Saturday, April 27, 2013

Nomads on Horseback

I can't even believe I'm saying this, but we moved barns AGAIN!!! Barn #6.  Seriously.  6 barns in the 4 years I've ridden with her.  I've moved houses less than that in my lifetime and these horses have breezed in and out of barns like they're on vacation.

But, I'm pretty sure this is THE ONE.  R-ster is actually part leaseholder on this one, so she's the boss.  I think this will make a big difference.

The barn was a barn full of horses years ago but for the last 20 years it's been kind of empty.  There's fuzziness on whether or not someone had horses in there about 10  years ago.  I don't think I remember ever seeing horses there but it's a great piece of property that's just dying for horses.

Because it's been empty for so long, there are a million things to do and r-ster had to move in before it was really ready, so things will be done as they come up, I think.  I've helped with painting, installing fences, cleaning, and it's not done by a long shot.

I had a lesson there today and we wondered what Tucker would be like.  It's more grass than he's seen in years and there is no official riding ring yet.  Since the fenced area is huge, we didn't want to ride into the abyss and let him take me on a tear across the field, so we just did the lesson in his paddock.  Not a terrible thing, but it's such a small area compared to what we've been using!

He was the best he's ever been.  It's so peaceful there and he was so cooperative.  He was AWFUL in the cross ties when I was getting him ready and I figured he'd be awful outside but he was a perfect student.  He was awful once again when I brought him in to take off his saddle and tack but then he was fine when I washed him down.   So weird!

The first night they were there, she brought them over around 5pm and let them play and graze in the paddocks for a while.  They were hysterical.  They kept running around like "can you BELIEVE this?" and then when they went into their stalls they all acted like they were doing something naughty and the jig would be up any second.  She said when she put them out in the morning they just ran and ran and ran like she'd never seen.

All of the barns we've been at have had limited space for running around.  All of them have had paddocks for them, but most have been about 10x10 or slightly larger.  At barn #3, they could go in and out as they pleased, but there wasn't much space to really rev it up.  At that barn though, they could be put into the riding ring and race around if they wanted.  At barn #4, there was no fenced ring, so any exercise they did was when they were ridden.

For a while, at least, they will have these enormous paddocks and be free to do what horses do:  eat grass and wander around.  I love the lack of mud right now.  The last place had very muddy paddocks for Tucker and Quinn and it would be awful after rain.  Right now, the land is very grassy and has bee for a long time, so it will be a while before it's torn up.

It's been very idyllic in the couple of days they've been there.  The first night was picture perfect.  The first full day was the bluest sky with the perfect temperature, horses snorting and blowing their noses all day, endless grassy fields.  They look endless because from the barn, they go up slightly, so you can't see the end of it. 

There's lots of this:


 This is not me but it's nice to see someone riding!

Still not me!  The buildings here will soon be torn down to make way for senior housing, which has nothing to do with the barn.


Isn't this great?  It looks great on the outside.  The inside needs some work but when the concrete gets poured for the aisle, all will be well.


The current paddocks.  There are horses there, it's just so big you can't see them!  They don't know what to do with themselves, they're so excited!


Tucker, very busy eating grass after his lesson.


The inside needs work, as I said.  I think it's very old fashioned to see doors like this!


I love this little deck upstairs.  No one would really ever sit there and it doesn't really look out over anywhere that the horses would be, but I like it anyway!


Just so I never feel like I'm far from home... I have no idea why this trailer is there, but until the bathrooms are finished, I guess we'll be using this as a bathroom.


No one received the message that I hate painting more than anything else in this world so when I asked what I could do to help today, this is what I was given.  Gee, my favorite.  And the wood is old, so it just SUCKED up the paint and took forever.


There's nothing better than snoozing in the afternoon sun after you've been ridden, had a shower and eaten lots of grass.

Linking up here:
http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/

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3 comments:

  1. I love that old door. Was that all freshly painted too?

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  2. Oh my gosh! The barn is so beautiful, I love the stall doors and that white fencing is going to look so snappy when it's all painted! Lucky horses! I see the one taking a nap while all this remodeling is going on- can't resist laying around on a beautiful sunny day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The barn is beautiful. Everything looks beautiful. I love the last photo. All tired out :) Thanks for joining us at the Let's Get Social Sunday linky party. Have a wonderful week. Diane @MamalDiane

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