Horses!!!!!!!!

[heartsizedfarm]

I can't afford a horse, which is why I don't have one. 

Sorry. Why is it the smart caring people can't afford a horse and the dumb neglectful people can? (This is not broadly true of course just aimed at this specific injustice.)

 

[Varglet]

Quote: Technically he can't afford a horse, he just happens to have barely enough money to keep one alive in poor condition for a while.

If I could afford it, I would gladly take her and the baby.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So, "the girls" have been quite interested and involved in this whole "chicken thing" (Aero LOVES birds, so I am fairly convinced she thinks we have done all this for her benefit)

They provided supervisory support during the construction of the run - making sure DH was remembering to "measure twice, cut once"


and last night they popped in to do a surprise coop inspection (pardon the lighting - it was evening and the sun was making for some very dark photos) - I didn't catch a pic, but it started with Yazhi (the short one) getting both fronts in the door before we persuaded her to inspect from outside - they are probably a little confused as this used to be the feed storage room, they are wondering where their food went

 

[flockofbantams]

Lol!

So, "the girls" have been quite interested and involved in this whole "chicken thing" (Aero LOVES birds, so I am fairly convinced she thinks we have done all this for her benefit) They provided supervisory support during the construction of the run - making sure DH was remembering to "measure twice, cut once" and last night they popped in to do a surprise coop inspection (pardon the lighting - it was evening and the sun was making for some very dark photos) - I didn't catch a pic, but it started with Yazhi (the short one) getting both fronts in the door before we persuaded her to inspect from outside - they are probably a little confused as this used to be the feed storage room, they are wondering where their food went

Lol! WAY to cute!!!!!! Horses are beautiful by the way

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Funny thing about Yahzi and the coop/feed room -they have a history! The first summer after we brought her home, I had looked out in the pasture and saw Aero, but no Yahzi. I went out and called - no Yahzi. I shook the cookie bucket (she'll do ANYTHING for food) - no Yahzi. Both gates closed and chained tight - WHERE is my horse? I started out towards the barn trying VERY hard not to panic and dreading what I might find because something just wasn't right about this. I get out to the barn look into the stall and - NO YAHZI!!!???? Let me explain, our pasture is small, you can see the WHOLE thing and the only area you can't see from the house is inside the stall - so that was the ONLY place she could be, and she wasn't there. My horse was just - gone

I walk to the back side of the barn, still calling for her and looking at the back gate for any sign of anything amiss (have some questionable neighbor kids, wouldn't put it past them) and I hear an answering snort/huff. Go back around to the barn thinking maybe I somehow just missed seeing 800 pounds of horse in the 14x14 area of the stall (

yeah, right - admittedly at this point logic had gone out the window to make room for confusion and panic) - and there is still no Yahzi. I call - she snorts. I am IN the stall, the sound is coming from IN the stall - why can I not SEE the horse???????
I go back outside, call - she answers. The ONLY open door on the barn is the one that goes into the stall - feed/tack room is shut tight, but that is the ONLY place the noise can be coming from - so I turn the knob, push the door and it opens a few inches then stops --- because it hit a horse butt! Apparently the door must not have gotten pulled completely tight the last time it was opened - and Nosey-Nelly there discovered this by pushing on it (she's bad about doing this with gates, etc), the door opened, she went in and then must have backed into the door pushing it shut tight behind her. This was okay with her because she was locked in with an all you can eat buffet of hay bales (thankfully the grain can is not something she has figured out how to open yet) - so she had apparently just stood there, munching away, calmly waiting to be rescued (thankfully - she could have done some damage to herself AND the barn). I gave her a pat on the rum, told her "move up" and she did - turning to look at me like, 'Oh, hey......what are you doing here?" - moved up to her head and backed her right on out the door (which I am amazed she fit through since it's just a standard exterior door you'd put on a house, lol).

 

[flockofbantams]

Funny thing about Yahzi and the coop/feed room -they have a history!   The first summer after we brought her home, I had looked out in the pasture and saw Aero, but no Yahzi.  I went out and called - no Yahzi.  I shook the cookie bucket (she'll do ANYTHING for food) - no Yahzi.  Both gates closed and chained tight - WHERE is my horse?  I started out towards the barn trying VERY hard not to panic and dreading what I might find because something just wasn't right about this.  I get out to the barn look into the stall and - NO YAHZI!!!????  Let me explain, our pasture is small, you can see the WHOLE thing and the only area you can't see from the house is inside the stall - so that was the ONLY place she could be, and she wasn't there.  My horse was just - gone
I walk to the back side of the barn, still calling for her and looking at the back gate for any sign of anything amiss (have some questionable neighbor kids, wouldn't put it past them) and I hear an answering snort/huff.  Go back around to the barn thinking maybe I somehow just missed seeing 800 pounds of horse in the 14x14 area of the stall gig yeah, right - admittedly at this point logic had gone out the window to make room for confusion and panic) - and there is still no Yahzi.  I call - she snorts.  I am IN the stall, the sound is coming from IN the stall - why can I not SEE the horse???????
I go back outside, call - she answers.  The ONLY open door on the barn is the one that goes into the stall - feed/tack room is shut tight, but that is the ONLY place the noise can be coming from - so I turn the knob, push the door and it opens a few inches then stops --- because it hit a horse butt!   Apparently the door must not have gotten pulled completely tight the last time it was opened - and Nosey-Nelly there discovered this by pushing on it (she's bad about doing this with gates, etc), the door opened, she went in and then must have backed into the door pushing it shut tight behind her.  This was okay with her because she was locked in with an all you can eat buffet of hay bales (thankfully the grain can is not something she has figured out how to open yet) - so she had apparently just stood there, munching away, calmly waiting to be rescued (thankfully - she could have done some damage to herself AND the barn).  I gave her a pat on the rum, told her "move up" and she did - turning to look at me like, 'Oh, hey......what are you doing here?" - moved up to her head and backed her right on out the door (which I am amazed she fit through since it's just a standard exterior door you'd put on a house, lol). 

That is extremely funny!!!

well it's wasn't funny till u said she didn't get into the grain can. Then as soon as I knew she was ok well then it was just to funny!!!!horses are hilarious! Mine do something silly to make me laugh all the time!!!

 

[flockofbantams]

Oh and FYI. It looks like or sound like ur chicken coop might be inside ur pasture? I read somewhere (and don't know how true it is but it makes sense) that if your coop/run is near ur horses or dogs not to let the chicken poop finds its way with on reach of the horses/ dogs it can make them sick!!! Just a friendly dude note

I'm sure ur are already aware!

 

[flockofbantams]

* with in not with on
And
Side note not side dude.
Sorry

 

[Varglet]

I didn't have my camera with me, as I only planned on just letting the chickens out this morning. But I went over to say hi to momma and baby, they're still in the small fenced off area. While there I decided to give them some of the taller grass/weeds along the creek (the creek is just outside the fence at that part of the pasture, so they can't get to it). After I tossed a couple handfuls over, I held the third handful and momma took it from my hand. Tossed one more handful, then let them be. Unlike the owners, I try to take it slow. They just go straight to trying to catch her and whatnot.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Oh and FYI. It looks like or sound like ur chicken coop might be inside ur pasture? I read somewhere (and don't know how true it is but it makes sense) that if your coop/run is near ur horses or dogs not to let the chicken poop finds its way with on reach of the horses/ dogs it can make them sick!!! Just a friendly dude note

I'm sure ur are already aware!

The jury is rather split on that issue, mostly due to the sheer volume of feces that would have to be ingested to pose any sort of serious risk to a horse - and it's definitely never a bad idea to mention such concerns. That being said, *I* personally have never had an issue of any sort from co-keeping chickens and horses - nor has anyone I've known personally, in fact most "fact sheets" etc you'll find are full of the pros of co-keeping vs any cons. To me, it's another of those judgment calls that is made for each person and their animals.

ETA - the major concern from a safety stand point is keeping poultry feed out of the mouths of horses.