Clean up time at the barn

 It's that time of year--the transition from Winter to Spring.  We have long cold winters here in Colorado and when you own horses there's always a lot to do when the weather starts warming up.

The horses look pretty darn awful when the season start changing.  Their long winter coats start shedding like you can't believe.  I try to muck their stalls every morning and this time of year I also use the shedding blade on them in the mornings to to help get that hair out.

They both look pretty bad right now.  They're getting older--23 or 24 years old.  Believe me, they get fed well, but they both look a little skinny right now.  It's harder to keep weight on them during the winter.

We keep their stalls clean which is where they primarily hang out when it's cold, but they also do a lot of pooping right outside the barn.  It gets very deep and mushy so when the weather warms up we have to do the heavy work and clean it up.  Why?  Because they could twist their legs and get injuring in the deep, wet muck.

Last weekend we shoveled and raked and hauled about 17 wheelbarrow loads to the muck pile.  It's hard work for two people who are now in their 60s.  I'm not sure how we'll be able to do this for 10 or more years.  Anyway, we got about one-third of it cleaned up.  

I cringe when non-horse people tell me they want to buy a horse.  A lot of research is really needed to know what you're getting into.  We just brought in a load of 100 bales of hay for $1,300--really expensive right now.  That will last about 4-5 months.  Then there's farrier visits, veterinarian visits, and the day to day upkeep.  They need to be fed and watered twice per day, they need to be cleaned up after, and stock horses like ours could live 35+ years.  Of course, they only tend to get sick on the coldest, windiest, wettest day of the year.  It's a lifelong commitment unless you're one of those people who are okay with sending old horses to slaughter.  Life on a kill ship in international waters is undoubtedly very awful. I chose to be their caretaker and I'll do it until the day they cross over the rainbow bridge.

The muck pile is huge.  The horses love laying on it during the winter because it generates heat.  When summer arrives the sun will start breaking it down and it will start disintegrating.  

We're supposed to have some beautiful spring weather for the next few days so you'll know where to find us--out at the barn shoveling horse poop.