Settling In

I've been at Taylor Made for a little over a week, and there is a daily routine that I'm beginning to settle into. Granted, things are rarely the same two days in a row, but there is a general plan of action that I can follow and adjust accordingly. As my manager, Bob, always says, the idea is to have a plan, but that plan will always change! So being flexible and attentive to the changes is key to working on a farm like this.

The day starts around 6:30 or 7:00am, depending on how much work there is to do that day. Water buckets are filled, grain is given, and the mares are brought in from a chilly night out in the pastures. Sometimes I feel sorry for the mares who live outside, but I guess their bodies are adapted to the cold weather and can keep them warm.

With all the mares in, some are doctored (foot problems are the popular ailment this winter), some may be shown to potential buyers, or the blacksmiths come to trim feet. I'll write more about the blacksmiths later... This is practically the only time we have to examine the mares, so it's crucial that we are observe any changes in the udders, any new battle scars from the pasture, or any signs of illness. Surprisingly, it doesn't take that long. Once you know the signs to look for, you can get through twenty three mares fairly quickly.

The mares are quickly kicked back out into their paddocks. The stalls are either picked through, or cleaned thoroughly, depending on the day. The barn is cleaned, swept, and cleared with a blower. After lunch, we head into the fields with the tractor to throw out a lunch of hay and grain. The mares all recognize the tractor and what it is bringing to them. Some afternoons they are so anxious for their grain they crowd the tractor and make it hard to maneuver! Other afternoons, they might be halfway across the 15+ acres and come galloping over the hills to us.

All in all, it doesn't sound like a terrible load of work, but when you realize that there are twenty five horses to care for in one barn and the work is split between two people, it can quickly add up to an eight hour day. Also keep in mind that nothing ever goes as planned. Machinery can break down, or horses can have different ideas for how the day is supposed to go.

Of course, this routine is set only until we get all the various foals born! Hopefully this week we will have more foals and I'll be able to put up lots of pictures!