Not a lot has been going on in the horse training arena because of the weather and we have been very busy.
I installed box feeders in both stalls, we got the pasture areas tilled and seeded. We have a lot more fencing to do before the spring when we will be getting 3 calves to roam the pastures.
Last week we had some very strong winds along with cold weather and rain, Lots of rain! We have been putting horses in their stalls at night and during very bad weather but last week we had a small issue with the rain and wind. I thought if I opened a stall door and blocked the wind from the South and closed the North door on Megan's stall, it would block some of the rain and wind from coming inside the stall and keep her warm. Well, that plan kind of backfired on me. By the time I saw that there was a problem, Megan was shivering to the bone, she was so wet and cold from the driving rains she looked miserable.
Why was she standing in the rain? #1 the stall door opening changed, she does not like change very much and the second problem, there was water running through her stall and she did not want to cross the flooding waters.
I immediately put the doors back to their normal positions and shored up the water from coming further into the stall. Megan came inside out of the bad weather and watched from the comfort of her mostly dry stall. I felt bad for her but I also felt, "You stupid horse" but I still fed her some grain and hay to get her body heat up a little and convince her to stay out of the rain.
Since that incident, I have been working on closing her in the stall and holding the door for a few minutes at a time. I need to train her that the stall is a safe place and a place to rest and let her know the corral is a place to work and not a place to just hang out. That will be another post in the future but for now we are just keeping the horses active and feeding them to keep them healthy through the winter.
Happy Holidays everyone!
