Typical Morning Eldercare Chores

I don't know that there is such a thing as "normal" or "average" at an equine Sanctuary, but this outlines many of the common summer morning chores.

First, of course, is breakfast.  Between 6:00 and 6:15, feed is measured into individual feed tubs according to each Elder's individual needs.  Warm water is added to the feed which is allowed to soak to make a thick "mush."  Breakfast is served at 7:00, with each horse eating in a separate stall, paddock or shed.  Once breakfast is finished and the horses turned out, we:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wash dishes

Since the horses eat "mush" feed tubs get nasty fast and, in warm weather, start to smell bad if not rinsed after meals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rinse Beau's place mat (a car floor mat he eats on to prevent him from eating dirt when he drops food, then picks it up -- if not rinsed after each meal, the mat is a huge fly party.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remove manure and wet sawdust from stalls and sheds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rebed stalls and sheds with clean sawdust

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fly Spray

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dampen shed floors to knock down dust

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shower Clara (because, otherwise, she won't go away)

(which of course rinses off aforementioned fly spray and as a bonus attracts a horse fly.)


Clara's shower then leads to this -

and 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay - back to work.
Next...
Pick up manure in small paddocks and dry lots (the rest of the fields will be cleaned up this evening when the temperature starts to come down.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dump collected manure and dirty bedding in manure spreader

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, clean and refill water tanks and buckets

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, the residents are all doing this:

 Mona

 Lizzie

 Beau

As it should be.
They served us, now we serve them.

Don't Freeze Your Manure!

Those of you who "worm" according to fecal egg counts rather than by the calendar will want to read this article.  How you store the sample may affect the result:

Study: Horse Manure Storage Conditions Impact Fecal Egg Counts

The MouseMan Cometh

When we moved to this farm in 2002, the barn was crawling with mice. As we cleaned out piles of old hay and bedding, we found a cluster of snake egg shells in the old sawdust.. Hm. Interesting.

And a blessing.

The eggs, we learned the next year, belonged to a black rat snake. Mama rat snake has blessd us with a cluster of 13-17 eggs every year since. Except for the year 2003, when we had fewer horses and were using bagged shavings, she has always placed them safely in the sawdust pile.

Knowing the bedding supply is mama's preferred nursery, we try to watch for the eggs beginning in mid-summer. When they appear, they are moved to a man-made nursery which, basically, is a 70-quart manure bucket filled with the same sawdust in which they were laid. Tucked safely away in the bucket, there is less danger of having the eggs scooped up and dumped in a stall.

This week we were blessed not only with Monarch butterflies, but with a whole new generation of mousers as well. We get a lot of calls and emails asking if TREES needs barn cats. Sorry kitties, but the jobs are filled. These snakes made our earlier mouse problem a thing of the past in no time. Thanks, Mum!

Who says Spring is the time of Birth and Renewal?