Horse Sense....
There is a magick word in our home...
Baleage.
Caps loves it with a passion. In fact, it could quite possibly be his most favourite food in the whole wide world. He loves it that much.
And as soon as Easter hits, I feed it right though, until it's jacket off time again.
However, last year, because Mumma was running with the herd and her tummy was still a little Meh! no baleage for Cappy. And he wasn't happy. But you know, there was no way I could feed him and not Mumma when they went everywhere together. So I just didn't give him any last year and I swear, hand on hoof he sulked the whole way through winter.
But anyway, I finally tracked some down, well Aunty A tracked some down (but I paid) and it arrived today.
But wait...I told Cappy we had found some two days ago and he has done nothing but hang round the gate waiting.
But super wait...when I heard the baleage was on it's way, I did a little freakout because a) it was 30 bales and b) it's bloody heavy. Like OMFG heavy. And c) I just remembered that I would have to help unload it.
To say that I was both looking forward and not looking forward to it turning up, was an understatement.
But I must be in Spirits good books at the moment, because as I saw my baleage come along the road, I also saw my bubble peeps who were driving utes, and can am's to unload for me.
You have no idea how happy I was.
Or Cappy, Mumma, Az, Ralph and the cows.
On a funny note though:
The hot fence across the drive way was down, and baleage guy said, Are they going to run away? Referring to Chew and Suz.
Nope.
They know you've got baleage.
...Or get scared and hide?
Nope.
They know you've got baleage.
And I was right. Everyone was extremely well behaved, waiting patiently, and then....
Baleage!
Hand on hoof, true story.
****
And I have a new native plant sitting in my garden right now. All planted and blessed.
You know, I am an honest and honourable person who works with Spirit, but as I was walking back to the ute today, filled brown paper bag in one hand, bush tucked under my other and holding a spade, I did think to myself, This is going to be very, very hard to explain if I meet someone...
****
More bath time with Az, and I am totally stoked with what we are achieving.
Az is voluntarily standing still, and periodically moving forward towards the water.
I'm super stoked.
****
Oh...almost forgot, you know that natural womer stuff? It just does not happen for us.
Now you know how much I love it, and I do, I think it really works.
However, nothing falls into place for us with this.
It should be easy...order - turns up.
Nope. Every blockage possible gets in our way.
This only happens when things are happening behind the scenes that I don't know about, so for the time being I've shelved it. Spirit have put so many road blocks up, that it obviously is just not right for us, which is a real shame.
However, as my old Nana used to say, It'll all come out in the wash, Tania.
****
Bought some hang on fence feed buckets and some metal hang on wall hay feeders today
Well, I consistently look for ways for my horses to be better, and this means I am consistently checking other peeps horses, and forethinking of how I can make mine better. I never think, Well, they're just awesome and stop. There is always another herb, vitamin, mineral or whatever, that I have just heard about that I wish to try. We are always trying new stuff.
So, my theory on the hang on fence feed basket was this:
a) Everyone had their own feed bucket. Now they already have their own feed bucket, but Cappy wanders around not just eating his, but everyone else's too. As he feels like it. I was wanting to change that dynamic and
b) It would allow me to see who was eating what, and if anything was left in their own personal bucket.
Boom, baby.
It worked really well. I fed them up by the house, and as much as Boo didn't get the whole everyone has their own bucket to start with, he got it quick smart. And I found out I was feeding slightly too much. By half a bucket. Instead of 3 buckets (1 each), 2 and a half.
Unfortunately, metal hang on wall hay feeders are a work in progress.
My theory on those were, if it is a wet winter (and now I have awesome stables), I want an area where all three horses can graze on hay/baleage, in the dry, by themselves, but close enough to company. What I wanted was one hang on wall in the actual stable and two hang on walls next door.
Issue number 1 - They don't fit.
Issue number 2 - Where I wanted to put them in the next door, sheltered part but no bedding, part of the stables, is where there is a massive leak in Winter. Which defeats the whole purpose of having the hay hanging on the wall.
He who knows everything is coming down tomorrow. Mostly because when I first showed him what I had and what I wanted, the conversation went like this:
Ok, I've bought some hay feeders to go on the wall. Can I borrow your electric screwdriver? And some screws.
Show me what you've got.
So I did.
Now tell me what you want.
So I repeated: Hay feeders, electric screwdriver, screws.
You don't need screws. You need bolts. Then he showed me.
Ok great, now can I have the electric screwdriver?
They're bolts. You don't need a screwdriver. They'll go in by themselves with a tap.
Oooooohhhh that sounds easy! So I just take a hammer (I actually mimed this) and just tap the bolt in?
No. You can drill a hole.
Ok cool, do you have a drill I can use?
I wasn't allowed either drill or screwdriver.
****
So that's been our week:
We are doing our thing here, step-by-step with no sudden movements, and it's working bloody beautifully.
If you don't count the hiccups.
Big hugs and horsey kisses from us here, to you there.
Caps, me, Spirit, Az, Ralph, Chew, Suz, and of course, my beautiful Mumma Bear, Belle and Little Boo, Fenny, Flash, Pat, Chuck and Lightning and 4 little chickadees.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx