Feeding Time/Crazy Time

There was a big hay shortage in Indiana last fall and horse owners everywhere were scrambling to find enough to fill their barns as winter approached. With four round bales left and more stored in the hay mow of the old barn, we are in good shape, but we are still being careful as spring unfolds and the pastures begin to green up.

Tim says we will be okay until the pastures can support the horses again, but since Sultanna is also in foal, Tim has begun giving a small amount of grain to the horses. A week ago or so, he told me that I could go ahead and put some out for them when I was out, too.

It's a mix of oats and pellets, and Tim told me to just spread a few handfuls for each horse on the ground along the lane to the water trough where it is dry and grassy.

Clearly, the horses like getting grain - they were in the far corner of the northwest pasture when we rolled in by the new barn, but the entire herd thundered up when they saw our car. (Lisa and her dogs, Millie and Molly, came with me.)

Trouble, Diablo, Abby, Sultanna, and Hokey lined up and ready to eat. Millie on the left, Lisa, and Molly.

 Hokey eyes the feed pan of grain I have carried out.

Chow time!

With spring finally here, the grass is greening up but there have been heavy rains and so the lane is a muddy mess. I am a little surprised that Abby is not muddier than she is - she loves rolling.

 Millie has been out to the barn many times, so we took her leash off and let her explore. 

 Awww! Just like her mama! Lisa is my horsey child. 

She's got that "I am in my happy place" smile that all horse lovers get when we are around horses. And we need our happy places right now.

What with the risk of getting COVID-19, I have been staying at home for over two weeks now - I'm not even going to the grocery!  The barn is a different story. Tim is the only other person out there and since we go out at different times, our paths rarely cross and there is little to no risk of exposure. 

You can bet that I am grateful for this bit of normalcy during a very crazy (and scary)  time.