Wow, I have my house back to myself today! We (Dad and me) ended up leaving on Friday to meet my sister with my dad before that mother effer of a storm hit. Good thing we did, my sister had to drive either through the VA mountains OR the NC mountains and she did it on Friday and Saturday rather than Sunday which would have been a mess. So Dad and I packed up on Friday (I would have an easier time harnessing a bunch of bees but I digress…let’s just say it was slow going getting him packed!). Love him dearly but glad to have my house back and my life (kind of) back. Whew.
The ride on Friday was not too bad though every tractor trailer in the world was out there I swear. Never dull on I40. But we stopped outside Knoxville on Friday and my sister made great time and made it to Roanoke that night even though she had to work and got stuck in Hampton Roads traffic ( a whole other nightmare). So we were meeting at Bristol Saturday morning (Then they would head north and I would head back south).
The next morning we stopped for breakfast in Bristol and before long my sister pulled up came and grabbed breakfast then they were off and so was I! And then my weather changed. I had pouring rain, sleet, snow (in the mountains), you name it depending where I was on my 7 hour ride back to Millington. They didn’t hit much weather so they were lucky. Me not so much. I finally turned off in Brownsville and went back roads back home I was so tired of all the mist and rain and crap (including ICE) coming off the trucks zooming by me.
It was great to get home but home has been FREEZING lately. Like seriously? I am pretty irritated by the nonstop rain then mud then freeze we have been getting. The only good thing about a freeze is that I can walk without losing my shoes in the mud. Saturday night we got sleet/freezing rain and I woke up yesterday to a frozen treescape. Not only that but it still did it all day long.
So I left Tate in. He had his blanket on from Friday onward but he slept in pee while I was gone so his outside of his blanket was disgusting so I took it off. I didn’t want to let him out in that mess without one so he stayed indoors. Remus went out once and stood in the freezing rain for like five minutes then came back in and I don’t think he went out once yesterday even though he could. Brghh.
Remus and Tate have been keeping me busy with the stalls since I got back. They are so gross. I have cleaned 2 out of 3 done and refreshed but they will be disgusting again soon. It is the circle of life I think horses and stalls wise. LOL
Speaking of which Mark had to take care of them Friday and Saturday. My way to make sure they got the right hay? I piled it in piles. Anyone else do this? I need more haynets then I can make up haynets instead( I have started using haynets even in the stalls due to the mess and waste they do). I am pondering getting at least one Porta Grazer thinking it might help. The things we spend on our horses…smh. Anyone else besides Stampy have one or similar?
My light outside my barn (motion light) has been acting up but I finally realized I think it might have ice over it. It was working yesterday early evening then when I went out for night check it wasn’t. I think that might be it. It is supposed to warm up later this week (oh and rain again, yay I missed you rain not, it rained all day Saturday while I was driving thru the elements on the way home). Hopefully the barn light starts working again. I miss it when it is dark as shit at 5 pm. 🙂
Also my dad and sister got home and realized a branch had fallen through dad’s skylight in his bedroom. He has someone coming to look at it later today but he has been in a foul mood since he got home. I really need to just hibernate for a while and stop dealing with stress. I feel like my heart is racing every time the phone dings/texts/or rings. So how was everyone else’s weekend? Anyone else on the road for a total of 15-16 hours this weekend? No just me?? LOL
Fat Buckskin in a Little Suit 
Wow, you’ve had a lot going on! Hopefully things will calm down now (and that dang rain will stop!).
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Winter travel is the WORST! I’ll keep you posted on the porta grazer!!!
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Blah. Jupiter must be in retrograde or something. Here’s hoping everything improves soon!
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You are just getting the shit end of the stick with weather aren’t you? Would be so much easier if mother nature made up her mind !
We went to a distillery on the weekend for a tour and tasting….it was amazing.
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We got a porta grazer for Eugene because he paws hay nets (no matter how high up they are) and has gotten his foot stuck in them too many times now. If we feed the hay on the ground he tramples it into bedding. The porta grazer works great, but if you’re horses will tolerate hay nets, I’d stick to them for the savings. The cost of the porta grazers is just nuts.
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they do tolerate them but i would like maybe one portagrazer to have for fatso Remus. A) To slow him down some and B) he likes to pull the hay out of the haynet he doesnt like and dump it in the middle of his stall. #whydoIkeephim ha ha ha
Eugene such a special snowflake. They are very high priced for sure!!
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I don’t think the porta grazer offers any slowing down at all. He goes through his food just like normal.
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good to know thank you!
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I use the nibble nets. They have one called Nibbblenet Plenty for the outside pen it holds a whole 2 sting hay bale which allows me to fill it every couple of days. I wish this allowed me to post a photo of the set up. It worked great for two horses. One eating on either side at the same time.
For in the stalls I use the nibblenet slow and slower. This allows the hay to stay off the ground so it is not wasted and makes it so that the hay will last all day long!
A friend of mine used the porta grazer for her horse. She really like it but the pan with the holes that inserted into the outside canister did not hold up well and porta grazer response was your horse is an aggressive eater. Which the horse is not; if it to hard to get at the hay this horse gives up and sulks till someone helps him.
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wow great feedback to hear. And I remember nibble nets will take a look (I forgot about them). I like the idea of a full bale but Remus would make his angry eyes at Tate and eat the whole bale. the bale could be six foot long and he would still just glare at Tate and enjoy it on his own. BAD BUCKSKIN HA HA
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My older horse (chestnut gelding) is the same way give my other horse then evil eye and pins his ears (which a total bluff because he barley can move so he is not able to follow those threats up with any action) but my mare believes him and moves out of his way. Even with all that both horses are able to eat out of it at once. One is on the front side (for lack of a better term) then second horse is on the backside. The really do not have eye contact with each other so the mare is able to get her fair share!
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Ugh. What a weekend! I’m glad you’re home safe, and that the weather calms itself down. It’s miserable everywhere!
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This weather is insane!! Ice and rain and mud is now everywhere. We got another 2” this weekend and next weekend looks like over another inch again. I’m going to invent scuba horse competitions. Yuck yuck yuck
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Haha I know Hampton Roads traffic! Lots of family over that way. Glad they made it out before the snow though – that would have been way worse!
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I love the smartpak rectangular hay nets – they are made out of tough nylon and they have an opening that stays open when you stuff it – no string! You can hang them with a double ended snap – so i just put some screw eyes in the stalls to hang – and you could easily put a few on fence posts (or use a little loop of chain). They make 4-flake and 2-flake options. In my last barn I used them in the stalls and the trailer, and they really cut down on waste (they have really small holes) – not cheap, but they last…even withstood giant baby TB pulling it off the wall and using it as a pillow…I’ve had mine 3+ years. When smartpak has sales they are usually 20% off…but i think i have a friend selling 4 if you’re interested!
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email me re the haynets H, thanks!! I think you have my email but know you have my cell #! 🙂
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i got the horze slow feeder hay net (white rectangular net) and it is AWESOME. easy to fill. it’s held up really well, mine is 4 months old and it doesn’t have so much as a thread out of place. and spicy is ROUGH on his haynets. violent. I can’t believe he hasn’t destroyed it. The value on this thing is amazing. when I have my own barn I will absolutely have these in every stall.
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good to know! Thanks! (I imagine Spicy is like Remus with haynets, I am amazed the ones I have are still in one piece)!
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I love the shires small hole nets with the metal rings at the bottom. I have 6 right now and when I feed from small bales, use them exclusively. I can fit about 15lbs of hay in them (or, if I struggle, 20lbs), but 10lbs is really easy. I just try and do 13lbs so I only need to put out 2 per feeding.
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I have the round bale sized nag bag slow feeder for my two. Of course, I feed rounds so it’s easy that way. But I’ve heard the smaller nets are super too.
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The Porta Grazer sure sounds like a smart idea but I think my mare would take her first given opportunity to trample it to death. Rain and ice? Sounds awful. Our backyard is still muddy from the rain this weekend and I don’t even want to think about the condition of Mae’s blanket
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I can see Remus getting mean with it too. Remus has two blankets that can stand up on their own they are so mud-encrusted….
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I got her blanket professionally cleaned two years ago for some reason. That was a waste of money
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we finally got a bit of snow to cover the frozen mud. Ahh winter with horses lol
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Oh man Michelle I FEEL FOR YOU! Like Ouch, that weather sounds terrible. Mud, freeze, mud?!? UGH! Hopefully it gets better asap!
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