Busy at the Barn

There is a lot happening at the barn right now and for a variety of reasons.

It's haying season, and so the hayfield next to the southwest pasture has been cut and baled. (That's a hose draped on the fence posts - it goes to the southwest pasture where there is no running water so we can fill that trough. Tim has hung it up and out of the way of the mower.)

Because one of their dogs was hurt on the road by a car, the agribusiness next door is putting in a six foot high chain link fence and their dogs will no longer be allowed to roam freely.

Part of that fence borders the paddock north of the new barn so currently we cannot put the horses out there. I'm glad the dogs will be restrained; they're two big mastiffs and while they don't run the horses, they have gotten into the pastures a time or two. 

Tim is home a lot due to the pandemic and he is spending much of that time doing repairs, like these boards on the fence by the old barn. 

I had no idea what these are or what he was doing with them, so I had to text and ask him about it.

He is using them to build a storage unit somewhere on the property, and since the herd is currently in the southwest pasture and nursery paddock, he has them propped up against the fence by the old barn.

Despite the busy-ness around the place, the horses are relaxed and happy, and enjoying the knee deep pastures.

As the Cole Porter song goes, "Summertime! And the livin's easy!"

Atypical Weather

Atypical weather - that's what we're having in Indiana this month. January is usually very cold and bleak, with winds, snow, and ice. We've had the bleakness, those grey days that are overcast and depressing, but the temperatures the past few weeks have been unseasonably warm.

The snow we would usually be having has been in the form of rain, and as a result, there is standing water everywhere and areas the herd usually frequents are a muddy mess. (I am not complaining; better mud than snow and ice!)

 There is a large pond of standing water in the north pasture that stretches across most of it.

 And standing water in smaller amounts around the property.

Tim has the horses in one pasture with the others closed off so that the horses don't damage the soggy turf with their hooves.

 They look pretty good, and even have a hint of green due to the warmer temperatures!

Higher places on the ranch aren't as soaked as the lower spots.

But the lanes leading back to the barns have a lot of water on them despite their gravel surfaces. There simply isn't anywhere for the water to go.

Another week of atypical temperatures are predicted for this week, but it looks as though we won't be having any rain for a while. I hope that allows some of the excess water to drain away.