No Room At The Inn

That's all we can hold, folks! Yesterday we received our last mare and foal and the result is a completely full barn, including the wash stall. It brings us to a grand total of twenty seven mares and twenty three foals in the main barn, four barren mares in the lower barn, and seven mares that are living in the field. That's sixty one individual equines that are under the care of Bona Terra B. Then, of course, there are seven more mares from another field who will move over to Bona Terra when they get closer to their foaling dates. Whew.

If nothing else, I'm getting really good at handling mares and foals on my own, and finding the most efficient way to get chores done. With a barn this full, down-time is a rare gift. And if we are working with the blacksmiths or doing pictures, or if the vets have a full load for us that day, time is even more precious. But, as I found out yesterday, it is possible to do all the chores absolutely necessary in four hours. We need a little extra help, but at least it's possible!

Why so full? Over the past few weeks, mares and foals from New York, Florida, and California have been shipped in to Taylor Made. A few are owned by Taylor Made, but most are here because the owners have hired Taylor Made to sell the mares and foals. They will go through the broodmare sales and weanling sales that happen later in the year. It's great for business.

Thankfully, our foals have remained healthy, as well as our mares. There's a strange sense of accomplishment seeing the paddocks full of content of horses, swishing their tails in the occasional sunlight.