Into The Barn

It's always a balancing act, deciding whether to leave the horses in their pastures or bring them into the barn, when a storm passes through.

Can you see Jackson poking his head out of his window?

We like the horses to be out on pasture as much as possible.  When the weather is wet and windy, it is easier for us to clean and feed them if they are in the barn.  But, they go stir-crazy after a day so we only bring them in when we have "significant" weather.

The horses all stayed out during the snowfall.  It wasn't really a storm, no wind or bitter cold temperatures, just a gentle fall of snow over 24 hours or so.

But, the weather shifted on Tuesday.  The cold snow-laden system moved out and a warmer, wetter, and wilder system came in on its heels.  It washed away most of the snow and then started to pound and blow.  We are on on a flood watch -- melting snow plus heavy rain equals overflowing streams.  After this system, yet another one is lined up to add more heavy rain through the weekend.  I told Brett that I would leave work early and get home in time to help him bring the horses into the barn before dark.

Before getting the horses, I bedded Lucy's stall with shavings.  Normally, we don't bed the stalls because the horses aren't in for very long.  Tex wouldn't know what to do with shavings, Flash would probably like them but is fine without, Pistol is a total slob and would make a manure mess -- but Lucy... well, Lucy loves shavings.  LOVES shavings.  So, I put some in her stall knowing that she would be in the barn for a few days.  I promised Brett I would clean her stall (he hates picking through shavings for manure and pee).

Can you see the dressage court under the snow? If there weren't letters, you'd never know.

Lucy and Pistol were waiting at their pasture gate.  Lucy didn't even look at the green grass poking up through the patchy snow, she was focused on getting to her stall.  I let her in through the run-out and then walked around the back, then into the barn to hang up her halter.  I didn't see her in her stall -- weird -- why would she go out in the rain when she had a dry stall and hay?  I looked in the stall and there she was, rolling around in her shavings with an expression of total bliss on her face.

Flash and Tex were in their run-in shed when I pulled up the driveway from work.  I was surprised.  They never use their shelter (see previous post).  They also met us at their gate.  Tex stood perfectly still while I put on his halter and marched with intent to his run-out.  I don't think I've ever seen him anxious to get into his stall before.

I slipped the halter off, gave him his cookie, and he turned and marched straight into his stall.