After some gorgeous spring weather.....last week we had some April showers around here! Every morning when I wake up I look outside and see what the weather is doing and what my horses are doing. It is a secure feeling for me to see them both safely in their pasture.
On a particularly miserable cold and rainy morning (in fact, there was snow in the higher hill elevations just above us) I saw both my ponies snug inside their turnout shed. It is nice to know they DO use this from time to time, instead of standing in the rain tails to the wind like they typically do!
Here is the shot I saw out of our kitchen a few days ago.....my two ponies taking an early morning nap- rump to rump! Luna loves her naps and will lay flat out quite often. My Boy tends to be more "on guard" and rarely lies flat out, he'll typically just rest his head on his chin and close his eyes, as you see below.
Can you see how much Luna is roaning out? Right now she's really white/gray with red spots, almost Appy-like! This photo was taking during the week of spring-like weather, as you can tell by how dry the ground is!
Do most of you feed your horses on the ground? I do, it seems the most natural to "grazing." I usually make at least 3 piles of their flakes so they can wander around as they eat. I get a kick out of watching them move to each pile checking and see if one happens to be better than the other. What I hate about wet weather is it feels like such a waste to throw the hay on the ground as so much becomes muddy or trampled. Have you ever heard of a slow-grazer grazing box feeder? I saw the man who makes them at an equine event and thought it was a brilliant concept. Maybe some day I will invest in one or have Ranch Boy make me something like it. For two horses, it seems very doable and would also help them eat slower through-out the day which is also more natural. Somehow though, I feel like my crafty Mustang would find a way to get the screen out of there. Or, if she couldn't do that, she'd bang her hooves and legs on the box like she does on the water trough because she's trying to play in it (or just hungry or bored.)
Have a great rest of the week!!
Ranch Girl
