This 'n That

[SandyG]

Once again, I sing songs of thanksgiving for water heaters, horse blankets, a pole barn to shelter them from the fatal winds, and their stamina. I'll group Miss April and PONY! in her big stall with hay and water and then Helen and Hollie will have their end stall with a large supply of hay. Their door is already closed with the gate in place and there is enough of the round bale left to get them through today. I will either move a round bale or toss bales for them until I can move a round bale into the center of the barn. That's 2,000 lbs of hay eaten in 48 hours. Like I say, great weather predictors!

There is an uneasiness inside me as I ponder those without shelter, without hay, and without someone who cares. And so, as I sing, I pray for those stuck in those situations and I ask that their journey to their next life be swift. Without pain and swift. Please and Amen.

[SandyG]

I worried all night long on how I was going to get more hay out to the big barn and into the big barn in preparation for the frigid Sunday that is ahead of us. I tossed small bales of hay last night but our pile in the big barn is dwindling and so I would be out of small squares by the Saturday morning feeding. We needed big hay in that barn and with wind chills in the -30's and fragile horses that need shelter, blankets, and tons of hay to keep them warm, we couldn't take days to get it done!

Nick, Brandon, and I went thru the wringer trying to get the skid loader started last Sunday in 7 degrees ABOVE. It was so hopeless, that I placed calls to my dear neighbors to make arrangements to have them come and move hay out for the herds. But with the help of a battery charger and a 20 amp starter, it eventually started. And this, mind you, with a $300+ new John Deere battery in the loader!

So this morning, I thought I would try the routine to see if I could get hay moved so that I could sleep! The mule needed to be moved out of the way (that battery is literally frozen solid) and I tried pushing it, but the snow is just like sticking paper. So, I started the pickup and pulled it back out of the way so - with all the faith in the world! - when the skid loader was started, it would be clear sailing to get it out of the garage where it sits plugged in 24/7.

As I climbed into the loader, I prayed that if the loader started this morning, I would sing His praises all day long! Well, guess who's singing!!! Me! I barely touched the key and the skid loader was running and getting ready to do some heavy work. After the problems we have had with it since it was returned from the shop in October, this was truly a miracle. The answer to the prayer.

Two - not just one - bales were moved into the big barn for the anticipated closed door hours head of us and so the really fragile ones can stand inside and eat today. Even though it is a better day, it is still very frigid on old and emaciated bodies. And then I moved an additional bale up in the corner close to the barn so horses eating that bale could be in the sunshine and out of the winds. I parked the skid loader, plugged it in, and yup . . . I began to sing every Christmas carol that I could think of!

So the stories continue of the miracles that happen on this hill - from a load of dewormer showing up within minutes of asking for help deworming The Herd, to being able to wade the muds to get Liz-Beth up on those first warm sunny days of spring, year after year. And now, to the skid loader starting without a charge or a jump. In my simple mind, this is just reinforcement that we are doing good works and the doors are opening for us.

Have a good day. And sing a carol or two in gratitude!!!

[SandyG]

Because of today's warmer temperatures, most of the blankets were taken off so the kids would not sweat. Sweating in the blankets makes the blankets useless when the cold air returns, so off they come and are piled according to hooking order. Tomorrow when the temps begin to fall, they will go back on and will feel pretty good again, I'm guessing!

This weather is hard on their feet, their patience, and their ability to co-exist with each other. The leaders are leading, that's for sure. And the peace keepers are doing just that. Faith is working hard to keep her corner calm while Faline just finds a corner and sleeps. Helen stands in an open tie stall while Ella eats her way to the other side of the bale. And Clyde Mare? Well, she towers over everyone and eats while watching who is doing what. No pausing for her, just entertaining herself while she eats.

The Ole' Man is eating constantly and he is the cause of stress for Sunday. As I told customers today, if we can stay intact until Monday morning, I will be one happy woman!

Be safe. Be warm. And be grateful.

[SandyG]

The innocence of the horses is a good lesson for me today -

They don't have a forecaster telling them to stay off the roads and stay inside. They don't have a screen in front of them telling the -45 degree wind chills by 4pm today. They don't have a forecaster telling them it has not been since the winter of 2012-2013 that we have seen a thermometer reading of less than -20 degrees. They don't have all of this doom to listen to. They only have the sound of their jaws munching on hay. I envy them.

I've let the forecasters get to me and my stomach is in knots. I'm brooding and worried and completely and totally on edge. I need to breathe, relax, and hug them to allow them to flood me with their calm and do my job - take care of them. That's my only job - to take care of them. And they know it and depend upon it. That alone should be enough for me to feel the joy of this day.

In that vein, I opened a box and placed a brand new winter blanket on Faline's used up frame. She turned and looked at me with all the puzzlement she was thinking in her eyes. I'm sure it is the first blanket she has ever had on her withers. Adjustments to account for her length and lack of body mass but she is under that navy blue insulated coat with the bright red trim and she is beautiful! I told her so as she started to back out of her stall and then stopped when she felt the elastic around her rear legs. With just a little coaxing she began moving again and is already used to her new noise and feelings of this thing. And already, she is warming under that blanket.

Now there. There is the joy of this day. The little tasks to keep them cared for and content. Severe cold frightens me and causes me to mourn the loss of those creatures - horses, dogs, cats, humans - with no one to look after them. May their journey be swift and just a dream. Amen.

[SandyG]

The pellet stove is full and I'm ready to rest in front of it in the big easy chair. Whenever I need to shift - which I'm guessing will be about every 90 minutes or so - I'll slip my coveralls on and check on the kids. All is well right now and I'm grateful and proud of them.

The big ones are in the corral - out of the breeze - and working on demolishing the 4 round bales of this summer's hay. That's 8,000 lbs of hay! But they are calm and quiet and doing very well. The special needs herd is in the barn with 4,000 lbs of hay in front of them. They all have a minimum of a fleece cover and one heavy winter blanket on their backs. Some have as many as 3 blankets over their flannel cover. Regardless, everyone is warm under the blankets and calm as cucumbers.

Gracie is in her workshop with a wool blanket on under her lightweight fall blanket. She is sleeping and such a lucky girl! Without that heated stall, she would not survive the night. But with her right outside the kitchen door, she gets tons of kisses and hugs as I make my trips out to her friends. Next week - Tuesday? - she should be back in the pastures again!!

I know it is early yet and we have another 15 degrees to drop. Dang. But I am sure they will tell me if they are in trouble and I'll do my best to help. Buckets of mush feed are soaking so I can have hot food in any of them in just minutes. The Ole' Man is sleeping in his stall with his mouth full of hay. And he is eating the hay pellets, as well, which provide him good heat and energy to fight.

Prayers needed and welcome. Our herd is protected and safe. It is those others. You know they are out there and need your help in their journey.

[SandyG]

HURRAY!!!

It was a long, cold night with the air getting more and more frigid. Thank heavens the winds were non-existent by midnight but the air - it has been years since I felt that extremely cold air in my nostrils. And believe me, I didn't miss the feeling.

The horses are all fine this morning. Our "normal" special needs herd was calm and ate/slept throughout the night. On my checks, I would check under their fleece for body temps and check their ears. After being intruded upon, they turned to me for their treat as a reward for being such a good patient. At about 2am, The Ole' Man stopped moving and started to fall off of his feed. When I attempted to get him to the stock tank, he seemed resistant to moving and his legs had stiffened up. So, I pulled and pulled and we finally made it up to Gracie's little stall. They are sharing the stall today and he will go back to the big barn tomorrow afternoon but I wasn't certain he was just sleeping. I was concerned he was starting to stiffen up from the cold.

Remember, he has only been her about 6 weeks and so I don't know him that well. But I was NOT going to chance it that he just goes into a deep sleep at night. Not when he has been continuously eating, eating, eating. Not eating was a big sign to me that he was starting to go the wrong way. And it was ridiculous to let him cross on just one 24 hour window of frigid air!

So again, I am re-reminded that we need that hospital finished! We need the doors, the floor, the electrical, and the heat source! We need to have stalls for these horses - not a small space with two fragile creatures doing their best to share!

Anyhow, we are good here on this hill. Ready for tomorrow's sunrise and the breezes of warm air that will bring. Ready to open the doors and let them run and roll and stretch. And ready to relieve them of 60 lbs of fabric - but none of them are complaining!

I am going to check in mid-morning and top off the tanks and then - get this - I'm going to take a nap. And not in the chair, either! I'm as tired as they are!!! But I'm on only two legs!

[SandyG]

The thermometer in the barn is 30 (yes, thirty!) degrees higher than it was at this time yesterday. The kids are eating breakfast but just waiting for the sound of the doors sliding open. I'm removing some of the heavier blankets so they can run and play and enjoy their freedom. AND the forecast is for seasonal weather all week!

The Ole' Man is back in his stall and calling to his girlfriend. Josephina does not even turn her head or pause in her chewing.

Gracie will head back to the big barn tomorrow when the temps are more stable. I'll blanket her well and she'll stay in the bed of hay in the barn with her friend, Miss April. Gracie will be a happy girl. And, that gives me a chance to clean out and prepare the workshop for the next frigid cycle.

Their caretaker? SO relieved - the tight neck, the sore jaws, the knots in the belly are all gone! A smile is actually starting to form on her face. We made it through a bad one. And for those who are now on the other side, may you be happy and warm and safe. You did the best possible and bravely chose to move on. Bravo and great job!

[SandyG]

What glorious relief!!!!

Horses naked in the pasture and blankets folded over gates. Wonderful to give them their freedom and only protect the weakest against the damp air. Time for them to stretch their legs, roll, and sleep! And now, hopefully, time for their caretaker to relax and get these jaws to stop aching!!!

Enjoy your day and the week ahead. This is a time of joyous celebration and may you be with those who mean the very most to you.

PS - Don't forget to tell them that!

[SandyG]

In almost forty years of caring for horses, I've never seen horse come in with her blanket like this! Dear Helen was standing at the doorway waiting for her turn for breakfast and I noticed one of her belly straps was undone on her blanket. Not unusual for those horses that lay down in the night and Helen, when she feels it is safe, will rest those long legs of hers in the hay. So I thought nothing of it.

Fed her the bucket of breakfast and then set about to correct the hanging belly band. Huh. Where did it go? And so I looked down and there it was - wrapped around her hind leg so very neatly just like an ankle bracelet. How in the world she managed to get her foot through the loop and then tighten the loop is beyond me! But, she did! So with a gentle touch, she raised the leg as I pulled on the excess strap and fed it through the linch to loosen it from her foot. One more pull and the strap was free and ready to be readjusted for the length needed for her tummy.

Never seen this before and probably never will again! But when they have blankets on, you MUST check them every morning and every night. That is, if you don't want them to shred the blanket trying to escape from that monster on their back!!!

And then to top off the morning, I glanced over at Gracie who is SO happy to be in the big barn again. I fed her in Beauty's big 3' bucket so she can play with her feed as she likes to. Only certain kibbles can be eaten in a very certain order for Gracie. What I saw was a picture - there was Gracie, in her blanket with her head in the bucket . . . as well as her 2 front feet! Yup! Gracie OWNED that bucket and it wasn't going to move around on her, that's for sure! The only way to fix that was to stand in it! Cute little bugger!

Enjoy this March weather today!

[SandyG]

On this balmy December morning, the kids know the routine. Even Miss April was standing in front of her stall waiting for the command of "OKAY" for her to eat from the feeder. These horses are intelligent, alert, grateful, and obedient. A few a bit more than others but they all are responsive to gentle and kind handling.

The surprise of the morning comes from, of all horses, Billy the Bully. Now this horse has been threatened by any horse on the property - including Faith, PONY!, and Alexius! I have watched Billy as he has been watching The Ole' Man. Since the cold, I've had The Ole' Man in the end big stall so he can move around, have ready access to water, have a feeder with ample hay pellets in it, and have a tank of hay in front of him. But, of course, The Ole' Man wants out! Logical but not practical in his emaciated and crippled condition.

So yesterday, Billy was standing in the doorway to the barn watching The Ole' Man rack up the miles. I thought Billy was getting upset with the racket but instead, as Billy showed me this morning, he was being empathetic to the guy. This morning, Billy and The Ole' Man shared some hay on the ground and even exchanged some air. What a surprise that was!! Billy is a friend to, of all horses, The Ole' Man! I'll continue to watch and am thinking that maybe on Christmas Day, I will release The Ole' Man for a while and see how the two do together.

Having The Ole' Man out half of the day and in half of the day would be perfect. But I cannot risk him in with our fragile herd as he is a kicker and I thought I could not risk him in the with healthy ones because I thought Billy would have him for lunch! Who knew? As I've said for years - just when you think you know your horses, they show you that you know nothing!!!

Enjoy this day! And remember why we celebrate this Christmas Day.

[SandyG]

This is a day packed with memories of The Gilbert Family Christmases. Days of 3am awakenings to look for Santa's note, present unwrapping, a big meal lovingly cooked by Mom, and then the trip to the Woodland Orphanage. Then home to oyster stew (ugh!) and a night of coziness in our living room - over packed with a real Christmas tree that was heavy with meaningful ornaments.

It is also a day of remembering Mom's sudden crossing and the dread of having to call Donna to tell her. Of the days that came next full of respect and praise for 'The Best Mom God Ever Made", and then our final touches.

And now in my adult life, I find myself heading to the barns early on this day to hook, feed them their special stew, and then wander from horse to horse to brush a bit, pick a few burr's, and sing to them. PONY! fell asleep with his face in his feed bucket but only he had licked me in appreciation for the blanket I put over his shoulders. Helen dropped her head and just listened quietly after her neck was cleaned and she had been given her treats of carrots and kisses. Faith held her head high with her ears constantly tipped to me - patiently waiting for her turn for the attention. Faline spent the time searching for kibbles she may have missed. And Miss April found soft footing and so rested her weary legs and sore feet. I spent the majority of the morning with my children and would have it no other way. I am home and so very happy to be here.

One of you dropped an email this morning and said it all - everything my heart feels on this Christmas of 2016: Hope this day brings you peace, faith and renewed hope for the year to come!

It is my prayer for Refuge Farms as an organization of valuable and diligent volunteers. It is my prayer for our supporters who never give up on us. And it is for me, their caretaker, who seems to so easily get overwhelmed. But it is The Day of Days to have faith, to be hopeful and true, and to be proud of what we do for those that nobody else wants.

So Merry Christmas to all! And much gratitude, appreciation, and care from Sandy and this herd of The Most Beautiful Creatures God Ever Made.

[SandyG]

WOW!s When they say gusts up to 40 mph they aren't kidding, are they? I've learned from previous years when SSW winds are high that the big doors to the barn will be slid right off their tracks and go flying! So today I tied them all up on both ends to the strong steel gates across the closed doors. I even tied the access door to the big door so the wind could not blow that open onto the kids. The doors still rattle in the big gusts! But at least nothing is sliding to the north!

As predicted, all the rain has dampened everything and now all those things are freezing up - doors to the vehicles, chains to the gates, shovels in the snow bank, and even the tree branches. Again, I watch as these trees do their best to flex and bend and every once in a while they lose the battle and a branch is dropped.

The kids are good, though. A bit bored but good. Feeding this morning went well and they are all "on" their feed - THAT is what is important. The only time heads went up in the barn was when one of the gusts took the side panel and rattled it and the doors joined in with the noise. Then they became aware that it was, indeed, good to be inside today! As long as "inside" stays together!

Overall, our kids look good and blankets will be appreciated this evening. Just to hold their body heat in and not let them feel the drafts of the colder air. That way they will relax and opening the doors in the morning will be a fun event rather than something needed to get warm by moving around!

Enjoy your day and please be safe!!

[SandyG]

I've been watching her out of the corner of my eye for the entire time she has been here. Knowing she has taken severe blows to the head, I've been watching for a seizure. And today, a seizure visited her.

Hollie is a proud, stellar horse with a tipped head from neck injuries and bumps in her tissue from blows and points in her legs from bone chips floating under her skin. The seizure, I felt, was very possible as the head is a fragile organ and when the brain is as bruised as it was, it seems likely. I had been encouraged that in these years I had not witnessed a seizure or the after math of one but today, it appeared.

She is calm but frightened. Standing in the barn right next to the bale, I'm presuming, for protection and a soft surroundings. She did not go down during her seizure but I guarantee you her body is exhausted and her proteins are high making her feel weak and out of sorts. Her gum color is restored and she drank some water for me but she does not want outside and so I left her standing tall in the barn next to the bale.

This will change things for this mare but will not stop us from loving her, that's for sure! I will try to construct some kind of a "Blind Horse Parade Unit" banner to drape over her so that she can remain in our Parade Unit - she is striking and would make a great point horse. Riding is no longer an option for her but that does not mean we leave her behind. She enjoys it too much to exclude her.

I'm expecting she will be off her feed and her actions for the next day or two but by the weekend our Hollie should return to us. She is sore, tired, and puzzled. A bit afraid and just wondering what the heck just happened. She needs time to restore herself and gain her confidence back. Any positive thoughts you could send her way will work wonders.

[SandyG]

Hollie, bless her heart, is upright but very sore. Her arthritic leg is hurting her to the point that I'm wondering if she slipped on the ice. So I gave her some bute paste tonight to take the edge off. I'll check for swelling in the morning.

After her supper, I took her to the stock tank and then put her right between her PONY! and the round bale in the barn. She has a soft bed if she decides to rest and she is in out of the increasing winds. And PONY! Well, our PONY! was licking her right shoulder when I left the barn just now. He knows she is hurting and so he is comforting her as only PONY! can do.

If there is any swelling in the morning, I will ace bandage the leg to help support it and reduce the swelling. And I will continue the anti-inflammatory bute for 5 days.

My heart was with that little mare all day today but she is strong, obviously! If she weren't a fighter, she wouldn't have lived past the beating! Thank you for the positive thoughts - and please keep them coming!!!

[SandyG]

Based upon Hollie's reaction to the bute, I can conclude a few things:

* It is sore muscles and arthritis in that leg - not broken bones. The bute is giving her a bit more freedom of movement and she gets a bit freer after the first few steps (kind of like her caretaker). Broken bones would have swollen and there would be no increase in freedom of movement.

* I'll keep her on the bute as her appetite is restored. Good, good sign.

* With the winds, I have Hollie and Helen and Gracie in the end big stall with heated water and a fresh bale of hay after their breakfast. They are out of the wind and can eat until their tummies cannot hold anymore. And then Hollie does not need to get back in the barn tonight - on the ice and frozen, bumpy grounds - for meds and supper.

* I'll wrap the leg tonight and measure and the check in the morning. Supporting an arthritic joint help enormously but if it causes swelling, then I will remove it.

* All in all, I'm relieved and once again so impressed with the tolerance and strength of this quiet and strikingly beautiful little mare.

PONY! was already in his tie stall for breakfast when I turned the lights on this morning. And The Ole' Man was sleeping and very calm this morning. THAT is a great sign and a welcomed change is behavior. The temps are good outside if you can stay out of those winds! Hence, the bale in the barn. It creates an awful mess in the spring - and even now! - but well worth the comfort and calm it brings to the horses. I guess that's why we have a skid loader and wheelbarrows!

Watch for the ice just under the dusting of snow! And the ice melted on top yesterday in the sunshine so it is slipperier than Olympic rinks out there!!!