I just got my worming done. Some of the horses I didn’t even have to halter. Then there are always those few that said, “you aren’t catching me to stick that thing into my mouth.” So I walked off, did something else, and walked up to one of the young horses with a hand full of grass that I found. I think she forgot that I was after her earlier, and she left me halter her easily while she eagerly ate that grass that no one else was getting. She wormed easily, and after I took the halter off, she searched the ground for more grass. She wouldn’t find any there!
We had the horse's teeth checked last week for sharp edges, A few of the horses have been floated. Hopefully, that helps to keep the weight on some hard keepers.
Lots are being cleaned as I type, so they are not so messy next spring. These pictures make them seem really wet and slimy now, but they weren’t too bad to scrape. At least I didn’t fall on the slime! Tom liked running the bobcat. Must be a guy’s toy.
Then he gives me, “what do you want” look. LOL
My 2 helpers were helping me. Posie, the Aussie, and Lady, the Springer Spaniel. 
Then I think Posie went to sleep for awhile. Lady is always on the go. You would never find her sleeping. 
Water Heaters are going into the tanks. We put the extension cords of the heaters through PVC pipe and tie the pipes to the fencing.
Then those pesky horses can’t play with the heaters and destroy them. I just need to find 1 or 2 extension cords. We'll plug them in tomorrow night, as we are suppose to be getting nights with temps down in the teens. Horses don't like to drink really cold water, and will limit their intake if the water is freezing.It is important to keep the water source from freezing. I like to put 5 gallon buckets over the hydrant handles to keep them from freezing shut. Oops, didn’t get a pic of that, but I think you can imagine what a bucket looks like over a hydrant.
I need to replace salt blocks. I still want them licking salt, and that will help with water consumption. I have 4 lots of horses, but we usually buy a couple of large blocks and I have hubby break them into quarters.
Hay is ready. I feed brome round bales, but one lot of hard keepers will get alfalfa squares for a few months. I realized today why my shoulders are achy and waking me up during the night. I thought it was from moving boxes of tack to the store 3 weeks ago. But today, I was forking hay back into the hay feeders, trying to keep the lots clean from the hay getting mucky. I could feel the strain. I have been forking hay over to a horse that was in it’s own lot for a month and a half. That was a lot of torquing on my shoulders. I wasn’t feeling the soreness until the last 2 weeks. I don’t think I’ll be pitching hay any more. I’ll give that job to hubby!
Grain is ready. I'll start graining soon. I'm graining Purina Strategy to supply the nutrient level for 2 broodmares that are having foals next spring, 3 young horses, and 2 pleasure horses that can use the extra energy over the winter. I’ll feed Senior feed to the lot of older teenage horses that are my hard keepers.
Horses have had trims, and may need 1 more trimming late December. Then I find over the winter that I can go 2-2 1/2 months before the next trim if I'm not riding the horses. I don't mind them a little long, just not breaking off. All of their feed goes to keep themselves warm, and their hooves don't tend to grow so long. I just keep hay in front of them so they aren’t shivering as much when the weather gets damp. Chewing on hay keeps internal temp up.
We also got a load of clay dirt, to spread in the low places. (Sounds like a song) (Who can name it?) We spread a couple bobcat buckets under the lean to where the water runs off. Hubby needs to spread it over in the horse lot where the summer rains washed out dirt and made a ditch. And we will spread the rest of the dirt where we drive into the lot. There is always a low spot there.
What else? I think I'm ready for winter. Except for the snow. I better put the shovel at the back door! Maybe if I’m ready for snow, it won’t snow as much as last year!
Oh, and I better get my turtlenecks and overalls ready, and insulated boots and gloves. I was freezing yesterday, but today I wore my fleeced lined jeans, a long sleeve T with a sweatshirt, and a hoody with a winter jacket. And gloves. I was much warmer in this 30 degree damp weather.
I better go check on hubby. He should be about done playing in the horse lot. I need him to get a bucket of sand to put under the big lot’s large round water tank. We keep it a little higher so the horses aren’t constantly kicking the bottom of the tanks, which causes them to leak. The level tool is ready so we can make sure the water tank is laying even.
I went outside and waited on Tom to finish blading the section of the lot that he was working on.
The horses were at the round bale. Shaggy walked up to me. He dropped his head for me to rub it. He actually turned sideways and seemed to want me to rub his neck and back, which I did. Honey walked up and wanted to be petted also. Shaggy pinned his ears slightly, but he is so gentle, I was surprised by his actions, as that certainly is the most I’ve ever seen him do. After rubbing Honey, I walked to Shaggy’s other side, and when he was done wanting to be rubbed, he walked back to the round bale. Then Savannah walked over, wanting me to rub her forehead. When I went to walk away, she followed me.
I wonder if my horses have missed me, as I haven’t done much riding the last 2 weeks. It was nice to walk out into their lot, and have them walk up to me. Tom caught me rubbing them, and asked when he was going to get his back rubbed? LOL
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