Farah's New Home!

It's been a crazy busy two-days.  Even with all our work, getting Farah moved took a lot more.  After a great lunch at the Gathering Place, I drove over to Farah's stable with the Bronco & trailer.  Butch soon followed with the truck.  We tied Farah in the isle while Butch took out all the wood we'd lined the stall walls with & our stall matts.

Farah at the farm~

 Once at the farm, we decided to put up her electric pen, a place to keep her out of trouble while we worked on our to-do list.  Farah was totally calm, we gave her hay & water.  While we were working I'd look up to see what she was doing & neither of us could believe how relaxed she was.  Butch said she was wondering when all the other horses were coming for the endurance ride :-)  That's when she's usually in her portable corral.

Eating field corn!

 I walked up several times during the day & convinced her to try an ear of corn.  It took some coaxing, but she finally did & was so funny, tossing her head up & down as she chewed.  By the time we were done, the sun was setting.  It didn't take long for her to realize that other horses are on the far side of the road.

In her corral~

 Once we turned her in, she walked right into the barn, into her stall & checked her feed tub as though it had been yesterday that she'd used it.  Soon, her head was buried in the hay bag.  When we left, she walked out with us to the gate.  We took the truck to dinner at Tobey Jacks, then came back for the Bronco & to check on her.  She was fine & as we left with both rigs, she walked back into the barn.

Back to pick-up duty!

Today, the sun again broke through the clouds, but the wind was blowing & it was bitter cold!  I have to say that doing pick-up duty again felt really Great!  I even brought out my special fork - given as a Best Condition Award from the Mt. Adams ride in 2016.

Farah was standing by the door of the barn as we drove in.  Happy to see us & have her breakfast, we could tell that she'd spent a nice, calm night.  I can't imagine how good it must be for her to be able to walk, trot & roll, all with no mud.  Just being away from the smell is So wonderful!  (In the winter, the stable was totally unable to scrape or clean the paddocks on the hill.)  The easy access to her stall & a nice place to stand out of the wind has to be much more comfortable for her.

Tack Area~

 It's nothing fancy, but it sure feels like home!  By the end of the day, we had a lot done!  Things are really coming together & I know Farah recognizes that.  Again, she was the most relaxed I've seen her in forever.  No more of the crazy horse that had the stall next to her yelling & screaming every time she moved.  We both really think she realizes that this place is hers.

Dinnertime~

 She's doing all the things a happy horse is supposed to do, eating, drinking, peeing, pooing & taking her new surroundings in stride!  Our friends are gone over the Easter weekend, but they did call to see if Farah had arrived.  Butch told them he went to feed the chickens & found that a horse had moved in!  :-)

One More Day~

One more day & we'll be taking Farah to her new barn!  Today, I again scraped a ton of mud & loose hair off her coat - mask on my face.  Under all that mud & hair, her summer coat is coming in.  Once I had her somewhat clean I asked if I could use the outdoor arena, since it had been freshly graded.

Farah - the last day~

 Someone had come out & started the horses in the pasture running.  This put Farah into an extremely animated trot!  I had my hands full, so no photos!  She galloped for quite a while, bucked & loosened up.  I felt bad for not getting her out more this last week.  She had no issues with her new shoes - the footing was pretty deep.

Beyond Tack~

I've ordered a ground tie system from the above vendor.  I think it will come in handy for some grazing time on the farm & make it easy to move her from place to place.  We still have the pasture area to get fenced & the ground will need to be dry enough to let her go there.  I don't see the point of putting her out when all she'll do is make mud.

What I've disliked~

This is the outside door that Farah has used to go from her stall to the paddock.  We put the matts in months ago, since water from the roof also drains here & when things ice up - it's treacherous.  Butch attached the matts with rebar, pounded well into the ground to keep them from slipping.

We have plenty of things to do yet.  I stopped by the storage this afternoon to pick up some items from the tack room.  Butch was there ahead of me, loading the back of the truck!  I think we're both pretty excited to have our own  barn space again!

On the Home Stretch~

It seems like the month of March has flown by - even if so many of those days have been gray, cold & rainy.  The work on the farm has taken up our free time & we're not complaining.

21st. - Butch installing the paddock gate~

We've been so lucky over all - it seems every Wednesday has dawned sunny & we'll take it - since it's the day that Butch gets off work earlier.  With Dean's help on the last pile, the barn floor was finally stripped clean of the old hay & straw!   

24th - Our first load of hay!  

Another challenge was finding hay this time of year - not an easy task.  Especially if you're looking for small square bales.  When I was asked if I was looking for small or large - I discovered that here - large is 4x4x6!  Very few growers even do square bales anymore.  I think horse ownership in the state has declined & with it, the requests for square bales.  We were referred to the same grower by two friends & after meeting Jon & seeing his hay - could understand why.  Very nice Alfalfa & he also had some nice bales of Orchard Grass mixed with Timothy.  Since Farah has been on Alfalfa without any issues, we're continuing with that, but plan on adding in the grass too, as we did in WA.

Depot - Shenandoah, IA

 By the time the 26 - 60lb. bales were loaded, we were ready for lunch before the drive back to the farm.  We really enjoyed our lunch at the Depot!  As you can tell from the photo above, a gray day here is as gray as any the pacific NW had to offer :-)

Inside the old train station~

As dark & cloudy as the day was, we managed to miss the rain!  The hay had been stored nice & dry, so the last thing we wanted to do was have it get wet.  I mentioned the feces that I'd found on all the old hay.  I'd thought it was probably from the wild cats, but Jon said it's common to have possums get into the hay too.

Ahh, the smell of fresh hay!

Once we had it all stacked, we covered it with a tarp & tied the tarp down.  We sure missed the help of Grandson Ben - but these bales are easier to move than the 100+ lb. bales from Ellensburg.

At the Auction!

Jon also owns & operates Sunshine Auction house & invited us to a farm estate auction on Sunday.  It was even colder than Sat., & gave us an excuse to take the morning off.  The building was full of about any item you can imagine & full of people too!  We returned to the farm with an upright cabinet that will work great for Farah's sundry's...

New steel!

It was four o'clock when we drove over to Farah's stable, where we spent 30-min. attacking her yet again with the shedding blade!  She's dropping her winter coat faster than she grew it!  Ryan shod Farah with her first shoes since July of last year.  Her feet hadn't grown much since her trim in January - he said none of the horses are showing much growth yet.  I'm still learning about how horses adapt to this climate.  We'll be moving Farah to the farm later this week.  Since I plan to find roads to ride, I don't want to have to worry about rock.

I'm hopeful that we'll be attending our first OCER ride on Memorial Day Weekend at the Flag Springs Conservation area, MO.  Jodi, ride manager of the Jo Tate Memorial Ride lived in WA until 1990 & we've ridden many of the same rides - only at different times :-)   It's been too wet to go to Waubonsie, all I can do is hope things dry out so we can get in the hill work.  The forecast is calling for four days of rain/snow later next week!  Fingers crossed that things warm up & dry out soon!

Progress on the Farm~

We're well into our project of converting the old barn into Farah's new home!  The month is flying by & the weather has cooperated.  Not every day - but a couple have been sunny & contributed to our yearn for the brighter, warmer days of spring.

On the 14th - A new home for the sign~

We stopped by the storage, where I found the sign that had hung over the Homestead gate.  Rusted now, it fit perfectly under the gable.

8th, posts going in~

Butch found the edges of the concrete the hard way as he drove the posts - skirting the perimeter of the west end, pieces of concrete pad.

Butch & Dean - 11th

The weekend was gray & chilly - but stayed dry.  A tree had grown up through the middle of a big bale of wire just outside the main door.  With the top of the tree cut, Dean's tractor & the chain were called to action.

Success~

With a loud Crack - the tree broke off at the base & it - along with the wire - came loose.  The tree had grown right up & through the concrete pad.

11th - Inside the barn~

Meanwhile, when not needed outside, I decided to get the old hay, straw & dried mud stripped out of the interior.  I used an old sheet of steel roofing outside the east door, to roll the wheelbarrow out over the first couple rows of corn stubble.  

Me & my mask!~

The first day, I didn't wear the mask & the dust was pretty bad.  I decided to try the mask & goggles.  Thankful that it wasn't hot & they were both vented - it's still miserable wearing them. 

14th, fence fabric going up!

Kay & Linus offered their help & how could we not appreciate that?!  Butch did mention that a couple times during the day - he heard Linus say something about the proximity of Tastee Treat. That's where we ended the day :-)

Linus, Butch & Dean~

With all the help, by the day's end, the east side of what will be Farah's walkway to the timber was all in.  Dean & the tractor cleared the path & kept tension on the long run of wire.  Janice & I sat in the sun for a while & acted as camp chair supervisors :-)

Thermometer~

On another trip to the storage, I remembered the thermometer that had hung in our barn isle.  It looks great on the back wall of what will be the tack/feed room.

Family History~

At the door of the silo is etched the name of Dean's Uncle.  I've always loved the tradition of adding names, initials & dates to concrete projects.

18th - Inside view~

Sat., on what was a cold & gray day - Butch got more of the inside walls furred for the stall area & sheeting up.  Sunday, Kay & Linus returned & with their help, the fencing was completed around the west end paddock.  I finished clearing the floor on the south side & NE corner - which felt like a huge accomplishment.  Dean moved what was left of the intact, better hay bales to another building.  Now, I just have that area, in the middle of the north side to do & the floor will be done.

I had to climb up & in to see the inside of this amazing structure.  Beautiful, no matter what the angle!  I can see why people are turning them into outdoor living spaces.  Really quality engineering with metal that has withstood the test of both time & weather.

Looking up~

Our to-do list is getting shorter by the day.  I'm so excited at the prospect of bringing Farah home!

Saddle Time @ Glen Cunningham Lake ~

Today, Margie was determined we were riding at Glen Cunningham.  She didn't have much convincing to do & even talked me into traveling with her. :-)  I always just prefer to have my own vehicle & all our stuff with us, the only thing I forgot was my saddle pad.  I had tossed in a blanket & it worked just fine.

Stellar Day~

The mares traveled well together, with plenty of room in Margie's four-horse.  Not as warm as yesterday & with a decent wind, change is in the air, no doubt about it.  Some of the trails were still pretty muddy in the shady spots, but over all the footing was the best we've had so far.

View of the Lake~

The lake was almost steel blue against a steel blue sky when we started out about noon.  We both commented on how the sky seems more blue as the day progresses.  

In the "Deep Dark Woods"

A Nebraska woods - so different - yet so much the same in this area - as some of the plantings on the WA tree farms.  We enjoyed hearing the wind through the trees.

From the hill~

The urban view from this hill seems so striking after the nice trails.  The noise of the traffic is easily heard.  The mares took turns in the lead, Coco still trots when she'd behind Farah, but then gaits when she takes over the lead.

Margie & Coco~

Coco is such a big solid mare & looks so gorgeous when she gets to move out.

Margie & Coco check out a lake trail~

I'm not keen on the far side of the lake.  It's noisy, lots of road & congestion.  Then, there's the highway crossing to get back to the trailers.  We stayed on the east side of the lake & that was really fun.  You get more of the feel of being out-there.  We rode to the south park entrance, just over half-way the width of the dam, before turning back.  

Through the Big Cottonwoods~

After an uncalled for sideways spook at a little pink flag,  we came upon a nice hill.  Not too long, but enough room for a little speed.  I decided that Farah could use a good run.  We breezed up to 20 mph., not bad for the short distance.  She felt better & I did too :-)  Now, we'll be watching as the rains & wind return.  At least today's saddle time should last a while!

Say Ahhh ~

With spring around the corner, it was time to make our yearly trek out to Nebraska Equine for Farah's teeth float.  Traffic was light, we arrived on time & Farah walked right in like a champ.

Say Ahhh..

I always try to watch her weight closely.  Even though we measure out her feed in Ziplocs for the barn staff - it's not the same as when we did it ourselves.  Dr. Black put the tape on her & guess what?  She's right at the top end of her weight range at 1,070 lbs.  Perfect as far as I'm concerned - since hopefully we'll be coming into riding season before too long.

Dr. Black at work~

 It was nice to hear that all her teeth look good, the two problem areas were not any worse & all her teeth are solid.  There were a couple small hooks - again in the usual areas - but nothing worrisome.  Since I made the mistake last year of having her vaccinated on the same day - this year Dr. Black said we'll wait until she's moved & do them the first of April.

Nika watches from the yard, as Farah enjoys grass~

  Google maps took us back home by way of the far side of the river, so we ended up south of Farah's stable.  I drove on home, unloaded the gold girl & let her graze while we waited for Butch.  It actually worked out well, since it gave me more time to keep an eye on her & make sure she was back to normal.

Sinking in~

We stayed around the perimeter of the yard, as much as I want to ride, the ground is still so very soft & wet.  Maybe the stiff winter will be over & we'll have a nice dryer spring!  Regardless, I hope to be able to do some road & field riding soon.

Farah's New Farm~

 Friends have invited Farah to come & live on their beautiful farm.  A little closer to us than where she's been, with the added advantage of having acres of fields for us to ride & explore.  The roads are less busy than nearer to Glenwood & dirt roads are close by.

The Barn~

This pretty little barn used to house pigs, but that's been over twenty-years ago.  It's stood vacant for a very long while.  With a concrete floor & a new roof, it has the room for a nice large stall, tack room & hay storage too!  We'll be replacing the glass windows with polycarbonate panels.

Inside~

Inside, we've started to strip things down to the floor.  Butch has some repairs to do & stall walls to build.  A wall will go across the room where the support post is, with a gate to allow access to the rest of the barn.  The door will be widened & we'll be adding plywood on the walls & stall matts.  Farah will be able to have her wall & hay feeder again too!

Butch clearing the concrete apron~

 The south side & west end of the barn has a concrete apron that goes out for several feet.  This area will get fenced for a nice large paddock.  It will be super to not have the mud right up to the building!  From here, she'll have a path down to the timber, a bridge across the small creek & pasture on the far side.

Evening~

It will be the first time since moving here, that Farah will have her freedom.  A pasture to graze in, spring fed creek & timber to roam.  As we see how she does, there's room to expand her space & even a secondary pasture area that we can use to rotate the grazing if need be.

Beautiful Sunset~

We're so happy that our girl will have a place to live where she can thrive & enjoy being a horse.  Janice & I are already looking forward to sitting back & watching her graze.  Next, we'll be setting fence posts, pulling wire & hope to have her moved by month end!

Wishful Thinkin'

The sun is shining, the day is warm, again I really wanted to ride.  At home, the ice was all melted.  Surface of the ground seemed to be drying & the wind was blowing.  Butch had hitched me up, probably easier than hearing me moan & groan that I could have ridden... 

The gravel road out to Farah's barn, goes from sunshine to shade & can be so very slippery.  I have to be able to turn the trailer around on the shoulder.  The road wasn't bad, but when I went to make the U-turn, I could feel the outside tires of the trailer slipping.  The Bronco was up on the gravel & pulled it right around.

Farah was filthy!  No other way to say it.  This time of year there's no way of picking up outside on the hill, so they are a sloppy mess.  Since she's shedding - rolling is mandatory as far as she's concerned - regardless of what she's rolling in...   I spend at least half an hour with the shedding blade & was filthy myself by the time I was done.

On our way~

Only a couple cars in the parking lot, truck traffic was non-stop, dust flying high into the air.  The noise from all these trucks is so loud you feel like you're in the middle of an industrial zone.  We waited for a break in the traffic & made it across to the trail.

In the woods~

The first half mile or so the surface was really not bad.  Farah was sinking in a little in spots & but we weren't leaving much of a mark.

Sheet of ice~

As we entered the underpass, I could see white on the ground up ahead.  It was a solid sheet of ice, reaching all the way from one side to the other...  I've seen what can happen when a horse falls on ice - so I decided the smart thing to do was turn back.

Grazing~

 Farah wants her friends in WA, who are enjoying green grass, to know that here, you take what you can get!

The large grassy field~

 We stopped at the far end.  I picked up beer cans, beer boxes & other trash.  There was a blue tub for trash right next to the picnic table, but obviously no one had used it.  The limestone surface was rutted with bike tracks & even footprints were visible.

Our track :-(

 As we were coming back, we met a new friend, Jim.  He owns this beautiful farm that I've admired from my first ride past.  We talked horses, the trail, the weather etc. for quite a while.  A nice excuse to sit & enjoy the sun.  Farah cocked a hind leg & tried to take a nap.

Jim's farm~

 Jim said that the water table is very high through this area, so even though the surface looks dry, just a few inches down things are still frozen solid.  He said it would be at least another week - with No moisture - for things to dry out.  Since we have rain & even snow in the forecast, I think it will be a while.

Heading back~

 Even with Jim's horses running at the fence that goes alongside the trail, Farah kept her cool & walked right along ignoring the commotion.  She was as happy to be out as I was, even if it wasn't the longer ride we'd hoped for.  I can understand now, why riders stick to the gravel roads this time of year.

Coal Plant~

Corn fields & the Coal Plant.  What a view...  I took Farah back to the barn, then went on down the road to my turn around.  It was a little firmer than it had been earlier.

Trailer Tracks~

It can look so dry & yet Be so mucky just underneath.  Once in town I went to the car wash & spend $10. washing the Bronco & Trailer.  The road grime sticks like concrete to the underside of the vehicles & with the sand & salt that goes on the roads, it's no wonder most of the older vehicle's here have signs of rust.

We'll be waiting on mother nature now - to dictate our next outing~