New fencing in action

I am so happy with how well this fence turned out. It is the 5' tall 2"X4" No-climb wire horse fence on round wood posts spaced ever 1o feet. We were lucky to get connected with Josh, who had a great technique for bracing the corner and gate posts in a way that made them very solid, even in this wet March ground. He used a 4X4 as a cross piece. He cemented it in at the base and used a large nail to secure it at the top. Josh's bracing method worked way better than the cross wire and rail across the top we have used in the past.

New fence

I am so excited to have a new, solid, horse-safe fence surrounding the back pasture and paddocks. It is nice and tight to the ground so it keeps dogs out/ in also. This was a big investment, but I think it will be well worth it.

Getting ready for spring

New pink Muck Boots-- My belated Valentines day present. I am ready to get out there and work on the farm. Photos of newly fenced back pasture coming soon. Donkey paddock also in progress.

Power to the Mini-Donkey!

This is a really cute mini donkey commercial!


You just can't underestimate these little guys!

Rainy Day Activities: Preventing Stall and Paddock Boredom

I often feel guilty this time of year as I watch Comet and Lucky standing idly in their stall and gravel paddock. Unfortunately, the ground here in Western Washington gets too wet in the winter for grazing. Allowing them to go out on the pasture would just create mud, cause compaction and stunt and/or kill the grass I am working so hard to cultivate. So in these rainy winter months they are confined to their stall and gravel paddock. A few months ago, I came across a picture of a slow hay feeder. More research led me to an article that explained that by slowing down the rate at which your horses eat their daily hay, you can keep them from getting board. Slowing down their hay consumption also better simulates natural grazing, which is good for their digestive systems. The basic concept is that you use a hay bag or net with very small holes that only allows the horse to remove a small amount of hay at a time. After reading reviews of different products on the Paddock Paradise website I purchased an inexpensive ($10) 4 cm small hole hay net from Millers and a heavy duty NibbleNet with 1.5" holes ($55). I have been using them for about 2 months now. They both work great. When I feed Comet and Lucky their morning hay in a manger they usually have it mostly finished off in about 2 hours, then they hang out for another 8-10 hours until I feed them again. When I use the small hole hay net or hay bag the same amount of hay lasts them 5-7 hours. This means they spend much of their day gradually munching hay. I think they like it because it gives them something productive to do. They are grazing, rather then just standing around. They still get the same amount of food, it just lasts them longer.

I would highly recommend these products to anyone with a horse that is confined in a manner that does not allow for grazing. Just be sure to hang these low to the ground so your horse isn't breathing in dust from the hay. Feeding horse from hay feeders that are more than a few feet off the ground causes respiratory problems! Because the holes in these slow feeding nets/bags are small the risk of getting a foot stuck in the net is not the same as it is with a traditional, large holed hay net. (Note:Large holed hay nets should not be tied low because an animal can get a foot stuck, resulting in major injury.)

In terms of being easy to use on a daily basis, I prefer the 1.5" Nibble Net. I bought some hardware and mounted it in the stall. It is easy to refill. I just open the top that is secured with a metal clip, insert hay, and re clip the top closed. The hay net has to be taken down to be filled and then tied back in place. This makes it more labor intensive to use. In terms of keeping the horse busy, both products work equally well.

Eating out of a small holed hay net or bag still isn't as exciting a grazing, but at least Comet and Lucky have something to do to keep busy on rainy winter days. Just like kids, Horses need rainy day activities to keep them from getting into mischief.

Dog Guests Love our Farm!

Photo of our dogs and cosine Shortcake. They were exhausted after a long day of playing on the farm!

Back when we lived in Eugene and Portland, I remember being inconvenienced and annoyed by our friends wanting to bring their dogs with them to our horse for a visit. Funny how much things have changed. We now have our own dogs and an awesome dog set up. Our dogs enjoy having friends over to play.

Late Night Carrots

Sometimes events happen that remind me how important it is to live in the moment. The kind of events that make me remember that life is temporary and uncertain. This evening I learned that one of my favorite riding buddies, young, healthy horse passed away today. The horse was a super mare that carried her on many wonderful rides through mountains, down roads and through grassy meadows. This loss is shocking, unexplained and just plain unfair and unforeseen. It reminds me of just how important it is to really enjoy the things in our lives that make us happy. It is easy to get in a routine where we go through the motions of caring for people and animals in our lives without recognizing how special each moment with them is. We describe feeding our horse as a chore rather than a pleasure. There are many days where I am guilty of this lack of appreciation and awareness. This evenings events reminded me of how incredibly fortunate I have am to enjoy the company of my wonderful horse, companion, and friend for the past 16 years. It reminded me not to take him or an of my animal or human friends and family for granted. And so, late at night I went out in the rain and brushed my horse and donkey and fed them carrots. I cuddled with my dogs and reflected on just how blessed I am; right now, right here.