Spring??? Road Trip…..March 2, 2015

 

Spring??? It seemed so, when I walked Gracie this morning before going to the farm. I was cocky enough to take a picture of the road ahead. I had intended on texting it to my kids and bragging I was out walking on our first spring day. Got to the farm about an hour later and it was freezing! Wind had picked up, again!

As I was getting closer to the farm, I noticed horse poop….never a good sign. Got to the gate and it was closed. A very bad sign. Left my car outside the gate and walked in. Could hear hammering and there were many horses standing around the hay pile in the yard. Really bad sign! Found Marie and Mr. Farmer mending fences .They had already gone to town to pick up wood to replace broken fence rails. My plan changed to helping Marie, if I could, instead of feeding Kaz. She had already done a lot of it. Turns out not only the front herd broke out. Johnny Cash did, as well (the stud….probably looking for a date). Really bad! He had been caught by Marie and put back in his paddock. He had a halter on and was tied to the rail, while she fixed fences around him. He wasn’t very happy. Lots of ‘talking’ going on. Think of a 13 year old whining…kind of like that. At times like this I have a lot of trouble not laughing. I can’t help it. They are like a bunch of bad teenagers that get caught by the principal. The principal wasn’t amused. Not laughing…. I helped Marie finish up the fences and we filled up the empty water troughs. Marie had to then coax Snort back in behind the fence. Snort is a bit of a hard customer. He’s nervous and tends to jump/run, at things the rest of the horses don’t seem to notice. He is a rescue, as well.  The farmer that had asked Marie to take him called her one day and was threatening to take him behind the barn and shoot him, if she didn’t come and get him.  He has a habit of breaking fences and taking off.  First attempt at catching him he took off. Ran down to a gate that was closed. Marie stood at the end and waited for him to figure it out. He ran by her & headed for the main gate saw that that was closed and walked back and stopped. Marie did her ‘thing’ (horse whispering kind of ‘thing) He walked up to her and let her put the halter on him. She led him to the paddock with Ginger following. She then closed the gate behind them. Then she called Indiana. A beautiful Appaloosa who listens to the “come” command like a dog .  She’s high up in the internal ‘ranking’ of this herd.  High enough that the others follow her.  They did and then the gate was closed.

Smokey’s Mom

It was then time to leave for the outside trimming appointments Marie had. First one was a farm owned by a woman and man Marie has great respect for. This is the farm Marie purchased her herd of Morgan’s.  There was a horse that foundered a week or so ago and Marie made an emergency call, at that time.       Today she was continuing to work on this problem.  From what I understand from Marie and from what I’ve read, often, a horse founders , when their diet is high in carbs ( eg grain).  The article I read said weight is usually an issue.  I think other factor’s could be in play to cause foundering, however, this horse was bigger than she should be.  She was pretty big.  I assume along with Marie’s working on the horses feet; the owners will work on trimming down the horse middle!  That can’t be easy to do.  Again, this is my understanding.  I also got to meet Smokey’s Mom and Dad.  (picture of his mom is above)  She is gorgeous!  His Dad is, also, Annie’s Dad (there were more, but I can’t remember who now).  Annie has the same beautiful mane her dad has.  Long and curly.

pig drinking

Pigs coming to see me

At this farm they, also, raise pigs have sheep (one baby lamb) chickens and ducks.  I’ve put a shot of the pigs above.  They have a lot of space outside.  They have shelters similar to our wood shed, but lower and much deeper.  They were full of hay or wood chips.  When I went to see them a few of them popped out of the hay and came to check me out.  (see above) They are really friendly.  They were buried under the hay having a snooze.  They have access to water through a really cool water system (picture of one drinking above). It has a kind of lid that they raise with their nose and then can drink from it. Glenn and I will be checking out the prices for pork from these farmers.  No antibiotics and other junk we get , when buying from the grocery store.  The woman at this farm mentioned that they are the pork supplier for the Rideau Club in Ottawa.  I’ve eaten there.  The food is awesome.  This speaks volumes on what the quality of her meat must be.

 

Next place is run by one man.  His house is a mile or two from the barns where his sheep and donkey and 2 miniature horses live.  We went to his house first to check that he was home.  I waited in the truck for Marie.  A few minutes later out she comes with 2 cups of steaming tea!  He insisted we have tea on the way to the barns.  Better than Timmy’s!!  Marie worked on his horses and donkey and we chatted with the farmer. (see above – donkey’s bum and pony). He’s such an interesting man. We talked about the history of his family and some history of the farm.  His barn is similar to others in the area.  We talked about how the men that built them managed.  The logs are huge.  Heavy and long.  No cranes back then.  How’d they do it?

His herd of sheep is quite large.  Lots of babies running around.  So very cute.  One was stomped on by something (he said probably a horse) and his leg was damaged. (above) Marie said , when the babies are new they smell like blood.  This would get the horses going.  The farmer had taken a special interest in him.  He had him in the house trying to ‘doctor’ him back to health.

When Marie was finished he insisted we go back to the farmhouse for a snack.  He drove ahead of us.  We got there to a spread of cheese , crackers, fruit, cookies he had made himself and really good tea.  Such a sweet guy. We had quite the visit.  He clearly is fond of Marie, as are all of her customers.  All of her clients I’ve met so far are open to discuss their lives on the farm their history and the farms history and we are always asked in at the end for tea.  Such a nice way to do business.

 

Last day of February…Yay!!…spring was in the air (written for Feb28th)

Went to the farm this morning. Was late . About 10 a.m. Mrs. Farmer and Marie were away on business Young kids were away at friends houses. Only Mr. & Mrs. Farmers’ daughter “A” was at home with Mr. Farmer. They were busy putting out ‘fires’. There is a room off the kitchen that is used for storing boots, coats, etc that has a little sink. The pipes in this room have frozen a few times this winter. Last night it was 35 below, again, and I think this time the pipe or fittings split, as Mr. Farmer had removed everything from the cupboard beneath the sink and had repaired it. Along with this, the tractor’s tire was flat and needed to be removed and taken to town for repair. Try starting your day with all of this. Really shows what goes on all of the time on a farm. Another reminder on how real farmers live and work every day. Not all sunshine and birds singing while looking at the view, that’s for sure.

“A” had most of the morning chores done, already. She, like her siblings, have daily chores to do. Normally everyone pitches in , when Marie is away. “A” knows how to drive the tractor. When it’s working it is used to move hay to the horses. Then there is watering and feeding sheep, goats, 3 dogs and bunnies. I’ve , also, worked with “A” digging fence post holes. She’s a pretty remarkable kid.

As I normally do, I went to the back porch of the house where all the feed supplies are kept. I’d gone to the city on Friday to do some errands, shopping  going to the vet to pick up food for Gracie and get her nails trimmed. (more on that later). I offered to pick up more Beet Pulp for Marie. This, along with oats and mineral powder, is the mix Marie is using to treat Kaz. I lugged the 50 pound bag in. Measured out the pulp and went in to the house to add hot water to ‘cook’ it for 20 minutes. Because all the chores that could be done without the tractor were done I just hung around outside. Mr. Farmer was working on the tire problem. The tractor is stored outside. It’s now sitting on ice and snow. He explained to me that he normally tips the bucket down which then lifts the tractor and tires off the ground enough to remove a tire. Not so lucky, today. The ice and snow under the tractor meant the tires were slipping. He couldn’t get the bucket close enough. Next plan was to use a jack. A very small hydraulic jack is used to do this. (surprising that something so small can lift such a huge machine). This worked, finally. He removed the tire and threw it into Marie’s truck. (I tried to help lift it, but really? Gotta start lifting weights, if I’m going to hang out with these people!) He went to town to have it repaired. He was told it might not happen today (Saturday) and he’d have to wait till Monday. Nothing more could be done. I was then going to get Kaz’s food, but noticed there was one more horse in Kaz’s herd than there should be. I went to check this out and realized it was Dandy. He’s a young guy that is pretty shy and timid. I couldn’t figure out how he got out of the paddock he was in with the other young guys. Nothing was broken. He was being tortured a bit by Rocky and clearly wanted back in. Not knowing what to do I went to tell “A”. She came out. After we chased him around a bit, she decided we should open the gate to where he should be and I should stand guard. I was to keep Kaz’s herd from entering and the horses from Dandy’s group from getting out. She patiently went to him and after only a couple of attempts had him slowly following her and he very happily got back to where he was supposed to be. It was quite impressive. She has similar talent to Marie and her sister Kate. I then got back to feeding Kaz. From the time I arrived until now he was standing ready and waiting in the spot we normally go to for his special grub. Even the horses are patient at this farm! It was then lunchtime. When I plan to go for the day I bring lunch and go in to eat. I’m always made to feel welcome.

Rocky’s new owners were coming in the afternoon to have a lesson from Marie. I had asked to stay and watch. Marie suggested I stay and do ground-work with Kaz. Gotta say I was pretty thrilled. The ground-work we did included, putting a halter with a rope attached, on the horses. Then walking ahead of the horse. If there was more dragging going on then walking we were told to use the end of the rope to encourage more movement. Kaz was a little slow (actually, really slow) to start, but with a little encouragement; meaning the end of the rope hitting his behind so he would trot behind me. I believe Marie said, if they comply we should then slow down rub them and tell them “good work”. The next ‘game’ I thought was Longeing. After some thought and research I realize it was the ‘Circle Game’. The correct way to do this is to keep your feet still. I was walking in circles so Marie moved me to another area and made me stand on a hump in the ground and said ‘stay there’.  (I groaned under my breath)  So I stood there. Next step was to lift my left arm and point. At this point Kaz should start moving in a circle around me. I should stand still and let him move around me in a circle. He might have taken 4 steps. (!!) This doesn’t sound like a difficult task, but it was. Kaz and I don’t have a relationship. That’s the point of the games. Right now he thinks of me, as a ‘feed bag’. So practice is important and understanding each step and how to do them correctly is even more important. Marie has said, and now after I’ve thought about it for a while, I finally get it.  I’m not clear or consistent and I don’t mean it when I ask for something. I kind of stand there like, ” do you think you might want to do this for me ?” He either doesn’t take me seriously (like, no thank you. I’d rather sleep.)or doesn’t understand me. I not only have to appear to mean it…I have to mean it. My hope is to get videos that show all of the Parelli games. (depending on cost, etc) I think it would be very helpful to watch a video on this. I learn much faster visually. Also, I’m going to work on not getting frustrated with myself as it’s a waste of energy. It gets in the way of learning and I’m sure sends bad vibes to the horse . So no more of that.

Before we left we all pitched in and helped feed the herds that needed hay. Mrs. Farmer had already taken care of the watering of horses the sheep and goats. We filled Marie’s truck with hay and she somehow drove into the pastures without getting stuck. Horses were happy and so were the students. Another awesome and certainly not boring …day at the farm !! : – )

Road trip with Marie and Kate!

Pictures in order left to right.  Hitching post they made.  Goats next to rock foundation of old barn.  Goats!  Barn in distance.  Should have been closer!

Marie (sorry Marie always that end of you!) working on horse.  Last but not least a lovely little donkey.

Went to the farm this morning expecting to feed Kaz and then head home.  Brought Gracie with me.  When I got there the ‘kids’ were running around the yard.  Phoenix, Parade, Indiana…to name a few.   Broke a fence rail (somewhere) and went visiting.  Down the road to the neighbours ….that’s never a good thing.  Marie was in the yard directing traffic and Kate was there closing gates and helping to get them back where they were supposed to be.  Somehow Smokey who is normally with the guys that broke out was back with Kaz’s herd.  Poor Marie.  She’s really got a bad head cold and was really not amused.  They all finally complied and moved back to where they were supposed to be.  It was then decided that a gate to a paddock that hasn’t been used (full of deep fresh snow) would be removed and they could play in there, if they wanted.  It was like a bunch of kids.  Most of them came running in and one started rolling in the fresh snow.  Others running around checking out the new ‘digs’. They are quite funny.  Well they were to me, but I didn’t have to chase them around for who knows how long!!  Marie and Kate said they were going to a farm up in the hills and I could tag along , if I wanted.  Of course I said “yes”.  I asked if we could take my car, as Gracie was there and would probably be calmer, if she was in my car.  We packed up the stuff they needed and headed out.  Lots of interesting conversation about how Kate got in to the horse world.    Would love to hear more sometime.

The farm we were going to is at the top of a really long lane that is quite steep.  My car was like a snowmobile plowing up to the top.  On the farm is a beautiful old barn that sits on a rock foundation.  A farmhouse and garage.  Also, a root cellar.  This was, also, something my grandparents had.  A hole dug in the ground.  My grandfather would take ice off the lake in the winter and dump it in there with sawdust.  It would keep most of the summer.

The young couple that live there have mules, a couple of horses, a lovely brown donkey, goats, cows and Llamas.  Marie was trimming one of the horses and Kate was helping with a mule that hadn’t really been ‘caught’ before.  The young man has had some lessons from Kate and has done a lot of reading on how this should be done.  Walking up and grabbing the halter doesn’t work in case you’re wondering.  The idea is to work with the animal.  Let them know you aren’t going to hurt them and help them want to come to you.  From what I have seen this takes a lot of work and a lot of patience.  Body language is essentially how it is done.  The human is using body language that the horse understands.  It’s really fun to watch the horse begin to understand what the human is asking.  Kate had really positive things to say to the young man.  She felt he had a bit of an instinct on how to act and react.  He seemed so pleased to get praise from her.  He’s so interested and excited about his life and what he’s doing.  He kept running between Marie and Kate trying to soak up any information he could from either of them.  I learned from the young woman that they are living (mostly) like early settlers.  They have hydro , but only use it for lights and even that is limited.  She told me their hydro bill for the past month for their usage (not counting debt repayment, etc etc) was something like $14.00 .  Imagine!  After Kate and Marie were finished we were invited in for tea.  They gather herbs and plants and make their own.  Lovely stuff.

The house is very old.  The kitchen has an old wood stove similar to the one my grandmother had.  The room off the kitchen, which is where they sleep, has another type of wood stove.  This is the only heat source they have.  The difficulty is the house is very drafty and cold.  We all kept our coats, boots and hats on.  The young woman told us some mornings they get up and everything (liquids) are frozen!  They didn’t seem to have any electric appliances.  No running water.  A hand pump is near or in the house and I believe they said there’s another one near the barn for the livestock.  No bathroom!  The plan is to build an outhouse in the spring.  Yep….that’s right  they go outside.

Everything that they do is hard.  To heat or cook food they use the wood stove.  They plan to plow fields using the mules.  They, apparently, own a tractor but want to use the mules instead.  They have already started using the mules to haul logs from their bush to cut for firewood.  They hauled many cedar trees to use for fencing.  I did a bit of this with Marie and it’s very hard work.  Cutting the cedar.  Hauling it to where the fence is being built.  Stripping the bark off.  Digging the hole (and not spreading the dirt everywhere….another lesson from Marie).  This area has tons and tons of rocks.  It’s rare to dig a hole that big rocks don’t have to be pulled out of.  It looked to me like they started from scratch with fences and did a remarkable job considering they moved there in September.

This couple like Marie’s family and other people I’ve been introduced are inspiring.  Not inspiring in the way that would make me want to live like them, but a reminder that if you want anything bad enough..it can be done.

This city girl likes modern conveniences (heat, water – my water pick!)

Lots of fun and lots to think about.

Frrrreeeezing…..but we went on a road trip anyway!

Went to farm today to feed Kaz and (I thought) to help Marie with trims. Instead, when I arrived, she said her friend had called and asked if she would go with her to check out a horse she was thinking of buying. Her friend is considering one of Marie’s horses. Rocky. I love Rocky. He’s the one that crashed heads with me last week. He’s got lots of personality. Always hangs around, when people are around. So Marie asked , if I would like to join them on the ‘road trip’ to check this horse out. Of course, I said yes! The place where the horse lives was quite a piece from us. Up past Combermere. The ride there was fine. It was interesting listening to all the ‘horse talk’. Marie’s friend has had horses in the past and seems to know quite a bit about them. She has a list of must haves for her next horse. One is the horses size. I think she said 15.2 to 16 hands. This woman is tall. Probably 6 feet. She needs a horse that she feels comfortable on. It should be a larger one. We got a bit lost and then they pulled out the GPS and we were good to go. Found the place without too much more difficulty. The property had a house and a shelter for the horse on it. So not a farm. Nice view. We were pretty high up the mountain so you could see quite a distance. The horse had a nice area. A shelter and place for the hay to be stored. Lots of trees for shelter. He was munching on a large bale of hay, when we arrived. The young guy selling the horse said this horse was his wife’s. They didn’t have time anymore. 2 young kids and one on the way. He said he wanted his horse to have a good home. He was very pleasant and seemed to be a straight-shooter. Marie and her friend got in where the horse was and did a good once over of him. Marie saw that he seemed to be sensitive on his back. She’d touch him and his skin would ripple. It clearly was tender. I asked what might cause this. She said lots of times saddles are too small. This causes nerves to be pinched, etc. There was, also, something with the way he was standing. He was pushing his chest out. Marie said with some work (chiropractic work was one thing) he would probably be fine. Honestly, he just looked fine to me. Good thing my opinion didn’t matter! They put a halter on him and a rope. Marie did a few things with him to test his personality, before her friend got on him. She wanted to see things like was he shy or mean. She moved him around a bit. Then we were just standing talking and Marie stepped forward and tripped a bit in a hole on the road and the horse reared. That’s a bad sign! Marie then did some jumping. This scared him, at first , but then realized it was okay. Marie said he’s figuring out that if he just stands still , she stops jumping. So that was positive. Then Marie’s friend put the saddle on him. It was decided that he would have the lead on still and we would just run a bit with him so they could see how he handled. I ran with them so Marie could look at his gate, etc. There were a few issues. There was a bit of a rise on the road and the way he trotted up the road was strange. They said he wasn’t using his hind quarters enough. This was something that could be corrected with some training. Also, he had some attitude. He was pulling on her friend as she was ‘steering’ him. I kept thinking that Rocky would be a better bet. Marie knows his personality. He needs to be worked with more before he can be ridden, from what I understand, but he is a real solid guy. Also, Marie would be available to her friend, if she had questions or needs help. I believe that’s what will happen. Her friend will buy Rocky. I’ll miss him! It would be very good for her friend and, of course, Marie. We’ll see how it all unfolds. Then we went to another client of Marie’s. The Dad has a professional business on their property. A separate building that he works out of. They have a nice large home, as well. Apparently, there are 8 kids. Some of the older ones are away at school or moved out and living elsewhere. I think there were 4 or 5 still , at home. Really nice kids. Had a lovely chat with the 11 year old girl about what home-schooling is like. She was well spoken, intelligent and friendly. Her younger siblings were playing around in the barn while Marie trimmed their 2 horses. She had to wrestle with one a bit. It seems they hadn’t been fed, yet and were more interested in getting at their hay than behaving. She had to ‘tune’ one of them up a bit. This is always impressive to me. I think she’s trying to show the horse she’s in charge and that they have to behave. It’s not done in a cruel way, but Marie is firm and the horses usually get in line and behave. That was it for the day. It was so cold out we were happy to get in the warm car and head back home. On our way out there was a young guy who had driven a bit too fast and swerved off the road. The front end of the car was in the ditch. There was another young guy trying to help him. They were shovelling , etc. Marie asked if we could help. They were glad to have it. Couple of shoves and he was out. Girl Power! Love it…. Was another great day. I’m really glad I’m writing these adventures down. I’ll enjoy reading them in the future for sure.

Hanging out with the horses…

Another snowy day in Golden Lake!  Walked Gracie this morning in the snow, again!  Wasn’t cold though.  Should be grateful for that. Marie invited me to join her and a couple of her friends this afternoon to hang out with the horses.  Her friends are considering buying one of her horses.  (lucky friend!)  I went a bit early to feed Kaz.  He came running to get his grain. Probably because Rocky was right behind him and he wanted to get their first.   Rocky and Tina came and stood by, as Kaz was eating.  This time I remembered what Marie said about distance.  I stood firm had a carrot stick with me and kept them back.   Tina was fine.  Patient.  Rocky on the other hand was so funny.  He was stamping his foot and swing his head and tail.  Kind of like a horse temper-tantrum.  Didn’t get him anywhere though.  When Kaz was done we gave Tina the leftovers.  Tina wasn’t letting him get near the grain. Now that girl has attitude, when it’s needed.  He trotted off to the herd eating hay.  There were 2 more crabby ‘girls’ there and they wouldn’t let him near so the tantrum continued.  He was really animated today.  So funny. Then we hung out with the ‘babies’ and then the front herd.  It was snowing and blowing, but it didn’t matter.  So much fun.  Marie’s friend is someone that has been around horses and had stories and understands their body signals, etc.  Was interesting listening to their conversations.  Then we were invited in for a tea.  Was so pleasant and very fun.  The pictures I’ve added are in order – “Doc” (not sure who is standing next to him.  Then Marie on a hay bale being smelt/snuggled by “Snort” and, finally, “Smokey” .  Aren’t they lovely?

Road trip!

Marie emailed me, last night, asking if I’d like to go on a ‘ride-along’ with her.  Meaning I hang out with her , while she goes to various farms to trim hooves. I love this.  I get to see how other horse farms feed and water their horses.  If their horses have barns to go in to or, if they are living a more ‘natural’ existence, like Marie’s horses.  So far,  the owners of the horses have, always, been there when we arrive.  I get to talk with the owners and find out how they got in to having horses.  What their stories are.  So far everyone has been generous and shared their stories.

I arrived early , at the farm. Marie had mentioned she needed to leave by 9:30.   It takes 15-20 minutes for the beets to soak in the hot water, then another approximately 15 minutes for Kaz to eat it.  He’s not very fast!  Marie wasn’t at the farm,  when I arrived she was house sitting at a place not far from the farm.  I started without her.  Fed Johnny and got him some water.  While I was doing this Marie arrived and started filling the water troughs.  We then checked on the little lamby and the sheep and goats.  Let them out of the barn in to the sun.  The little lamb is growing!  He seems to have long hair on his legs now and a wholly coat on his body.  He was curious. Smelling the hay Marie spread for them.   He’s pretty cute!  Lacy was there, as usual.   She stays in the same spot.  Mr. & Mrs. Farmer and Marie indulge me and allow me to bring their dogs ‘treats’.  It’s only kibble Gracie eats.  But the farm dogs like it.  I pour a bunch in front of Lacy to eat it.  She barely wants to eat it , as it’s interfering with her watching the sheep.  She seems more intense now, since the lamb arrived.

Then got Kaz his meal and went to feed him.  Today Rocky &  Tina were with him. Jockeying in trying to get past me to get to the grain.  Marie came in and stood with me.  I was glad.  They seemed particularly eager today!  It’s always good, when she comes.  I always learn something.  Today’s lesson (I’m going to  call it lesson number 2, but in reality pre-blogging there were probably 50!) I regress…Today’s lesson…We were standing behind Kaz, which is normal procedure for me.  My job is to not let the horses pass me.  Marie has me keep a carrot stick (like a riding crop, but much longer) for extra ‘power’.  Rocky was facing me and Tina facing Marie.  Tina was being a bit ‘rude’, as Marie says. Being pushy.  Trying to get to the grain.  Marie kept correcting her and she’d back up.  Rocky was doing the same with me, but I am not consistent with correcting them.  I was letting him come in too close.  He appears to be smelling me, but is probably just pretending to be to move in closer (again to walk over me and get at the grain).  Marie was explaining to me about barriers.  I have a bubble around me and shouldn’t let the horse enter it.  They have been taught this , but try to go through it anyway (kind of like a bad kid!)

As she was explaining this to me (& again, my fault I was letting him in to close) he pushed even further and she corrected him and it startled him and he swung his head sideways and we ‘connected’.  I was a bit stunned.  (I’m laughing, honestly, when I write this).  Marie grabbed me…”are you alright…etc etc”…..again, like the time I fell down in front of her while ‘helping’….only my pride was hurt.  I have a good hard head.  Well!  Rocky moved back about 5 feet and just stood there with a funny look on his face.  Kind of “crap….now I’m in trouble”.  After that everyone behaved.  Me included.  I’ve thought a lot about this today.  It’s frustrating.  I understand, exactly, what she means.  It’s similar to training dogs, kids…anything.  Have to be clear with the “no” message and be consistent.  Also, these are not my animals.  I don’t want to screw up in what I’m doing with them.  Mess them up somehow with what they’ve been taught.  It’s complicated.  Good thing Marie is patient and so are her horses.

We then hit the road to go to 2 farms.  First one was a place very similar to Marie and Mr. & Mrs. Farmer’s place.  The horses live on (I think she said) 10 acres.  Looked like mostly bush with lots of paths running through it.  There are a number of ‘feeding stations’ they have access to.  Instead of the hay on the ground the hay is in bags hung on trees.  The outside of the bags is kind of a wide mesh the horses pick at with their mouths.  This is very different from Marie’s farm.  There the hay is placed on the ground and the horses ‘paw’ through it, which is how they would act in the wild.  The hay, I guess, lasts longer in the bags.  Some of the hay is always lost on the ground. The horses walk on it , etc and it gets ground in to the ground.  In the summer only what they will eat at each meal is given to them to avoid wasting hay.  In the winter with the frozen ground they can be given a few days worth.  The ground is frozen , therefore, it lasts longer.  Marie trimmed hooves on 2 horses at this farm.  She had a bit of a struggle with these 2.  Moving , pushing pulling.  It’s something.  Like she’s wrestling.  Wrestling something very big!

The next farm was right next door.  The people on the first farm, we were at, rent land from the next farm we went to.  That farmer has 200 acres.  Several very nice barns.  The one we were in is specially equipped for his horses.  He built it himself.  It was really something.  At this farm Marie trimmed a donkey (Jack) and 2 ponies.  Lovely little black ponies that are used to pull a cart.  These animals were so well behaved.  The farmer stood square in front of them holding their bridles.  If they even twitched they were told to smarten up.  They listened!  Much easier on Marie.

In the yard were 2 huge (I think) Belgium’s.  Beautiful animals.  Huge, huge horses. I’ve attached a picture of them, but it’s impossible to see how huge they are.  Also, attached a picture of Jack.  Gotta say.  I love donkey’s.  The farmer here was so very interesting.  He’s done lots of interesting things.  Now his main job is buying and selling horses.  He seems to love it.  Was quite animated, while telling us his stories.  Was such a great day even if I froze my feet.  Marie appeared to be just fine.  She’s a lot tougher than the volunteer from the city.  Thanks Marie!!

Going to Ottawa for a few days to visit family and see friends….

 

My Adventures With Marie – without Marie! day 3….last one…good thing!

Woke up really early – 5ish.  Could hear the wind howling.  Weather network before I went to bed said minus 39 c. for the night.   Kept thinking about the farm and the animals.   Walked Gracie very short walk this morning.  It was so cold!  Left early for the farm.  Last day for Mrs. Farmer without Marie and Mr. Farmer.  Was glad for her!  As I got close to the farm I could see the front herd in the field.  Unbelievably (to me) I could see 2 of the horses…well…horseing around!  Playing running.  You’d think it was April.  All the horses looked very comfortable.  Soaking up the sun.  I’ve really got to learn to stop thinking their freezing.  They aren’t!

Drove in the yard to see Mrs. Farmer’s young daughter, already, doing her chores. Her job is to care for the goats and sheep and now the little lamby. She was taking water from the heated trough closest to the house.  Filling a small container.  I was wondering what was up?  Normally, she gets the water from the house.     I parked the car and followed her to the barn where the goats and sheep are kept.  She had already fed them and was now bringing them warm water to drink. She explained, as we walked that the water in the house was ‘frozen’.  The house is century old charming farm house and has a real ‘cellar’.  A hole dug under the house that the hot water tank (I think) and pump are.   I believe it was the pump that was frozen.  A heater is , normally, kept going in front of it to keep the water flowing.  The new (bought just a couple of months ago) heater had conked out and now the water was frozen in the pipes (you should know that this is my description of what happened and I could absolutely not be explaining this accurately)  The bottom line was – no water.   It’s tough to not have water.  Toilets don’t work.  Can’t make tea!  Forget the dishes and washing clothes.  Mrs. Farmer had put a new heater downstairs and we hoped that all would be well soon.  (I have to mention how no one was terribly stressed, no yelling nothing…patience was all I could see.  Amazing.  I would have ‘lost it’ (which helps no one)  So we continued with the chores that had to be done.  I had to feed Kaz.  The water-troughs had plenty of water from the night before.  Mrs. Farmer was on top of everything.

When we were in the little barn Mrs. Farmer’s daughter said that she wished she had something to cover the window with.  (there is a window but part of it is broken).  She said if she had something like plastic.  (mentioned using her Mom’s table cloth !! : – ) She wanted the sun to still come through the window and the animals to see out.  I mentioned that I might have something, at home, that would work.  Then the goats broke out and the sheep followed.  We wrestled them back in.  (literally!)  Everyone was in but one big guy.  I was holding the door ajar and Mrs. Farmer’s daughter was behind the sheep pushing him towards the door.  He ended up going through my legs and I kind of rode him in to the barn (I’m embellishing a bit…but I almost rode him in.)

I then fed Kaz and headed home.  While, at home, I mentioned to Glenn what happened and how Mrs. Farmer’s daughter said she wished she had plastic for the window.  He dug around in our basement and found some.  I called Mrs. Farmer to ask if it would be alright to tell her daughter and if she liked we could cover the window.  Always gracious (I really hope I wasn’t crossing a line) she said of course.  Spoke to her daughter and the rest is history.  2 girls and I went to work and now it’s covered.    Will explain the story to Marie, when I see her next.  If there’s a reason it shouldn’t be there (air circulation??) I’ll , of course, remove it.

I’d like to mention..Marie is always explaining how she learns ‘things’ from her horses.  I learn from the people in the house!

Going to the city tomorrow.  Back for Tuesday and then off , again, from Wednesday till Friday.  Will miss husband and the farm!  Good to go and visit with my family.  I miss them too!

My adventures with Marie – without Marie! day 2 – written for February 14, 2015

Today arrived at the farm early.  Had to go to Pembroke and friends coming this afternoon.  So I felt rushed.  Arrived to find Mrs. Farmer ready and raring to go!  (remember Marie and Mr. Farmer are away leaving Mrs. Farmer in charge).  She had piles of wood in the house ready to be used.  Horse water-troughs were still half filled fro the night before, when she watered.  All horses happy and not paying attention to the volunteer from the city.  (when they are hungry and they see someone that feeds them, they let you know they are hungry!  Lots of neighing, etc)  Went in to the house and got hot water on the beets that have to soak for 15-20 minutes.  Went to check on the lamb, again. Brought the sheep/goats hot water.  They all had a nice warm drink.  Sure they appreciated it. So very cold out.

Mrs. Farmer offered to feed Kaz, as I had a lot to do, but I just can’t give it up! : – ). So, I fed Kaz, as usual.  He wasn’t his normal self though.  Max (miniature horse) was standing close by and got closer than Kaz liked and Kaz put his ears back and stomped a bit.  This is something for Kaz.  He, usually, backs off and moves away, when another horse moves in on him., but not this time!  Might be because Max is little, but I choose to think that the extra food, etc that Marie is providing is improving his health.   He was also de-wormed last Monday (??)  Makes sense if he’s feeling more normal he would now act more normal.  Still piles of hay that was given to them Friday.  They are covered for a few days.  Had a lot of fun.  Mrs. Farmer is cheerful and always has a funny story about something.  Kids, horses..etc.  I feel very lucky to be a part of all of this.

Weather network says it will be minus 36 here tonight.  Wind to be 20km an hour.  I’ll be so glad to see the end of February.  Hard on the livestock.  Hard on a lot of people around here.  Most people use wood , as the main source of heat.  Most homes are older and probably in need of insulation, etc.  It’s tough on them. Mrs. Farmer said, today, she’s in ‘survival mode’…while everyone is away.  We both laughed, but it’s true.  She is.

My adventures with marie – without Marie! written for Feb 13/15

 

 

Marie is away for the weekend at a retreat.  In her ‘spare time’…yes, I am rolling my eyes…she volunteers.  This weekend is spent, as I understand it, at a school in Pembroke.  Kids from her church and other adults all meet up , at a school there.  They play sports and do other fun stuff.  They all sleep over-night at the school.  A weekend ‘away’ for all of them.  What does this mean for the farm??  Well…there’s Mrs. Farmer her little girls…and me.  Mr. Farmer goes to the city on weekends to work.  Mrs. Farmer will be in charge.  I will go in the morning to feed lovely Kaz and help with anything else Mrs. Farmer needs help with (watering /feeding other horses /goats/sheep).

Arrived early.  Anxious to see if the new little lamb was okay.  He survived!  Last night it was around minus 40 with the wind.  Picture above was taken this morning.  Mr. and Mrs. Farmer have a lovely little barn that the sheep and goats have access to.  There’s about a foot of hay on the floor.  Lots of insulation and their body heat helps keep them warm.    Oh, and there are bunnies in there to.  There’s a sleeping bag over their cage.  (Mrs. Farmer is a bit of a softy, too!)  I fed the sheep and goats and gave them some grain (copied what Marie did, yesterday).  Put hot water from the house in their drinking bucket. (horses get warm hot water too.  They have heaters in the big troughs.)  Petted little lamby.  He suckled my finger.  He is such a darling.

The second picture is of Lacey (sp?)  Isn’t she awesome?  She is so focused.  She was shivering, it was so cold.  She refuses to leave her post.  Normal border-collie mentality.  It’s really something to see.  She’s in her element.  A very lucky dog.

I then fed Kaz his special meal.  All the horses had piles and piles of hay to eat (and they sleep on it).  Mrs. Farmer was making sure everything was in order.  Horses water , fed, etc.  Mr. Farmer was cutting wood so there would be a supply for the weekend.  Mrs. Farmer and I replaced a broken board on Cash’s enclosure.  Mrs. Farmer can hit a nail wayyy better than the volunteer from the city.  So, hopefully, all will be well at the farm tonight.  Always seems to be horses breaking out and acting up, while Marie is away.  Fingers crossed…

and life goes on….

Sent Marie a text this morning.  She had asked me, if I was around could I come to the farm Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning to feed Kaz.   I sent her a text double checking if she was there today to feed him or if I should come.  She texted back saying she was there and could do it, however, they had a baby lamb last night and if I wanted to see it….well  of course you know what I did.

This blog was started so I would remember my experiences, at the farm. I should put a disclaimer…the experiences, as I remember them! Youngest son read the first blog and said “you can really tell you have ADD, Mom”…so I’ll work on that. Nice that youngest son is curious enough to look at the blog.