Ah...the change in weather...

When I was out in the pasture last night, visiting the "kids", fly spray bottle in hand, I made some observations.

FLIES - they are different. These aren't the barn flies, they're the little nasty biting ones, tormenting my horses and leaving scabs on their bellies. The BEST repellent I've found so far is a marigold based all natural spray. Get 'em off and keeps 'em off. It sort of smells like candy!

Winter Fuzz - It's coming on! Their bellies are no longer sleek and smooth. They are laying on the winter jammies! And it's only September 10th! That tells me that it's going to be a cold winter. Whoopee. I have heated tubs for six horses. There are currently eight horses at my place. There will be seven through the winter. sigh..

HAY!!! - Or is it "HEY!!" The horses are all out on pasture full time, and have been for the last three weeks. Its getting to the point now though, that the grass doesn't interest them as much. If I toss a flake out in the pasture, they'll leave off the grazing and fight over the hay.

As a rule, I don't blanket my horses in winter. I have a neighbor who puts blankets on when the over night low hits 45 degrees. She DOES ride most every day in winter, but still... Her horses never have a winter coat. The ONLY time I will blanket is in January and IF someone got sweaty. But the next morning, the blanket comes off, the winter coat poofs out, and it's business as usual!

Those lazy days....

Joy is still the herd boss and is attached to “The Girls” – Honey and Heddy. When I brought The Girls to the barn to have their feet trimmed, Joy paced and called until they were returned to the pasture. Then they all got to running around. I so love to watch horses run in the pasture. Joy doesn't really “gallop” she more like “hops” short choppy strides. She is always so sore after play time.

Honey was a living dream about getting her feet done. She stood quietly and politely, offering all four feet. Heddy, on the other hand, acted like a mule-eared donkey and actually got popped on the chest.

Dobbs, the sorrel Smooth Town gelding, is not nearly as stiff as he was the last time the farrier worked on him. He actually had so problem standing with his sore leg up to be trimmed.

Jazzy and Angel were their usual selves, but on good behavior.

Kaci drools like a Labrador at Thanksgiving! I had to laugh, but the farrier, who wore some of the slobber down the back of his neck, didn't think it was as funny as I did.

The weather remains very pleasant. It’s been in the 50s at night and lower 80s for the high in the afternoon. Joy is usually with The Girls out grazing and at nap time, they all stand under a tree in the shade. There is currently no rush to euthanize Joy since the weather is so nice. Once the frost comes though, her pain and stiffness will be much harder to manage. Until then, she is enjoying just being a horse, grazing to her hearts content, and living these last weeks in horse heaven.

Ouch...ouch...ouch..

I sat on the back porch the other night watching the horses play.

I had Dobbs (the sorrel gelding)and Shyanna in the back pasture at the neighbor's.

Angel, Jazzy, and Kaci were at the barn.

Honey, Heddy, and Joy were in the front pasture at the neighbor's.

All eight got to running and bucking and playing. Joy joined in with "the girls", blowing and having a great time. Yesterday, I had to give her an extra snort of bute. She was so sore she could hardly walk.

But she looked like she was having a BLAST!

Sigh...happy at last!

For the last week, since I brought Honey and Heddy home, Joy has been out on pasture, but over the fence from "The Girls". They've squealed and postured, but also whinnied and nickered.

Today, I opened the gate and turned them all in together.

It's like a TB mare retirement reunion. All three are grazing together in their own little herd. Naturally, Joy is the boss mare. She's got the two "youngsters" whipped into shape and they defer to her. This opens up a little over an acre to turn two other horses out.

Joy's euthanasia is temporarily on hold, though it will happen before the cold of winter sets in. She would be so miserable. I just don't think she could make it through winter.

Bullwinkle, VLC's colt, was delivered to his new mom yesterday. He is living in an awesome home, with a great mom to fuss and worry over him. Mary is consulting everyone who will talk to her to "make sure she does everything right". It warms my heart to see someone so concerned about the little dude. Even the barn owner was fretting over the fact that his stool was a little loose. (Cause by the stress of a 4 hour ride in the big scary trailer.)

Wake up! The baby's gone!

Those are the words I woke up to on Sunday morning. Bullwinkle had pushed through the little gate that fronts his stall, and gone out the side door of the barn, which was left open for air.

I trailed him to the back of the property, then alone the back, where there's a three foot gap between our fence and our neighbors. I looked down the property, and there he was, way down by Shyanna and Doodle.

I turned off the fence and went and caught him. Sweet little monkey cam right to me and follow right along with me until we got to where Kaci was penned. Kaci is an ass! He charged the baby, and would have bitten him had the fence not been there.

Mike came out and fed Kaci, which diverted his interest long enough for me to get Bullwinkle out from behind the property, and back to his stall. We spent an hour repairing the gate.

Surprisingly, Heddy, who was right next to Bullwinkle, didn't show much interest. I would have figured since she just recently weaned her own baby, she'd mother up to Bullwinkle. NOPE! She mothered up to Honey.

So far, the only mare than HASN'T charged at Bullwinkle, has been Shyanna. So the TB mares went out to pasture, and Shyanna will spend the next week "babysitting".

Another observation about Joy...She ONLY likes Angel. PERIOD. Not negotiable! I tried turning her out with Honey and Heddy. She squealed and kicked at them. She squealed and kicked at Shyanna and Doodle. I turned Angel out with her, she trotted over, sniffed noses, and then joined Angel grazing.

Funny how the horses pair off. Shyanna and Doodle. Kaci and Jazzy. (Actually, Jazzy could care less as long as she's eating) Honey and Heddy.

Bullwinkle is the sweetest little dude! Mike has fallen in love with him. It's going to be very hard for him to say goodbye to the little guy!