I roll out of bed at 6 or so each morning to go take care of the horses. No more sleeping past 6 for me. Even if I wanted to, I would feel guilty since they are in their stalls at night. So for me, the routine is I wake up and take the two dogs out with me. Ollie goes on his tie out in the barn (or in the dog yard with Gretchen) while I feed grain, turn out, do stalls and so on. Remus gets fed out by the gate so he is turned out when I first get out there. He is waiting for this. His stall is a pigsty btw. UGH. Then I go make up the grain (trying to get so I make up the grain the night before but haven’t yet) and feed Tate his microscopic portion first (he has a better bucket in his stall under his hay rack, the Preifert feeders they left were DISGUSTING so I tossed them. Would love to get more but they don’t seem to come off easily and I can see why they were disgusting.
Then I feed Remus in his big purple bucket on the gate (I have a better bucket on order for Remus for his stall for when the weather turns gross but right now early am is cool so he can eat outside). Once they are eating I go and fly spray them both (The horse flies are HORRIBLE even that early right now UGH). I also put Remus’s fly sheet on if I think it is not too hot (he sweats under it BUT it does help with the flies. Either one thing or the other)! He used to run off from me when I did this but now…he waits. LOL No dumb cookie him!
I usually give them some of the chopped hay or a bit of alfalfa (very small bit) for them to eat breakfast outside while I clean stalls (otherwise Remus comes stomping in to check out what I am doing). Remus likes to come into the fan-cooled stall to lick his salt and drink some water so I am on a time crunch finishing his stall up. I then make sure the water is filled up in both of their two buckets after the stalls are done, the fans are on (including the big fan in the aisle which was the best 129 bucks I have ever spent, hands down! It cools that barn down so much if I shut the front doors against the sun, it is at least 20-30 degrees cooler in there. I am not kidding. I would live in that barn if I could!) HA.
Mark turns the electric charger on for me before he goes to work (I am so paranoid of getting shocked even when it is OFF LOL Weird me right?) and I will turn them out depending on the dew content. I was turning them out later but the heat and bugs have been so bad I have been turning them out 730 or 800 and they are usually back in the paddock in the shade or in their stalls by 10. I lock them out of the field then and open it back up in the evening to let them graze a bit more. Remus is much more of a lightweight and is in his stall quicker than Tate. Sunday I went out to check on them (it was hot!) and Remus was in his stall eating hay in front of fan and Tate was out eating in the shady part of the pasture. I usually lock Tate up in his stall if it is too hot because he still will stand outside even with the bugs eating him up and the sun pounding down on him.
The cutest thing is calling them to come up from the field.I just shout both their names if they are both still out there and they both come trotting up. So cute. Must get video of that.
BUT BEFORE THEY GO OUT in the am there is one thing they do each and every day. And that is have a good scratch fest. They crack me up. Tate has to reach up to Remus but it is so cute to watch them.
They totally do enjoy each other’s company. Remus is still a bit grumpy to Tate but Tate wants to be with Remus so much he stands at his stall halfway in just to be near Remus.
Once I finish up the work in the barn I usually blow the aisle unless the horses are back in eating their hay and then I just sweep it. (Remus and Tate are not fans of the blower) LOL. My favorite part of the day is when I am finished and it is all clean and swept, waters are full, hay racks are full…..etc. I just stand and look and don’t even want to go back inside….Mark has usually come and gotten the dogs by then and he has been great about feeding them in the am so I can just come in and have coffee (and give the cat the meds and feed the cat somehow Mark never thinks of that LOL).
I don’t think of myself as OCD but I really do have to do these things in order and it cracks me up how much quicker I am getting at it even with a pigsty of a stall (thanks Remus) and a scavenger hunt in Tate’s stall (he likes to churn up all his poop so it is like hunting for gold).
I got a message back from the one dressage place I emailed about lessons so need to go check that out sans horse first then maybe schedule a lesson. It is hot as balls right now in TN but if I scheduled an early morning or late evening one it might not be too bad. I would have to actually UNPACK my saddle (waiting on hubby to hang up bridle racks I bought in tack room) and need to get shelves put in there for other stuff. (I can see my mailman rolling his eyes but I don’t think I will be as bad as Amanda on all the stuff (Tho I am waiting for a nice order from Stateline Tack with a Tate-sized fly mask and sheet (Tractor Supply etc. why you so discriminatory over ponies? NOT one fly mask smaller than horse size in all your stores. And the one cob I got fits Remus so he got a new one but not Tate. FOR SHAME ponies are people too Tractor Supply LOL). So hopefully all that comes this week for Mr Tate.
But I think we can safely say these two are settling in nicely. Life is good for them.
If we could get rid of the wasps, horse flies, and ants life would be even better!!
Fat Buckskin in a Little Suit 
Ahhhh, routine makes everything better! I think people forget/don’t realize how much work is involved in having horses at home. Whenever I petsit at a farm I’m up at least an hour earlier than at home! Glad the horses have settled in well and both seem very happy!
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Yeah since it’s my mom and I she does morning and I do evening, so the stalls get mucked 2x a day and we fill waters 2x a day (even with 2 buckets omg – at least they drink tho so it’s worth it!). I love it when I have a system and everything flows together and you can get it done quickly and efficiently. I don’t think it’s OCD, just probably pride in a clean barn! Plus, the barn is YOURS, so you can seriously do whatever you want there. No one making messes unless it’s you, and if you clean it, it stays that way! Well, relatively speaking because this IS horses haha. I am glad you are liking having the 2 boys in the back yard! Hopefully that dressage trainer works!
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Mark keeps offering to split the duties but A) I do it faster and B) I do it better (HA poor Mark) 🙂
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Yes, but let Mark help enough that he’s well trained enough that when you’re out of town you don’t worry! Plus, the more he does, the faster and better he gets! And, if you ever get the flu, then you turn to him and make him do the barn work! Just saying…
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I did have the flu last winter. He will be taking care of them next week when I go see Dad so he will be stuck ‘learning then’ HA He hasnt had to do Tate’s stall yet 🙂 also i am boarding the dogs. It is sad when the horses are easier….(And so funny poor Erik must have had to do all that for you before) 🙂
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OMG Andrew does the yards at our place, and he likes to do it. But he is slow, and just not as thorough. It drives me MAD but I try not to be too crazy about it. I appreciate the help after all!
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Awww they look so totally happy. Even grumpy Remus seems to be really happy with his new living arrangements. There is nothing nicer than a barn that is all settled with happy ponies and everything laid out Just So.
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tate and remus are so cute together, even with remus’s “get off my lawn!” face lol. thank goodness for persistent ponies, right? good luck with the new potential dressage place, i hope you like it on your visit!
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Everything sounds like it is getting in line. I adores your barn and the fact the horses can come into the stalls to cool off when they want. I get around having to do stalls by leaving ours out full time, but the barn is also hot AF so they are better off in the shade in the pasture. Gem and Pete hide in the shade and are smart horses. Cruze hangs in the sun and sweats, but I’m not as nice as you and figure he can deal with his life choices. HA!
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i do love my barn. The small things i would change is the front of the barn gets the afternoon sun in brute force so I have to shut the doors to keep it cool. The good is that the barn will get the afternoon sun in the winter when it is cool. But now. UGH. I do love they way the stalls open up (I wish there was an overhang over that though as that is going to be a mess come winter!) and let them walk in. Remus is a pig but he loves being in his stall…..I went out around 10 this am and sure enough he was in TATE’s stall eating TATE’s hay in front of TATE’s fan. Brat. Tate was out in the field by himself but I called for him and he came back up. Now Tate is locked in his own stall and Remus is in his with the door open to the paddock. I will let them back out in the grass later this afternoon. Poor Cruze wants to come to camp in TN 🙂
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Don’t tempt me. You may find a Cruze sized package outside your door.
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hahahaha my evil plans are coming true….:) HA
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Oh my goodness, they are so cute together! And get used to the pony size being hard to find. Same thing when trying to find certain things for Ellie (she is either cob or pony sized depending on the item). Such a pain! I am the same way about my barn, as I like to get everything all cleaned up in the mornings, too. And because my husband gets everything all messy in the afternoons with his cattle, I am usually sweeping and picking up in the evenings too haha. Better than cleaning the house!
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yes why the hate for tiny horses ? LOL and yes I may pick the stalls three or four times a day LOL just to keep it clean 🙂
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Awww! They love each other (even if Remus pretends like that’s not true)! Glad you’re finding your groove with the ponies at home. I agree, my favorite part of the day is when everything is cleaned up, put away, and the ponies are munching happily.
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They really do love each other. It cracks me up but i will be rolling my eyes when I try to haul Remus out somewhere hA!
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Their relationship is basically the cutest thing ever ❤ I wish my horses were more into mutual grooming! They're all grumps lol. Well, two of them are and that leaves poor social Griffin in the lurch. Sad panda.
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Aww that photo of Tate hovering is so cute! I just love him and want to smoosh him. And don’t worry about the electric fear… I got shocked once unplugging my hair dryer (um not as a child, as an adult…) and made someone else unplug it for me for the next TWO YEARS.
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T & R are adorable, even if Remus is a grump 🙂
I’m afraid of the electric fence too, even when I know it’s off. Not weird at all.
Your place looks soooo nice!
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All at 6 am. You are one dedicated lady and the horses look so happy. Is it starting to get darker earlier yet?
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