggin know) and jumps on my foot. Holy Hell!  It must have felt weird to him to cause he jumped off just as quick... didn't feel good to me either, bud!

Ahhh, I love horses, I like horses, I...

Working with Sarah

Early days...

Sarah and young Nahani

The new big paddock out back had one fatal flaw... the gate off of the sand ring was in a low spot. Early in the spring it was so muddy that once my rubber boot stuck but I kept going, face first into the mud!  Not a happy mama!

So we couldn't use that gate.  The other option was to halter the horses and walk them out of the sand ring and through the top gate, hair raising! First this involved haltering Lincoln who didn't want to be haltered.  I' d chase him round and round in his stall, get one ear in, he'd toss his head up and the whole thing would come off. I barely knew how to put a halter on, I didn't trust him, I didn't like him, I didn't want to be in the stall with any horse and he was so friggin big! After I got used to horses, I liked Lincoln well enough.

So I was always soooo grateful when young Sarah would ask if I wanted her to help with turn out. YES I DO !!  What I was feeling wasn't terror but strong apprehension,  grave reluctance. The thoughts of those big hooves right beside my feet.  The knowing that this big animal, who is twitching and snorting and bobbing around can't be held by the six foot rope I have in my hands.  Thank god, it appears not to know this.  I think to myself, animals can sense your fear, don't be afraid, don't be afraid ...

The down side of the top gate, besides being out of a fenced enclosure, was the fact that it was muddy and slippery getting there and really slippery just inside the gate. So much so that once inside both the horse and I would slip down the hill a little.  Oh. My. God thoughts of an upside down horse, flailing legs and upside down me in the middle of this. Sarah's presence would help me keep my shit together.  Three horses to go out, she'd do two, I'd do one but I'd man the gate for her second pass out.

Sarah and Heather

Another terrifying thing about this whole thing was the fact that the first horse wanted out while we tried to put the next ones in. They would dance around right in front of the gate while we had another horse on a string on the outside of the gate that was intent on eating the grass just outside the gate and also dancing around. Hold the string, fiddle with the chain and the bindy little hooky thing that holds the gate shut, open the gate without it slipping out of our hands and flinging wide open, getting next horse in before previous horse runs out or bites the horse one of us is holding onto. That was about it, that was enough heart pounding excitement for my morning, on one coffee.

I wish I had a picture of Sarah standing in the driving rain trying to get the horses in the barn during a thunderstorm.  She lives nearby and would keep on eye on the weather too.  She would leave her house and drive over to the barn to bring them in, hopefully before the storm broke.  This day, not that lucky.  She stood out there, soaked to the skin, trying to coax the stupids inside.  Good girl, hard worker, good friend.

Showing off my culinary skills...

I'm always telling Heather that making jam in the microwave is easy peasy.  I show up at her place with all the stuff, "We are making jam today. I want to show you how easy it is," I tell her again. Off I go, fruit in the bowl, pectin in the bowl, pop it in the microwave, boil, remove, add sugar, boil again, fill sterilized jars - done, have a coffee.  Well, the stuff doesn't set.  Don't worry I said, I'll take it home and reboil it and it will be fine.  Yep, next time 'round, it was good.

Then I show up at Heather's and tell her how easy it was to make cheese sauce starting with a white sauce in the microwave, who knew! I bring canned milk, flour, butter and cheese.  Well, the canned milk was off and the whole thing was gross.  Throw it out, start again, finally success. Heather is a little skeptical now, does she really know what she is doing...

I show up at Heather's and tell her how easy it is to make a flax wrap in the microwave. Okay, she says, the jam didn't work, the cream sauce wasn't as easy as you said ...  Thank goodness the flax wraps worked, restored my rep and I can hold my head up as Domestic Goddess again!

Delicious strawberry and farm grown rhubarb jam
(this batch worked fine the first time)

Cheese sauce
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine, melted
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup milk
1/2-3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Combine melted butter, flour and salt in a medium bowl.
Gradually add milk and stir until smooth.
Cook, stirring occasionally, at MEDIUM heat in a microwave for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese.
Cook at HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes, if necessary, to melt cheese

Flax Wrap

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch fine sea salt or 1 pinch celery salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
olive oil for greasing pan
Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Stir in the olive oil.
Beat in the egg and water.
Grease a microwave safe glass or plastic pie plate with olive oil. Pour in the batter and spread it evenly.
Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes,.
Remove carefully with a spatula.
Turn over and fill as desired.

Willy

Heather bought Willy as a baby, sight unseen.  He was at an auction and since she had shown his champion mother and knew his champion father, it was a no brainer.  Willy was boarded with a friend since there was no barn in our future ( haha no one dreamed Vern has going to make the deal of our lives!)

Willy came to the farm as soon as a fence could be built.  The inside of the barn was in the beginning stages of renovations so some boards were put up for a stall. Try as Heather might, little Willy would jump the boards every night and live outside in his paddock.

Heather, Vern and Jenn tried to be his herd, playing chase with him.  Jenn galloping at him totally freaked him out.  Hahaha, the one legged gallop was used as a training method for a while.  Vern would give chase until Willy would turn and  Vern would run for all he was worth but Willy had extra gears.  Vern was always just lucky to get out of the way.  Willy had way more stamina than  any of his human herd!

 Champion ribbon at the Royal Winter Fair
Willy's face is blurry because he was
trying to bite Heather's gloves.

One of Willy endearing habits is biting!  Not quite sure why he does it, might be Vern playing games with him.  As a deterrent very time he'd bite, he'd get a slap on the nose.  This didn't deter him in the slightest, just made him faster.  He'll sneak a bite, toss his head back and roll his eyes at you.  He always looks like he is laughing at you.  This habit has waned some since he is no longer a stallion and he is out with other horses now.

He was quite a handful as a little stallion.  He had to be kept in a field by himself since he would attack any gelding in the same field.  Willy was still very young when Lincoln came and they were good friends. When mares came and Willy got a little older, Lincoln and Willy had such a hate for one another.  Willy won every scuffle no matter how big the adversary.

One day when Vern and I showed up to the barn we found Willy in the next field over quietly munching hay with another horse. Hmm we thought maybe he can be with somebody now.  Nope, when we turned around, he was chasing the other horse around and around.  We had to run interference and slight of hand to separate them.  Apparrently he had ducked under the fence in the creek.  Another wire installed.

He faked me out just the other day.  It was hot and a little buggy.  Old Jon and Jacey wanted in the barn. Willy stood at the gate and whinned so I opened the gate to let him in too.  Well, the little faker went right to the grass and I had to chase him around and around to get him in the barn.  He is still a little crazy, you can see it in his eyes, but he is a better pony now that he is out with the other geldings.  He still chases his new friends  but he is just an annoyance now. He is learning to be a cart pony and that should wear him out and give him something to think  about.

Early Days...

First there was Willy.  He came the first July Heather had the farm. He was about 6 months old and the cutest thing.  Lincoln came in November.  My job was to open the big doors, open the stall doors and stand back.  There was only one paddock then, easy peasy.  I came with my coffee and in my pyjamas.

The next two stalls were built over the winter and were filled April 30 ... Heather went back to work May 1st!  Vern and I were left to the first turn out with two mares, one big studdy gelding and one little pony stallion, with a big attitude!  There were two paddocks at this time.

The two mares took off into the paddock and galloped at full speed for an hour and a half.  One of the girls was a draft cross and young.  It sounded like thunder as they galloped across the field. The whole thing freaked Vern and me out.  We have no idea why they did it, it has never happened since but I am prepared for it when a new horse comes.  It is my standard at which I expect all new introductions to be.

Finally,  they settled down. I don't know if we put hay out or not. It's my go to fix these days.  Anyway, we decided it was now time to let the boys out.  At first, lots of smelling and kissing over the fence.  Awww, ain't that cute.   I stood back, way back, but Vern was right in there with his camera phone getting close up kissy face shots.  







That's about the time the kissing stopped and squealling and biting and climbing the gate started.

Some of the squealling was now coming out of Vern.  Being in the thick of it got him kicked in the knee by Willy.  I tried real hard not to wear my "I told you" face but hey, if you can't figure out worst case scenio ...

Willy became more and more of an issue as he got older.  Thank goodness he is only 5 feet tall.  I think he deserves his own story told, but back to the girls...
The girls settled, down, everybody settled down, enough that we could leave them, uneasily.  An electric wire was quickly installed to keep the little rutter inside his pen.  A new board added to the fence after it was kicked down. And equally as quick, Vern and Ed built a new paddock.  

To be continued...

Names changed to protect the innocent

I got a call the other day, "Karen ... the mares broke the gate and they are loose."
OH SHIT my first thought ... a little more information and I find out they are out of their paddock but in the sand ring... WHEW!
"Give them some hay and be I'll there as soon as I can" is my advice.  Phone rings again.  "It's alright, they are back in their paddock, but the springy gate thing is broken."
"That's okay" I say, "get some electric fence ribbon and tie it across the opening."

I've been the one making that call before.  One morning, I routinely opened all the stall doors.  I wandered over to the barn door to watch the horses file into their paddock.  What I saw instead was the butt end of the last one trot out the open gate and leave. I had forgotten to check the gates before I let them out!  Wow, what a heart pounding next half hour.  Those horses went right over the rock and around the far side of the house.  Thank goodness, Sarah came immediately and left her car across the driveway to prevent them from getting on to the road.  Heather's neighbour appeared and started rounding them up.  I can now look back and realize that once they found grass they were going to stop and catching them was going to be easy.  In fact, once I threw a rope around the neck of one, three more followed.

This week, when I got to the barn, my friend was still fairly shook up but the horses were all quietly eating grass in the paddock, just like nothing had happened. I commiserated with her, they're  just so big and fast... Yes, she said, they're just so big and fast. She called Heather to see if she could get another springy electric gate thingy.  " I got them hay, just like your mother said," " I got them back in their paddock, just like your mother said," " I got the electric ribbon tied across, just like your mother said." hmmm feelin pretty good bout myself. Almost sounds like I know what I'm doing, hahaha. (don't speak to soon, smartass!)

Working with Heather

My oldest daughter ... works hard, plays hard and relaxes hard.

 I am always learning new things when I am  working in the barn with Heather.  I ask a million questions.  Why do this?  Why this way?  How come?  I am sure that I am annoying ... I need to be told sometimes. Please do but be kind, haha.

I am her sounding board and at the same time, she's mine. I learn things during these rants, like,  the bales of hay are to be used from one end to the other, not from the top down! The shavings pile should be used from the outside in, not the middle out! The shavings in the stalls must be raked flat!

Heather went to college for three years to reinforce things she already knew and learn a few new things.  She learned how to drink beer from a funnel... How proud am I? Anyway, she is the expert but Vern and I now have a few ideas of our own.  A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Heather went away recently and I swear the minute she was out of the driveway, Vern opened the new paddock up to the geldings.  Heather's plan was to wait until more hay had been eaten, then turn out the mares in that field.  By the time she returned, we had dug and played and slightly disrupted things. She as a thin thread on us!

It's hard trying not to express my opinion about everything.  It's her house, her kitchen, her barn, her life.  I often need to remind myself that nobody interferred with my way when I was her age.  She is grown up, beautiful, extremely competent and yes, I am very proud!

Reluctant Horsewoman aka Resolute Gardener

Young Jennifer and our small garden

Young daughter, Jennifer, would be a "back to the lander" if an opportunity came.  So when the farm came into our lives, Jennifer got excited about reviving the old farm garden.

We had a garden here at our house when the kids were little so they would get idea where their food came from,  get dirty and connect to their grandparents on both sides, all big gardeners. That garden was small and kinda shady.  The kids grew and their various competitions kept us all busy. The gardening lasped and it was all sodded over.

Heather and Vern harvesting potatoes

Jennifer's excitement over another garden was infectious.  Vern and Heather were cleaning out the barn, Jenn loaded up the tractor and hauled all the old cow manure to the garden.  It was then plowed, disked and harrowed, all with farm equipment. Our planting method near the end was less enthustasic.  Jenn and I dropped potatoes in the plow furrows and kicked dirt over them. It worked fine and its the planting method I intend to use this year !

One of our big sucesses that year was zucchini!  I had them lined up on the counter.  As all Zucchini farmers know, they go from small to humousgous, the size of seal pups, over night.  My friends were becoming wary of me.  I shoved them in mail boxes on my way home.  I heard of a clever idea of tossing them in open car windows.  I had almost reached that point.  My family was also becoming wary of supper.  Anything could have been made with zucchini... and it was.  I found a few great recipes though ... chocolate zucchini cake is amazing.

As our enthusiasm grew, so did the garden. The following year, we plowed up a bigger patch.   Jenn left for Alberta.  Weeds grew faster than my seeds.  This year, with Vern's help, we have put down a 3 foot barrier all around the garden to keep the hay field from incroching and to cut down the size a bit.  I want to try watermelon and cantaloupe this year and I find I need the space anyway. I found a market that will buy my organic veggies, so my friends and neighbours are safe from stealth vegetable drops. Now to get a better handle on the weeds...