Stable Comfort 10 Day Review

We started using the stalls with the Stable Comfort stall mats about 10 days ago and I want to do a short review.

What I've noticed the most and is super important to me is that Joey hasn't been stocked up in the mornings after being locked in the stall all night. We don't have outside runs ready yet so its just the stalls. I do not know if he's sleeping a lot or just standing around but I do know he's not making laps in it. So not stocking up is a SUPER DUPER PLUS. He has laid down a few times, I can tell by the shavings in his tail.

Wifi is the same as always in her stall.

What I do not like is that the pee goes wherever it wants and in both stalls that's right to where their hay bags hang. No one likes to eat hay that's been sitting in their pee. I'm thinking I might need to hang the hay nets on a different wall or have several spots so at least the floor can dry before using those spots again. I even switched the horses to each others stalls last night to see if it would make any difference but it didn't.

The only thing we did not do when installing was crown the concrete in the middle but it was poured before I ordered the mats. On flat floors with regular mats if Joey pees in the middle it stays in the middle.

Once we get the runs completed both horses will stop peeing in the stalls at all and it won't be an issue. I use plain pine shavings and should be getting some pellets to use instead but can't right now due to short pay checks (I love my job).

This morning Wifi didn't go out to the back pasture to eat when Joey went out, she stayed behind the arena and when I went out there she came back in and wanted lots of attention. I removed her blanket and groomed her, noticed her hair on one side looks nappy, wonder if its from having the blanket on at all??

It seems to fit well enough. I also noticed her withers seem fatter/wider.

Then a bit later Lan noticed her rubbing her butt on the fence, maybe because she's shedding so much? Or needs to be dewormed? If she's not feeling well I don't want to deworm her but I do have them on hand and they are due on March 1st. I'll wait until then and we're keeping an eye on her.

I've got enough hay nets that our house sitter won't have to worry about filling them while we're gone, it will just be remove the empty and hang a full one. We're not going to have Tina put the horses into the stalls, just leave them in the arena. One hay net on each side and they are set. I'll make sure the trough is full and then it should all be fine. Terry will check on them too.

This Isn't Like Me

There have been times in my past where I'd start packing 3 months before a trip and the only other time I procrastinated was before Ironman CDA 2013.  This trip, to Colorado, is another postponed packing trip; I haven't gotten my bag out of the closet, haven't made sure clothes are clean, nothing.

There IS a bag of things to take with us, that I've been adding up for several weeks now, its got the neck pillows, a few treats for the flight, I added a road map yesterday. Since this is a trip to a cold destination instead of warm beaches there will be a LOT more clothing.

Check out the weather: 

I'll be wearing several layers every day, so will Lan so we're going to need to take a large bag and of course the airlines will charge us $25 each way.

I need to find sweatshirts for everyone, I was hoping to find PORT ORCHARD ones or even BREMERTON but might just get stuck with WASHINGTON or SEATTLE. Not Seahawks, I'm a Cowboys girl myself and not a Seahawks fan. There's Jeff, Hitomi, Andrea & Soren and I know they will have them at the airport but I don't want to buy them after I go through security because I don't want to carry them around with me on the plane.

Trip Coming Soon

We're going to Colorado in 9 days for Lans birthday week.

I wanted to take him to Crested Butte to ski but he decided to go to Steamboat Springs instead. At S.S., he can visit and ski with his friend, Nelson. They will have an epic day on the slopes.

I will hang out and maybe do some shopping in town.

March 5 arrive in Denver. After we pick up our car we'll head north,

to Loveland, to visit my brother and his wife.

March 6th we'll head over to SS, where we will stay for 2 nights.

Lan will spend one day skiing and one day just hanging out. 

The Mountain Coaster looks like a TON of fun and I want to ride it.

March 8th, Lans 51st birthday,

we'll head to Gunnison and Crested Butte

& somewhere along the way meet up with my niece, Andrea and her son, Soren.

Soren is 5 and I've never met him.

In Gunnison we're spending the night at Wanderlust Hostel. We've stayed there before, in 2010 during our honeymoon. Fun time. 

March 9th we head back into Denver to spend time with my other niece, Audrey and then fly home in the evening.

Its going to be a busy week, lots of driving & sitting on our butts, COLD and fun.

Beginning Loft

The loft supports

About half of them are up

Today the remaining supports go up and floor begins.

And I have commissioned my first piece of artwork. I saw the painting of her own horse, it was the first art painting she had ever done, then I saw a fox the next day. So I asked her to paint a picture for me, offered her $100 and sent half a dozen images and gave her the choice. 

He's not finished but this brought tears to my eyes.

A dream come true.

And my Wifi, in the snow, (see the flake on her nose?) such a nice girl, love her so much.

Finished Stalls

Wifi and Joey are in their new stalls for the very first time,

I thought Joey might get anxious but he was all about the hay. Wifi, on the other hand, was investigating every corner & looking everywhere for Joey. 

Their feed doors are right next to each other so I could leave them open if I wanted but I think for the first night they can survive if both are closed, just till they're used to them.

Tomorrow I'll work on getting all the tools and wood out of the wash rack so I can start using it to groom. I'll need a saddle rack & bridle hook too.

Stable Comfort Stall Mats DONE

Horses will be sleeping in here VERY SHORTLY.

Stable Comfort mats are finished, all nicely trimmed. Boards on right will be divider supports, being installed this evening.

Weathers going to be in low 20's this week, these are done just in time.

Isn't it beautiful? I LOVE this barn.

Wish I Had Photos!!

The barn this morning looks

AMAZING!!

Too bad I have to work or I'd go out and take photos of the change overnight. 

The Stable Comfort stall mat is completely finished and looks to good, no, GREAT.

The aisle way was swept.

All the working tools, wood and debris from these last few months is cleared

And it's all bright and clean.  

Still a lot to do but I'm thrilled with what we have.

Stable Comfort Mats

The StableComfort stall mats are almost completely installed. 

We went to Habitat For Humanity and purchased just enough carpet padding to cover the entire floor.

Then we had to have 2 more people come over and help get the mat rolled out in the aisleway and rerolled in the length wise direction, so we were carrying a 27 foot long HEAVY limp noodle

instead of a 13 footer.

Hemmed & hawed, pushed & pulled, finally got it about right.

Then the sides started getting the black strips screwed in, this wall first. 

At  his point it still had a lot of wrinkles and we were thinking they would have to be there forever as the mat is too bulky and difficult to just move and stretch.

This is what the top mat looks like, almost a felt-carpet on the bottom/underneath.

And heavy duty rubber on the top.

Its about 1/4 inch thick all together.

Here is beside one of the outside doors. See the angle? it was too much, he had to remove some and loosen them to less of an angle.

This is the divider post, the second wall area we did

and we had to figure out how to go around the post. 

I was a bit freaked out about him cutting it but he just went ahead and it all turned out OK. 

This wasn't easy and took about an hour to get it just so. 

This is the almost finished post.

This is below two feed windows which will be open a lot with them standing there with their heads out, stamping their feet for food and attention.

Now that wall is all finished with the top row of screws but had to be redone at the lesser angle.

There is one of the end walls done, as soon as he got the second row of screws in the floor got smooth and most of the wrinkles are gone.

Doorway outside. He had installed the pressure treated board just for this purpose and it looks like its going to work OK for a while.

There is one more doorway to finish, then trim all the excess from above the black strips and then black caulking along the tops to seal them from having pee go down behind them.

Divider boards, water bucket hooks, feed bins and

then I can FINALLY use the stalls.