Farmsitting, Catsitting, Horsesitting: Not Much Actual Sitting!

One of my very best friends here in the Northeast (she is the one that said oh you should totally try to event with Remus way back in the day so it is ALL her fault) asked me to housesit for her farm while her and her hubby went to the Outer Banks. They bought this cute farmette in Oxford PA a few years ago and I don’t think they have gone away together since then! She is a wonderful friend and of course I said yes!

Back when she asked me it was cold and miserable still so all all I could think was ahhhh June..it will be lovely to take care of horses then….and play at being a farm owner!

So she left on Sunday and I have been taking care of 3 horses (2 OTTB and 1 very fat, very bratty mini horse) and 3 cats in the house. It is about 10 miles each way to where I live so I have been staying here at night. I tried my dogs coming here with me and Ollie was just plain bad (the entire property is fenced but Ollie insists on crawling UNDER the fence to the horses….) and Gretchen got scratched on the eye by one of the cats the one night she did spend with me. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I am juggling both houses this week.

The farmette is adorable, the house is quirky (it is an old log house that was expanded into a real farm house but it creaks at night and there are lot steps up and down), and the weather has been iffy. The horses are in by day and out at night except for the mini who just rules the roost. Bean is his name and he is as wide as he is tall. And full of attitude. I think he is a wee bit spoiled.

 

 

The sun hits the room I am sleeping with at like 5 a.m. but I stay there till closer to 6 since I don’t want them to be in too long during the day especially if i have to go to work that day. I go out and feed the Bean and put his muzzle on and put him in the yard while I feed the others cause he will bulldoze in there and knock the 16 plus hand tbreds over to get to their grain!

In the evening it takes me a good 2 hours if not more just to feed, turn out, clean stalls, and clean up after Bean! Last night I was done right before dark and was EXHAUSTED.  I am not used to being so busy in the evening (Seinfeld, Friends episodes I miss you!). Today I am working from home there and i can see where you can sidetracked very easy. I went out to check waters and ended up picking stalls quickly because who wants to work when they can be outside with the horses?

I have a few more days left so who knows how burned out I will be but except for missing my dogs and husband (Yes in that order, sorry Mark) I am enjoying playing farm person. Too bad we can’t find a damn farmette to buy!! (That saga continues…)