Quick Lunge

Apropos of nothing: here's a picture of Ferra in her nice, clean stall.
Winnie got a short lunging session today, but it started raining soon after. Looks like the horses are getting the weekend off.
I’ll have to make this goal a top priority in February, as January was a bit of a washout. Still, everyone did get their vaccinations and de-wormer this week, plus Penelepe got her second full exam. Looks like she’s be getting her wolf teeth out before she ever so much as sees a bit.

Still to Do

Still to Do:

1.Paint the tack room door and trim
a.Buy high gloss white and seattle red paint from Kelly Moore Cost: $40
b.Paint two coats of each on a dry, warm morning or afternoon Cost: $50

2. Mount the saddle racks
a. Have Michael make a wood mounting piece and Mount Cost: $50

3. Put metal to cement sealer on exterior of feed room to fix leaks.Estimate: $50

4. Mount stall divider Estimate: $20

5. Hook up the sink plumbing Estimate $275
a. Call plumber and schedule (or get another estimate?)

6. Install vent pipe for the water heater Estimate:?

7. Add more shelves and remount the wall cabinet Estimate :$800

8. Hang rope lights and wire to the light switch
a. Drill corbels of shelves and thread LEDs through.
b. Get and install remaining shelving and repeat a. c. Buy double switch/box
d. Hire electrician and get new switches installed and wired up.

9. Hook up the telephone Estimate $100

10. Grind down the feed door latch Estimate: $10

11. Re-Paint the roof and cupola Estimate $500 (We have the paint) a. Call around and get one or two estimates b. Hire Painter

12. Clean and oil (silicone) the front and rear door tracks

13. Mount the Boot Racks a. Figure out where to mount them both (one in the garage?)

14. Buy and Mount blanket racks

15. Reinforce the roof for storage

With just $1470 left in the budget, this could be pretty tight.

Yet More Chores

Horse Blankets: Replace the broken buckles on two blankets, happily no sewing involved. I tried to patch a third with waterproof tape, but the tape is already about half off. I guess patches are in my future. Another sheet has two large rips along the seams, but I’ve got it on the baby right now, so fixing it will have to wait. I’ve one more blanket to replace half of a fastener on, which I plan to do today. I wish the local tack shop hadn’t closed. It would be way easier just to pay the local blanket lady to do it.
Just say no to naked horses.

The final cabinet is up!

The final cabinet is up, though I may buy some more in the future. I need to figure out my storage needs first.
The idea with this wall cabinet was to mount a tack cleaning hook underneath that hangs directly over the sink. I think I may have put the cabinet just a hair too high. Oh well, there’s always do-overs.
Tomorrow the saddle racks and the aisle divider are scheduled to be mounted. God, it will be great to get this stuff out of the house and into the barn where it will be useful.
Labor: $20
Remaining Budget: $1450

No Go

It’s been pissing down rain, as our English cousins say, for about a week now. Since our community arena doesn’t have all-weather footing, training is on hold for now. It’s supposed to clear up Monday, which means at least Winnie and I can get back to work then. If not, I’ll just have to trailer over to my trainer’s covered arena. It’s an hour round trip, plus the trailer in fee, but that’s better than waiting until spring.

Tack Racks

The guys bulit a 20 foot long U-shaped 2’ wide pine shelf with a thick apron to attach the bridle hooks to, avoiding the problem of to many screws through the wall (It’s a horse stall on the other side.) Michael and Valik, our hardworking carpenters, really hit this one out of the park.

Cost: $150 materials, $270 Labor, $420 Total

New Total: $1030

Barn Aisle Flooring

Here's a picture of Daphne and Penelepe sharing dessert.

I would have loved to cover our 12’ x 36’ barn aisle floor with those red brick looking rubber pavers. However, that’s well over a grand just for materials. It would look lovely, but a round pen would be much more useful. Functionality trumps form for now. Instead, three more 4’ x 8’ stall mats added to the ones already in place have made an 8’ wide padded, nonslip path along the center of my barn.

Cost: about $150

Total so far: $610

Magnetic Tool Racks

Every barn should have these!

Neat Freak Nirvana

I’ve been practically tripping over my long handled tools every time I walk into the feed room for years now. I finally dealt with it by putting up racks. I’m ridiculously happy about it.

Two fire extinguishers also went in. One is in the tack room and one is in the feed room, both are on the wall right next to the door’s interior. They would have gone in the aisle, but I was afraid a loose horse might knock these pressurized canisters off their fastenings. Barn fires are a leading cause of horse death, so having these handy will let me sleep a little easier. I’d love to have a fire alarm hooked up to the house, as well as sprinklers, and a separate barn for hay and bedding. (They’re pretty much kindling, after all.) Maybe after I’ve finished all the stuff I already have parts for. I suppose there’s always room for improvement.

Materials: Purchased Last Year
Labor: $40
2010 Labor to date: $460

Sink Fixtures!

Today the sink faucet, pull out spray, and soap dispenser were screwed in. I’ll need to call a plumber to hook up the copper pipe and the ABS, but it looks cool.

The stalls were stripped and power washed. Then the feeders taken out and Cement-to-Metal leak stop was put in between the seams adjoining the tack and the feed room walls. I hope that works. I’ll need to pull the auto waters out to seal behind there as well.

I foolishly bought the Nelson 900 auto waters and the floats fail pretty regularly resulting in a lovely flooded stall. The aluminum bowls also grow calcium salt formations out of nowhere, which need to be cleaned out every day. I spoke to Nelson’s customer service and even the sales person who sold it to me. (I think his name was Steve.) They claimed my water must be too hard. We don’t even have hard water. (I tested it.) Jeez, my $500 Italian espresso machine has never so much as hiccupped, but those Nelson 900s have been a nightmare. (FYI Nelson wouldn’t take them back as they had already been installed when this little problem appeared. They did offer me 20% off their other waters if I wanted to replace these four brand new ones. Yeah, I’ll buy from them again…not.)

Tomorrow: Bolt in the cross tie plates and hopefully get some hardware to put up the temporary stall divider. Maybe we’ll even get the tack room door painted.

2010 Labor to date: $420

Ongoing Lameness

I spent some serious time with my vet on the phone yesterday trying to figure out the next step in Daphne’s Deep Digital Flexor Tendonitis. It’s been over six months and she’s still just enough off at the trot to not put her in training. Her exciting new wedge pad shoes (horse sneakers) have helped a lot, but the vet feels the only thing left to try is Tildren. That costs to $1200 to start and $100/month for life thereafter. No guarantees it will work, of course. I’ve been reading web articles on it for about two hours now. I think I now know more and understand less.

I must now go to bed and pull the covers over my head.

My 2010 Resolution: Train My Horses!

The Plan: I have five horses which makes this is a pretty big goal. I suspect this may get broken down into smaller, component parts, but for now one goal it is.

My Horses Right Now:

Alleluja: She’s a 24 year old retired show horse, so she pretty much knows everything she’ll ever need and then some. So, no work for me here, plus I do get to use her as a leader for the younger horses as I teach them.

SPS Daphne: She’s a 15 year old career broodmare. The plan was to get her under saddle this year, but she’s lame on her left fore. I’ve been to three vets, had ultrasound and x-rays, and put two degree pads and shoes on both front feet. It’s improved since her injury six months ago, when she managed to get out and tear her digital flexor tendon somehow. (I’ve since electrified all the pasture fences and a better driveway gate is in the works.) However, it looks like she may always be just a little off on that hoof on a right lead trot circle. I’ve got another call into my vet, but just having babies may be her future. (The eight she’s already borne have all been exceptional.)

MSB Winnie: She’ll be seven in May and is solid walk, trot, and canter, plus she’s approved as a main stud book mare by the American Hanoverian Society. Her only real issue is being so herd bound that she can’t concentrate on anything but her buddy Daphne if you take them anywhere together. Working on that and getting some more mileage on her is the goal this year. She’s sound as a bell and has a great mind so that should be easy. I’ll probably also start her over jumps and work on a training level dressage test. Unless she sells first.

EMC Ferra: She’ll only be four in June, but has already aced her in hand inspection with the American Hanoverian Society and passed her mare performance test with flying colors. She’s even been awarded a place in their jumper breeding program. So, she’s on vacation until February to mature a bit more. Like all of my horses, she’s too herd bound so I want to get her over that. She also hates the electric trimmers and is an absolute terror when the vet tries to give her shots. Otherwise it’s just a matter of continuing her training as appropriate to her age and size. (I sticked her at 16.2 hands about six months ago.)I need to figure out exactly what that means. She’ll also need to bear a foal at some point to officially be designated an Elite Mare. That will mean a year and a half off minimum.

Penelepe: She’ll be two in June so that’s another year and a half of just growing up. She’s trailered a bit, but could use some more practice as she’s never been off the farm without her mom Daphne. She knows the basics: being haltered, led, tied to a hitching post, cross tied in the aisle, standing for the farrier and the vet, plus is pretty good with her blankets and sheets. She’s respectful of my space, but needs to learn to stand more quietly when I groom her. She’s already almost 16 hands, so manners are a must!

2010 Training Goals:
1. Make Alleluja as comfortable and happy as possible.
2. Do what I can to get Daphne sound. Start her under saddle if possible or breed her for a 2011 foal if it’s not.
3. Exercise Winnie 4X/Week with lunging and riding. I’d like us to be able to go out on the trail alone as well as be able to focus on her arena work without getting unreasonably distracted. I’d like to start her over jump this year and be able to do a training level dressage test too.
4. I’d like to take Ferra out on the trails this year. I need to figure out what’s reasonable to ask of her, given her youth and immaturity. She won’t be full grown until she’s about six, so anything that will compromise her long term soundness needs to be shelved.
5. Penelepe needs to be separated from mom this year, so she’ll get her own stall. She would have one already, but I’ve only got four! I need to work with her more in hand so she’s more respectful of my space. She also needs to stand more quietly when I clean her hooves. Plus, this year, both she and Ferra will have to be desensitized to the electric trimmers.

Time Estimate: Well, training never really ends, but I’m limiting my goals to 2010 at the moment. I guess I’ll have to think about a weekly or monthly schedule. I’m not sure what is realistic at this point.

Cost: Putting Daphne, Winnie, and/or Ferra into professional training will get expensive quick. I think I need to research this more.

Deadline: Need to figure how long all this should take first

Reward: Bombproof horses would be nice, though Ferra and Penelepe are a bit young for that.

Anybody still reading? Amazing! Give yourself a gold star!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

The missing feed door latch has been machined and installed.

The lower tack room cabinets and their hardware, the sink, and the countertop are in.

The Electric Fence charger is finally mounted on the wall.

The workmen will be back tomorrow to put in the faucet and do possibly some more leak proofing. It looks like the tack racks will go in this week.

After two or three years with no progress I am ecstatic that this stuff is finally out of my garage and in the tack room where it belongs.

Horse Stuff

When you have five horses, it seems they always need something. So Stateline tack should be sending me 3 leather halter crown replacements. (My mare Ferra broke a three of them in her ‘I do not want to be in the horse trailer’ phase.)

I also ordered an aisle divider for my barn to turn a 1/3 of it into a temporary stall for my ancient mare (Ally). The baby is too big to share a stall with her mom anymore, which bumps Ally into standing out in the rain until soaked and shivering. So, on rainy nights she gets to stay in the aisle and be the center of attention, which she loves. I hope this arrives from Valley Vet soon!

For fun I bought a brow band with crystals for my show bridle. If I don’t love it I can always return it, right?

A Little More Progress

The final epoxy top coat is now on the tack room floor.

The door stops are now the barn doors.

The missing feeder is now back up.

The rusty bits have been removed and the bare metal painted over on all the stall walls.

Next Up: a plan for the rest

2010 New Year's Resolution: Finish My Barn!

I started my barn way back in 2005. I think it's time to 'getter dun.'
Time Estimate: Six Months
Budget: $2500
Deadline: July 1, 2010
Reward: Mounted, engraved brass stall plate with name, brand, sire, dam, and birthdate for each of my horses.

See more progress on: finish my barn