home again home again

Rode Envoy today. He was a star. A storm was coming, and the wind was picking up. He kept listening and working until a big branch cracked somewhere. Then, we had a big spook, but he stayed balanced and didn't bolt. That is superstar for him. I asked him to walk around a couple more times, and then we went into the barn. I brought the others in too. The storm was bad. Lots of wind, lightening, and rain like crazy. All is well now, and hopefully, we won't get more storms.

Most excellent pony. Sounds like the storm that blew through Central Kentucky. Stay safe.

They are all out getting a shower today. It poured rain this morning and has been damp and dreary all day. They'll come in tonight because there's a chance of more storms. I don't know what this weather is, but it's positively freakish for midsummer.

So... I brought them in around 5 PM because it was hot and the flies were biting. I moved the water trough so they can go out in a new pasture overnight. And now... It's pouring rain and thundering. Sigh... I don't have enough shavings for this mess right now!

UGH!!!

Storms went away by 11 PM, so they went out in the puddles. They seemed happy to have new grass. Today looks cloudy and maybe rainy. Inconvenient, but not terrible since I can go get some shavings to bed stalls. We buy bagged shavings because we can't find a reliable source for bringing a big dump truck here.

That's too bad, I imagine that they bagged can be pricey.

It is pricy, but they are better quality, and I don't have to worry as much about moisture since I can store them in the barn. Overall, it's probably the same price since I don't use nearly as much as I would with wetter, less consistent bedding.

That's true. You know the old saying, 'Buy quality, you only cry once.'

Today was massage practice day. The massage guy came right as afternoon storms rolled in, so the horses were happy to come in. We got done before the crazy rain moved in. It's wet here like winter. Insane how much rain we've had over the last week. Almost a foot by some counts. I would like a typical hot, dry August. We might get a really nice 3rd cutting of hay if that happens.

We are so bone dry, it's scary.

The horses got power washed tonight. A storm rolled in, and it poured so hard I figured there was no point in trying to bring them in. They wouldn't have heard and I'd just have been as wet as they wee. I went out later and called. When they crossed the ditch, the water was up over their knees. We really need some dry weather now. If a hurricane comes, the trees are goners.

Good grief, that is wild. Other than soaked, everybody is okay then? the trees won't come down on your house or barn will they?

Everyone is fine. Dried off from standing under the fans now.

Trees are close to both house and barn, but I won't have them taken down. They provide perfect shade and windbreak in the winter. We'll just hope for the best. I always hope for no hurricanes anyway, so this just gives extra incentive for stronger hopes.

Ruby's Crabbet papers came in today. She's 79.87% Crabbet Arabian. She can now participate in the association's events, which people say are really fun. I'm going to their celebration event in September to check it out. Next year, I might bring Ruby to show her off.

That's fantastic. Their celebration sounds like a lot of fun.

Real summer started today. Horses came in at about 3:00 because it was so nasty hot. Envoy was soaked with sweat, and I gave everyone showers. Even poor Lu was sweating, and he's still pretty skinny. Nothing to weigh him down or make him hot. I guess a month of rain doesn't help the humidity, and so here we are with typical August weather. Thank goodness, it's DRY for now.

I imagine that they all became one with the fan.

Especially Ruby. I bet she'd put her nose on the fan if she could.

When I had a floor fan in the flat Antonio would be right in front of it.

I have one in my office. The kitties avoid it. Bingo likes to be in front of it, but across the room. Ruby did her imitation of the pony on FB who knocked the floor fan over so he could get it to blow his mane around. She stood in her doorway and let the floor fan blow her bane back. She fell asleep that way.

That is hilarious. Was she laying down or standing up. I don't have a fan anymore, the white noise was more aggrevation than it was worth.

Standing up. I put the fan in the aisle to keep the flies and mosquitoes from bothering their legs. They have rafter fans to move air around in the stalls. Ruby just LOVES the fans. I think it makes the barn super noisy, but I wouldn't do without them in the humid, hot summer. My barn doesn't have windows (yet), so the air just sits in there.

The roof work starts in September, and one of the improvements my husband and I plan to do when we re-do the siding ourselves is to put in window openings for each stall. We'll put up shutters with the cut-out for the opening, and so we'll have air movement in the summer and warm in the winter. The aisle will still stay open to prevailing winds all the time, so fresh air for horses won't be a problem. We'll have an overhang so the weather will stay outside.

I've seen photos of horses lying down with the fan blowing on them. It's funny, the expression their faces indicate pure bliss.