Some weeks are just like this. No weird animal showing up. No major catastrophes. Nada. Nothing, Zilch! BORING for posts I know. So here is a mishmash of what is going on here before my in-laws arrive on Saturday and turn our world and life upside down.
Shoofly Leggins
Remus got himself a set of these fly boots everyone (Ok Liz for one) has been talking about. The flies have been so horrendous on his legs (his fly sheets help the horseflies but the little black flies even in the stalls annoy him). So I bit the bullet and bought a set for Remus. IF they work for Remus I will get a set for Tate but I wanted to see the sizing first and Tate is more stoic that Remus with the flies (except for the big black horse flies those he is not stoic with, if he could he would jump in my arms, big baby). I know we should be winding down in the next couple months on flies a bit but I seem to have spent a fortune on fly spray, fly sheets, fly masks, and now these. Sigh. I was going to try them out this morning to get blog fodder but we had a huge storm and it is so muddy and gross out there, nah I want them to stay a bit clean at first HA! Will let everyone know how Remus reacts! This should be good.
Stormy Weather
Speaking of storms, we had a humdinger roll in last night. Mark wasn’t home yet and I went out about 430 to feed the horses and decided to lock them in the stalls early just in case. WOW I am glad I did. The first crack of lightning struck to the left of our property and I screamed like a little girl and the house actually shook. The sky opened up and it rumbled back and forth and struck a few more times….then the poor UPS guy shows up and had all these boxes (fence stuff) for me so I went to tell him to put it on front porch under the overhang and it struck again HARD to the right of the property and he and I almost jumped into each others arms we were so frightened. I wouldn’t let him go back to his truck and made him stand there for about five minutes till that round kind of finished and then he ran off to jump in his truck and head home I hope. DANG that is some serious lightning.
It kind of finished up around 8 more or less and I hemmed and hawed about turning the horses out but ended up leaving them up all night. UGH stalls were horrible this am. WHICH Leads me to……my aha of the summer. Read on….
Turnout All Night Long (Lionel Richie moment for you ha)!
The other night I left the boys out in their paddock and left their stalls open. WELL to back up further one night I had locked them up in their stalls and somehow hadn’t latched Tate’s correctly so came out in morning and Tate was out in the paddock and Remus was in. So the next night I left them both out so they could go in and out. AND VIOLA stall issue is solved. I went from 2 wheelbarrows in the morning to half a wheelbarrow (The damn horses still use their stalls for a pee break…grhhh but they are pooping outside mostly!). WIN WIN.
I even left the field gate open the last few nights before the storm except for the night the coyotes were way too close to our fields (I usually hear them but this time I heard one in the woods besides where we park our vehicles). I didn’t really think the coyotes would bother them but I didn’t want them spooking thru the electric fence (Remus and Tate, I could give a shit about the coyotes LOL).
SO this has worked great. It will help with when I go away again since the stalls are so much better doing this. Doesn’t help the daytime because since it is so hot and flies are so bad Remus stays in his stall (or Tate’s) most of the day. Man he is a pig. But overall using less bedding and less man hours. YAY.
I Can See Clearly Now
The nicest thing about my home office is that Mark got most of the brush and bramble cleared away outside and this is my view now. Love seeing the horses going out to the field and back to the barn. So peaceful. It is cooler today thanks to the storm and overcast so Remus doesn’t even have his fly sheet on yet.
But I do love seeing the horses outside my window. So thanks Mark for continuing to clean this crap up around the house. Not a bad work environment is it?
British Invasion (No Not the Beatles)
So the British (in-laws!) are coming in on Saturday night (they have a long day of traveling from England to Chicago then to Memphis so they get in late). Mark and I have fencing to run further out so Remus and Tate have more grass (if we can get this done before they arrive that would be great).
And our life as we know it is pretty much tied up for the next three weeks with the British. I will post when I can (and when I have something to share)! Think about us! 🙂
Fat Buckskin in a Little Suit 
If you need a break from the in-laws, I can find more stuff for you to proof read… I mean, I still have 8 days until the dossier is due… I can find plenty more for you to read and proof… Let me know how you like the boot. I was thinking about them, but… I’m sick of spending money.
Where are you ordering fence stuff? I’m debating going primarily electric when we fence in the woods and using t-posts and wire. The big boys are so terrified of electric that I don’t think they’ll get hurt if it’s hot and if I use some wood interspersed, I should be OK. It just needs to COOL DOWN.
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ha ha ha I can always proofread more if you need me 🙂 I will let you know about the fly boots how they work. UGH. The best price we have gotten online for the fence has been stateline. We bought our charger from Tractor Supply and the first round of fencing and it was reasonable but I got the poles and tape much cheaper online. Now Mark is an expert at it. I want to fence in the whole field in the future but right now we are just doing bits and pieces of it to get them more grass. NEITHER of them need to be on 7 acres of grass LOL HA…..I was so worried about the electric fence but they seem to be very cautious around it.
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I’ll compare them to FarmTek when I’m ready to order stuff and TS. We’ll see who ends up cheapest. Jiminy needs electric… Idiot pony. I probably will end up buying a second charger unfortunately, but I think I’ll just be easier though I may be able to hook everything into our current one… The only one NOT cautious around electric is Jiminy… he knows how close he can get and how much he can push. Stupid pony.
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Oh my. Sounds quite busy haha. I am going to have a full house for Thanksgiving, so I definitely feel you on that one.
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Sounds like it’ll be a bit crazy with the in-laws coming but good luck! We have a room that looks directly out to the barn, and when I’m over I like to sit in there and read with Choco on my lap and occasionally look out and see Whisper and Amber wandering around. Isn’t having your own place lovely? It is work, but personally, I kind of prefer it ❤ Good luck again with the in-laws!
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You will love the fly boots! Stampede still is a fruitcake when I first put the back ones on (you know, several times a week) but they work so well. I found them cheapest from Jeffers with a 10% off code (you get one if you sign up for emails ;)).
So I actually don’t complain too much about picking up poop in my aisle (okay I do because the gravel sticks to the poop and I hate throwing away gravel) and stalls because I also pick my pastures. I might be a crazy person for doing it but I feel like it would build up and it attracts flies. I’d rather pick it up in the barn out of the sun than out in the pasture, lol.
I wish I could work from home all the time and watch the ponies out my window! Definitely jealous that my husband has the view all day, especially when he doesn’t appreciate it as much.
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i am insane about picking up in the paddock and the barn. Like i do the stalls 3-5 times a day (HA I know I am crazy). But I hate how it does build mess and attract flies UGH. POOP. HA
and I am looking forward to trying them on Remus. He has about ten inches of mud on him right now. SMH. WIth a flysheet on no less. OH Remus 🙂
Thanks for the pointers for Jeffers. i will get them for Tate from there (Tho I might die putting them on Tate he hates the sound of velcro #weeniepony)
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I wish I was even home enough to pick stalls several times a day! If I had time I would pick the stalls and pastures every day and be so happy, lol. I just want to be a stay at home horse and dog mom. I told my husband I’d even clean the house (we pay someone) and make him dinner (we make it together or he does on his own). A girl can dream.
Oh yes, the boys love the mud plus fly sheet as well and then I’m always trying to decide if I should hose or brush off the sheet. The other day I’m pretty sure Stampede couldn’t even see out of his fly mask.
At least the Velcro noise is just removing them. Don’t let go of the boot, lol.
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I am lucky to work from home and instead of taking smoke or coffee breaks I take poop breaks and give horses more water or hay breaks or fix Remus damn fly sheet from being askew. HA Remus would be so affronted if i sprayed it off with it still on him HA! I think your hubby SHOULD TOTALLY LET YOU STAY HOME 🙂 HA
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Awesome that leaving the horses out more has helped keep the cleaning more manageable!! Have fun with those saucy Brits 😉
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So nice to work with ponies outside your window! I just got those fly boots too, but I haven’t used them yet either. My horses wear front boots outside, and the flies aren’t too bad in the barn this year (yet) so I haven’t bothered. I’ve heard only good things though!
Hope the in-law visit isn’t too stressful!
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SO jealous you can see your boys while your work, that is amazing! So NOT jealous of having to pick stalls though! Sounds like you are figuring out a good routine, which is awesome. Have so much fun with the in-laws, I can’t wait to hear how it goes!!
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