Sunny Sunday

We had a fabulously sunny day yesterday........temperatures in the 60's.....what a treat for us and the horses! We got a lot done too. Ryan installed a 50 gallon water heater in the barn, so now we can bathe horses! The cement man will come this week and pour our concrete slab, so that we have a wash rack and we will put a roof on it....that way we can use it for a shoeing/vet stand in inclement weather. Ryan had to work really hard all day..........he had to change some electrical connections and install a new electrical box.......thanks Ryan for the hard work!

Kim and I put up a couple of top rails on some stretches of fence, Carerra cleaned paddocks.........Betsy groomed horses (and she didn't get the easy ones either!) Betsy is new to Pony Up and brings a lot of horse experience with her.....welcome!

We got rid of most of our BIG manure pile yesterday thanks to many local gardeners.........they kept us busy all day loading trailers and pickups. It really is nice stuff........the compost at the bottom is very fine soil and absolutely chock full of big red earthworms. The chickens love scratch at the pile for bugs and worms.

All the horses had blankets off and took the opportunity to take dirt naps. Ollie stood over Max while he napped and then Max got up, they played some gelding games (I am the King Stud Horse) and then Ollie napped while Max stood over him. It is cute to watch.

The crabby old bat mare is now officially named Mercy. We groomed her........three (Kim, Betsy and me) of us did. The only part she enjoyed was the neck grooming........otherwise she remained THE VERY CRABBY OLD BAT. I may try some Mare Magic on her or I may call a Voodoo spell caster or we may need a horse whisperer.......I don't know yet....like I have said.... MARES = DRAMA. I do like Mare Magic though.....I actually used it on Winston when he had a case of nerves (when I first bought him)

Breeze is enjoying her new paddock and she has a patch of mud with surrounding grass which she enjoyed yesterday.

We have had Beaver on a diet and we have been wondering why he hasn't really shed any pounds........well, now we know. We watched as Beaver climbed up on top of a railroad tie (which is a base to a wall in his loafing shed, which attaches to the next loafing shed).........and then he reached over the wall divider and helped himself to the "good" hay found in the hay rack.........the kind of hay he is not supposed to be eating. Hmmm. ...back to his circus pony tricks. He is a smart little criminal. He is the biggest reason for our no climb fencing and the top rails and for installing plywood panels on gates.

Suggested reading for this week (if you have the time or can make the time).......

"The Soul of the Horse" by Joe Camp. The book was given to me yesterday by Betsy (thank you)...and I read it last night. Last night? ....... yes, last night. It is a short little book......all of 225 pages and I am a voracious reader, as in once I get started, if the book holds interest, I cannot put it down.......so there you have it. Anyway, it is a great book and I give it a thumbs up. I got some great ideas for Mercy.

I am going to the barn to feed and clean the inmates stalls, listen to any complaints, take their blankets off for the day, make sure water tanks are clean and full.....................and then I am coming home to work on my flower beds for a while.....while the sun is out. I will let the lab hang with me and she will annoy me about every five minutes with a toy or a stick.....or she will be in the pond......I have several little ponds here and there........she knows where each one is and how much water it has and then she will do regular hose checks to see if there is any water there or if she can make it come on. Such a lab....how many ways can you spell LAB? WATER, FETCH, BIRD, WAG, RUN, PANT..........I have not seen her point yet, but I am sure she does it. We are a terrier family...........how did we get a LAB? The Russells do not like to get wet and they don't like the lab to get them wet....but they do like to chase birds together.

I hope your Sunday is grand and you get to spend it doing something you like....get out and take a walk (come and get our lab to go with you) or go and take a drive, look at the some of the beautiful blooms........I have a flowering plum tree at the barn that is just gorgeous.

Pony UP fortune for today:

Make a decision to move forward and then don't look back.