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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Al fresco all the way

The weather was lovely today and I managed to spend some quality time with the ponies. Most of it spent grooming. We all enjoyed that, and had a bit of a walk together, too. It would be easy to get frustrated: "I want to play now! I want to ride now! I want my arena finished now, and the roundpen set up yesterday!!" I am learning patience. And the value of hard work....


The fencing didn't blow away in the storm the other night. The wind continued pretty strong for a couple of days, and everything's fine. I am reminded, as usual, of how little Bruce and Iona value being indoors. They just aren't interested in the loafing shed, despite me having fed them in there frequently while they were in their small pen. Both the pen, and now the track, had access to it. It is pretty open and airy, but I think they simply view it as a potential trap and feel safer in the open. Iona, in particular, is obviously nervous about it. She will go in to eat hay, but tends to carry mouthfulls out the door so she can look around while she eats. I suspect that Bruce would be willing to spend more time there with a more relaxed companion. It's the best windbreak they have, even if they just stand outside of it, but they spent most of the worst of the wind storm at the far end of the place, out in the open, just putting up with it.

It's funny, too, how easily I could get into the idea that it would be "nice" for them to use the shed. Weird! I have always been very anti-stable. I don't like to see horses locked up, confined, shut in. However, the cave dweller in me must have liked going out and putting hay in that shed, and the fact that I have a nice view of it from my kitchen window. In spite of the fact that Bruce and Iona have lived outdoors without any significant shelter through many a Scottish winter, I felt right out of my comfort zone when they didn't come "home" the past couple of days. I wonder whether they will see it's value for shade when the hot weather comes...

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Here are some photos I took in and around the dreaded loafing shed during a storm we had a couple of weeks ago.



Bruce and Iona model their icicles


Iona preferring to be outdoors as usual

Heading in for breakfast

Breakfast in the shed




View from the kitchen. Yes, they are laying down outside in the snow!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Kris,

    If your two are anything like our lot then probably NO to the shed! lol

    It will be interesting to know if they do use it for shade from the sun and flies over Summer ;-)

    I find a good set of trees makes a good windbreak that the horses are willing to stand next to but again not in very windy weather. Can you plant a row of fast growing trees/bushes? I've even seen horses standing next to a high wooden fence but when a roof is put on they no longer use it! how interesting!

    Shells

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  2. Hi Shelley!

    I do hope to plant some trees here and there, however I will have to be pretty selective as I can't get water to most parts of the place. I will need to get some advice on this (as on so many things).

    The temperatures were already in the 80s (30 C) this week, but they just stayed out in it. No flies yet to speak of.

    As another Scottish friend said: "Maybe when they realise it's going to be hot every day they will lose interest in sunbathing."

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