Lessons?

Amble and I were supposed to have driving lessons with a guy flying in from the Netherlands Friday evening and Saturday morning, but they got changed to Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. I had to change work, had to use PTO, which I'm stingy with, and got a call that the guy has been sick and isn't coming yet. As of right now, we don't know when he might come over. As for work, I picked up two shifts, today and tomorrow 2-midnight and I'll end up having 8 hrs OT for the week. Last week I got 7 hours OT and I'm going to need to take it all as pay since I am so strapped for cash. 

I *might* get paid Friday and IF I do, I have all the money already going to bills and probably not enough cash to save towards our vacation in a month. Good news though, I *think* I might only owe another $155.

HORSE NEWS:

I have a $900 saddle I need to sell so I can get another one that fits Amble. This whole set cost me $1,250 and it's rare that anyone wants to pay good cash money for an XW saddle, rarer that someone will be selling one that is WIDER and God forbid, matches the accessories I've got. 

While in the tack room today I saw Joeys saddle, don't know if I can EVER sell it; there were a lot of miles with us riding together in the mountains. His is a cheap western Cordura that I paid $400 for in 2000. Once stolen, after I got it back I wrote my name on the cantle in thick sharpie so no one else will ever want it.  Wifi has a nice Bates dressage saddle and even though its got an adjustable gullet it will never be wide enough for Amble but I could probably sell it for $800 with all its accessories.  Theres also the Pessoa I rode Joey in but it needs cleaning up and I'm sure even clean I wouldn't get more than $200 for it now.

He Could Be Mine

Mack

He has been offered to me

He is one amazing animal

Halterless gus

Gus without his halter loose in the arena for the first time since April 4th.

He's got a handsome face.

Now that Shadow/Laddie is gone, Gus really loves to play with his treat ball.

Lan has the outside runs just about finished. The electric rope is up, tape along the tops but there needs to be a bit more rope inside.

This was as he was taking down the old wooden fence.

Another view

And with it getting cleaned up and mowed. The pile of sand is buckshot, it will be the top finish in the runs. We need another 6 trailer loads, about 36 tons.

This is out back, there's still a lot to do out there too

Farrier

Gary came out today to trim & shoe horses

This is Mack's hoof

Joeys hoof 

Another of Joeys hooves 

And Gary met Gus for the first time; Gus was not impressed with Gary but handled this experience OK. His hooves have been trimmed before but it was by the veterinarian, he might have been on drugs. 

Gus is so little 

I'm sure Garys back got sore 

Gus pulled back a few times but once he got to the fence he had to stop. His head was under the shelf but he didn't bump it at all. 

Gary let Gus act up a bit but brought him back around each time 

It harder to do mini's than big horses 

And its super cute to watch 

Here is Gus's hoof inside Joey's shoe 

Grooming Stall

Today I groomed all the big horses in the grooming stall for the first time. Wifi first and forgot to take her photo. Then Joey, my handsome boy. I had their halters on each other wrong so this one was snug on him. 

Wifi wasn't impressed with her grooming since I always comb her tail and mane and they were snarled. I can't wait till there is water so I can bathe her, get that beautiful tail all nice and clean again. 

I groomed Mack too because he needed it and he was a very good boy. I don't like to give treats by hand but he was so good that I did, then Wifi got one too. Joey was already heading out to roll when I got the treats out. Mack already looks SO MUCH better than he did when he first got here.

All 3 of these big horses didn't shed as much as one little mini did. Gus left another pony in the stall. 

Both the mini's took treats out of my hand today, stood there and ate them, then took another. They are coming around.

About 9 months ago I leased Sunshower to a gal, she wanted her for herself  and the kids to ride. I agreed because she had just bought her property next door to my friend who has TONS of horse experience and I knew Sunshower would be OK there. But after living there for only 10 months, the gal has bought horse property in Tacoma and wants to take Sunshower there. 

I told her I want to see the property before I agree to it and she DEFIANTELY has to sign a lease agreement, since she didn't do it already.

I do not want Sunshower to go.

I miss her and she's my good riding horse, I don't know what the fuck I was thinking when I agreed to lease her out. All last year I had no one to ride because Joey is retired and Wifi had that back injury. This year Wifi is better and she looks FANTASTIC now but she's never been on trails and she wont ride through mud so I'd be stuck if she had a fit out on trails.

So what to do?

Lan said he doesn't want her back because he didn't build this barn for me to fill it with our own horses. I could bring her home if I got rid of the mini's. I wouldn't need to keep a mini if she were back here because I could take one horse to ride somewhere and Joey would still have the other girl with him.

Final Outside Barn Doors

We got the big back door to the barn up today, its 11 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Sort of. 

The opening is 12 feed wide but I asked about getting a man door in it, so its got a 2nd slider on it, for a man door. 

A slider on a slider.

Its not finished in this photo.

Shadow is so cute!

Gus is too

And Wifi, Oh My God, shes so freaking good looking.

Dutch Doors

This barn is beautiful, inside and out.

This is without paint, I have no idea what colors to paint it yet.

I've had a traditional red & white barn, it was so hard to find the correct BARN RED and then when I moved the new people just painted it white a year later. All that hard work, down the drain.

This section was finished today, right after we hung the final outside Dutch door. A lot of rain and leaves were coming in this part so it will be nice to have it closed up. We're planning on getting the horses into these two stalls soon and I don't want Joey getting rained on.

Next is the big back door where the truck is sitting. We're probably going to go 10 or 12 feet high but there is always the arena opening if we need to get something real tall inside. Like a hay delivery.

Horses Are Going To Love This

The Comfort Stall is half way installed.

Once we got all the sections laid out, we cut them to fit, filled in the empty spots, 

put the extra crumble on top

and spread it out.

Carpet padding goes on tomorrow, then the rubber top layer.

Going Faster

So exciting to see the work progress so fast now.

Yesterday there were just studs up, today the siding/T1-11 is up.

Not only is it nailed but Liquid Nails was put on each board for additional strength.

Someday I'll put all these shots together and make a flip book.

Another feature, the outside slab so the horses can stand out there and not get rained on.

Notice the gutters. This is about halfway attached, the far end needs to be connected to the wall along the back side.

This is the view from the inside earlier today.

This was taken after dark. and the plywood is inside one of the stalls. We chose to use 3/4 inch plywood because we know horses can't kick through it.

These 1x2s are to hold the 2x10x12 divider wall boards in place.

We got 4 boards in, each needs to have a bit more than 1 inch cut off. The rubber mats are on the floor of the first stall and the plywood is on the walls.

I'm ready to install corner grain feeders but I was told I was jumping the gun.

I was able to pull out all the old nails that were in each stall front from the previous corner feeders at the old farm. They didn't have them under the feeder doors, but in the opposite corners which defeats the purpose of 'feeder doors' but it would certainly keep horses from breaking them when they want to bust through. Mine will look similar to this but neater.

This cute little 3 tier cart was only $25 at IKEA, its going to be perfect for holding all this grooming stuff in the wash stall. I ordered all new brushes, 3 more hay nets and a few more Christmas horse things, red quarter sheet and halter jungle bells.

Aisle

The cement will be poured Friday in the barn aisle.

The guys are planning on being here, the cement is ordered (10-12 tons), the feast is being planned. Forms are almost finished but they do need more stakes to hold them in place.

The cement truck will back through here and they will drive it forward as it dumps. Jake will be putting in cement blocks to lift the wire as the truck moves. 

Afterward there will be a feast with steak, pasta and tater salad.

Weather is supposed to be nice and dry, I'll keep my fingers crossed.