When Life Hands You Lemons....Buy A Horse!

So much has happened in the 3 months since we bought a farm....we have added 4 Buff Orphington hen chicks and 4 Welsh Harlequin duckings, the pastures are becoming lush with grass and the plants are blooming, despite the wicked heat. Blossom continues to act as if she is the boss over Secret, who is gracious and just plain ignores the ears back, bare teeth charges that fail to make contact. I love watching all the animals interact....it takes your mind off all the sadness and turmoil that is inflicting our country currently. I adopted Secret a little over 2 years ago as a barely backed, just turned 3 Thoroughbred. The plan was to let her grow and mature for at least 6 months, while I worked with her on the ground. As I previously blogged, our first ride in January, 2019, did not go according to plan, she erupted into a crow hopping bucking frenzy and I ended up in the ER with a torn calf muscle, which I suffered when my leg connected with her leg during my emergency dismount. We had another crow hopping bucking incident this past March, which resulted in a much better emergency dismount on my part, although something (stirrup? her shoulder?) connected with the inside of my left knee, which is still bruised to this day. Sadly, we had 2 more bucking incidents in the past month...the first occurred in the cross ties, after I stretched her leg. Possibly a nerve was pinched, but her reaction was swift and violent, which left her shaking and scared. It took a 2 hour orthobionomy treatment 2 days later to finally calm her down. A week later, after a lovely ground work session, she began to buck before Kirsten even had the chance to put her foot in the irons. At this point, I could send her to Ocala for a thorough vetting for kissing spines, a bone spur or ? Interestingly, when she has been worked on, her pelvis has been out by several inches, so it makes me wonder if that is the cause of her bucking. It has been suggested that I send her to a pro to "ride the bucks out of her" but I honestly believe that this is a pain driven response. She is a sensitive red head, after all! But even if I find a reason, I can no longer trust her, especially to ride by myself. She just doesn't buck...she erupts into a violent crow hopping, 180 degree twisting frenzy. So with a heavy heart, Secret has been retired. I don't know her future at this point. Possibly as a broodmare, as with her bloodlines, she would be much wanted. For now, she hangs out with Blossom. So with Peter's blessing, I began to search for a new horse. Surprisingly, I found him rather quickly. But i think that when it feels right, you just know! So welcome Buzz, JC name Power Buzz. He is a laid back, puppy dog personality 4 year old unraced Thoroughbred. He's a big boy, 16.2 and stocky. The complete opposite of Tucker, very forward and responsive to your leg. He has a good WHOA though and a good brain. He goes along on a loose rein. A canter to die for! And the cutest floppy ears! I will need to get used to his big stride but I think once i get him fitted for a saddle that fits both of us, that will be a big help...I tried him in a hunt seat saddle! He will need a new name and he comes home Friday! I am so excited!

Secret Moves Home

The gingerbread farm we bought had not seen horses in several years and there was work to be done before we could bring Secret home.
There was fencing that needed fixing, toxic plants (not many, thank goodness!) that needed removed, pastures needed seeding (thankfully we moved just as the summer rains were gearing up!) and the barn needed a thorough cleaning.
In addition, I was on the hunt for a friend for Secret to keep her company.
By the end of May, Secret came home, along with a former track pony by the name of Cowboy.
Unfortunately, that plan backfired, as Cowboy was obsessed with Secret. If I took her to work out front, he paced and hollered. In turnout, he kept her moving and if she didn't listen, he kicked her. She lost weight and had lots of cuts and scrapes. He was soon placed in his own pasture, but that was not acceptable to him and he was clearly not happy. It was stressful.
I had been on the hunt for a donkey...I have been wanting a donkey for years, and the week after Secret and Cowboy arrived, my husband and I drove out to Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue in Clermont, Florida.
We decided on a jenny and a week later, the 10 year old came home. Her name had been Flower, but I immediately started calling her Blossom. I also call her Petunia, Long Ears, Funny Face and Donkey!
Another week passed before I allowed Secret and Blossom in the same pasture together. It wasn't exactly the easiest introduction....Secret was fascinated and wanted to be let off the lunge line that I had her on, while Blossom was not so sure about this big chestnut mare and wanted no part of her. By the end of the afternoon, they were buds. Cowboy returned to his home in Ocala a few days later and peace settled over the farm.
It hasn't always been easy and not every day is peaceful, especially when one has an accident prone horse, but the rewards are worth it. Secret is bonding with me in ways that a horse can only bond with the person they see 24/7. She is not a warm horse to begin with (typical chestnut mare!) but she nickers to me every time I come down to the barn and while she still is ticklish to groom, she suddenly loves when I take a towel to her face and ears and leans into it. Baby steps!
We had a few weeks of her settling in. There were scary noises in the woods behind the barn (apparently a mama bear and her cubs) as well as deer and turkey and a horrible Fourth of July to deal with, which I truly thought both Secret and Donkey would be dead in the morning. There were a few more injuries, but thankfully nothing serious, other than a bad bump to the eye, which resulted in a cautionary $150 vet bill to ensure that the eye itself was ok (it was.)
Secret seems to have adjusted to her new routine and life. She and Blossom have an interesting relationship...Blossom wants to be the boss and will pin her long ears and charge at Secret, who just stands there and ignores her, as if to say that she could in fact knock Blossom on her tail in no time at all if she wanted to. But when gates are open to different pastures, Blossom is following right behind Secret and never strays far, and when Secret returns to the barn after being worked, she is greeted by a bray...not too loud for a donkey, but a bray none the less. We gave Blossom the stall next to Secret and had a back door put in, so she can come and go. Having spent the first 10 years of her life living outside, she has taken time to adjust to the stall. She is spending more and more time in it but still can't bring herself to get inside the dry stall during a storm. And at night? Like a brave little donkey that she is, she parks herself between Secret's stall and the back fence line, keeping watch!
Having a farm is a lot of work, that is for sure, but I love this hard work! I relish it and go about it with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. This is the life I was meant to be living!
I am in bed by 10 and there is a sense of deep satisfaction of climbing into bed after accomplishing so much in one long day.

Secret taking a break after being worked

Isn't Blossom adorable?

Secret and Blossom, never far from one another!

Blossom thinks that maybe she should have her own stall!

Thank you for giving me a stall!

Always keeping a watch over Secret!

Secret and Blossom turned out together for the first time.

My, what big ears and nose you have!

One of many boo-boos

Lets injure our eye while we are at it

We Bought A Farm (AKA, Don't Give Up On Your Dreams!)

I grew up on a farm in West Virginia as a kid. When my parents divorced, my mom, brother and myself ended up on my grandparents 40 acre farm outside of Pittsburgh.
It was heaven.
We lived for 2 years in a 2 bedroom apartment above the detached garage. Built into a hillside, you accessed the apartment by driving around the garage and attached shed, past the circa 1904 barn and outbuildings and up to the apartment. We were level with the roof shed, which provided ample play opportunities, including crawfish races that my friend Diane and I used to be delighted in partaking. We would catch the crawfish in the creek (crick) in the front and we would have to plunge our hands into the murky water filled bucket, risking getting pinched, and seeing who's crawfish would be the fastest down the roof.
The setup was tight, especially with a mother in a wheelchair, and I bunked with my mom, but I was never so happy as those two years. When our mom moved us to Florida, I was heartbroken and could not wait until suImmer vacation, when she would drive us north and leave us to our grandparents for the summer.
Grandpa had long gotten rid of the horses and sheep, but he had an arrangement with a local horse breeder who kept his broodmares in the pasture and the arrangement included Little Chief, a palomino gelding, for us to ride. Later, his crazy neighbor, Mr. Bridey, boarded a Shetland (Smokey) and a chestnut mare (Cricket) and we always had free access to ride anytime we wished.
From the day we moved to suburbia in Florida, a huge culture shock for me, I was dreaming of the day I could one day return to farm living. Pittsburgh, where I spent every school vacation until I graduated from high school, meant land to explore, shooting guns, riding, learning gardening from my grandfather, cousins and so much more. It defined who I was.
It took me 56 years...just a week shy of 57 years, to reach that dream.
I had bugged and nagged my husband nearly every week of our marriage. We did try. We listed our home 3 times over the years which resulted in no sale. In between, my husband was content to stay put. Our kids were in school, but eventually graduated. He had his business. He liked where we lived. I hated it. I hated the traffic, congestion, construction, you name it.
Last summer, our son was promoted with Siemens and that meant he and his newlywed bride would be moving to Phoenix. They would no longer be a mile from us, in Winter Park, Florida. Our daughters had already fled the state (smart girls!) and now there was really no reason to stay. In addition, the church behind our home had been sold and was going to be turned into a 4 story apartment complex. That was all the motivation my husband needed!
We planned on listing our home in the spring of 2020. We spent the fall sprucing and painting. I searched realtor.com weekly.
In the past, the most being 2 years ago when we had our home listed, we could not agree on an area to live. If I had my way, we would leave the state. But since that wasn't happening, I had ideas of where to go in Florida....preferably Ocala area. Being a self employed engineer, my husband had certain requirements, including high speed internet and access to a reprographics. I was adamant that we would not live anywhere that we had to worry about flooding and hurricanes.
We fought a lot that summer, as we could not agree on a location, all to no avail as our home didn't sell.
Suddenly things were different this time around. My husband agreed to look at areas that normally he would have dismissed....Altoona (home of Rocking Horse stables!!), Oklawaha, Weirsdale (Grand Oaks up the road from both areas!), Eustis and Deland!
By the time we were ready to list, the pandemic was getting under way and things were shutting down. We were either making a huge mistake or it would be a brilliant move.
It was brilliant.
We sold in one day, full asking and cash.
We bought a farm in De Leon Springs. Just north of my beloved town of Deland!
It is horse country with Spring Garden Training Center (standardbreds and a great place to get compost!) and Olympian Michael Poulin all up the road. Many lovely farms dot the landscape along the way. You are just as likely to see carriage horses as well as golf carts and tractors being driven on the road as you are cars. At Spring Garden Training Center, twice a month you can attend the farm swap and get mini pigs, poultry, goats and bunnies as well as compost, homemade jellies and plants.
We are truly in the country!
We settled on a gingerbread cottage (Literally!) and it was a big downsize for us (we went from 2600 s.f. to 1300 s.f.!) but we gained 3 acres and an incredible barn with 6 stalls.
We have been here for 9 weeks so far and it is amazing how much we have accomplished in the way of landscaping, fencing and pasture improvements and more. Secret came home 2 weeks after we moved in.....I will save that for the next blog entry.
Don't give up on your dreams.....they can come true!

Fire Prevention In Barns

Here in Florida, we are heading into our wildfire season soon. As Australia is suffering from the tragedy of those horrific wildfires, I thought it would be a good time to share my fire protection notes again.
Over the years, I have hosted Chris Woodcock, a firefighter with Seminole County to speak at our pony club and Old Peoples Riding Club meetings. I first met Chris many years ago, when I approached him about inspecting the barn I was leasing and to teach him and his fellow firefighters how to lead horses from a burning barn. Below is a compilation of notes that I  have taken from each meeting:


So the main ideas of fire safety in the barn is good old common sense. The first and foremost is:
   Absolutely, positively, NO SMOKING! This is not up for discussion. I am always shocked to see someone smoking in or near a barn.
In addition, the obvious (at least to me) are:

• Keep flammables and machinery out of the barn.
• Keep debris off the roof.
• Keep vegetation away from barn. You should maintain a 40-50 foot firebreak around your property.
• Remove cobwebs. Not only are they unsightly, but cobwebs are fire hazards. (So you no longer have to justify your meticulous barn cleaning and the fact that your barn is cleaner than your house).
• If possible, store hay in a separate building. I learned this at the age of 6, when my grandfather explained why he wouldn't store hay in his 4 story wood barn (built in 1904 and still standing!). Stack hay loosely and make sure it is properly cured and dry.
• Use only UL listed appliances and outdoor extension cords.
• Don't leave extension cords exposed to horses. I never understand when I walk into a barn, and the electrical outlet is right next to the stall door, right where the horse can chew on it. Yes, it is there for convenience, but surely, is it not obvious that sooner or later, a horse is going to chew on the cord?
• While on the subject of cords: don't run them across floors, where a shod horse can step on one. If you have a cord that is patched with electrical tape, toss it. The life of your horse is worth more than the $7 to replace it.
• Don't set heavy objects on cords, which can generate heat. Chris mentioned a house fire they put out, which was caused by a sofa sitting on an extension cord.
• Fire extinguishers! Have them at every opening,in the middle and at both ends of the barn and within ready access. Make sure you know how to use one!
• Smoke detectors! Get the good kind, that won't be triggered by dust. Put one in your hay loft or attic....Chris said many fires he goes to, the homeowner had no idea the house was on fire, until a neighbor knocked on their door to alert them to a fire in their  attic.
• If possible, install a fire sprinkler.
• Have hoses outside the barn.
• Is your wiring up to date and safe from critters chewing on it? Make sure all wiring is enclosed in metal conduit. Replace any frayed wires.
• Is the master switch to the power readily accessible outside the barn?
• Install lightning rods.
• Do not use electrical heaters in the barn! A barn fire last year killed several horses when the owners put a heater in a stall to warm a newborn calf.
• Do not use Lasko or other box fans. They are not designed for barn use! Buy only heavy duty metal fans!
• Hay rolls! This year, I fed a hay roll late into spring, which was a first for me. The season was already warm, but we still didn't have enough grass yet. One day after an impromtu rain, which didn't give me time to cover the hay roll, I was pulling back the wet layers, and discovered that the hay just below the surface was hot. Just as damp hay in a barn can combust, so can a hay roll.
• Don't forget shavings! Many of us now use bagged shavings, and these too can combust. They should be stored safely.
• Manure piles also can "cook". Piles should be far away from the barn.
• Scan your barn. Do you have rags, assorted cans, fertilizer and other contaminates lying around? You would be surprised at what you find.

In addition, make sure your barn is easily accessible by a fire truck. Is the driveway wide enough? Are overhead tree limbs going to hinder the firetruck? Do you have large numbers which are easily read on your fence, gate or mailbox?
You should make contact with your local fire department. Ask them to come to your farm, so they know that they can reach your barn, and know where local water sources are at. Show them around your barn and ask them to point out potential hazards. And while you are at it, ask them if they know how to lead a horse. Show them how to halter a horse while in its stall, in case the unthinkable happens and they need to rescue your horse.
Barn fires are also caused by wildfires, which is why it is important to clear debris. During dry seasons, pay extra attention to the news and be aware of any fires in your area. Be prepared to evacuate at moments notice. One year, a friend tried to evacuate her mare from the barn where she was boarding, only to be told that the road was closed and she couldn't get to the farm. Thankfully, the fire went around the barn and she was eventually able to remove her horse, but had the barn owner given an evacuation order earlier, instead of practicing a "wait and see", my friend, the other boarders and all the horses at the farm would have been saved from the stress and the inhaling of the heavy smoke.
Do you have an evacuation plan? Just like you should have a plan for hurricanes and tornadoes, everyone should have a fire evacuation plan. And you should practice your plan! Make sure your boarders know what your rules are in the event of a fire and hold fire drills at least once a year.
What else can you do? I am all about prevention. I don't ever want to have to live through the death or injury of my horse for something that I could have prevented.
If you are building a barn, use fire safe materials. For an existing barn, make any possible updates you can to make it safer. Just by following the above list will give you a huge lead on this. Brick or block barns and metal roofs are safer than wood barns, but you can paint your wood barn with 2 coats of fire retardant latex paint.
How many entrances are there to your barn? I have always preferred a barn that has exterior stall doors in addition to the interior doors. Have a place to remove the horses to. Loose horses will just run back into a burning barn.
And what do you do in the event of a fire?
Your first priority is to call 911. It takes just minutes for a barn to become fully engulfed. That doesn't leave much time for rescuing horses. Horses that are easy to halter and lead, and have an exterior door to their stall, will have the greatest chance of being saved. Having halters and leads accessible will also mean the difference between life and death. It is a good idea to have extras of these at the entrance of the barn, or at the exterior stall doors. Even if you can locate the ones next to a stall door, chances are it is already engulfed in flames, or too hot to touch, so having spares will aid in the rescue tremendously.
If you are a boarder, you should choose a barn that places an emphasis on safety. I have walked into expensive boarding barns that had extension cords dangling right in front of a horses stall, within easy reach of his curious mouth. I have seen barns where the manure was dumped right outside of the barn (never mind the issue of fly control). Just because you don't own your own place doesn't mean you can't keep your horse safe.
There are several websites which will help you be fire smart. www.firesafetyinbarns.com is an excellent site to start with.

My grandparents farm outside of Pittsburgh. Built in 1904, it is still standing today. My grandfather was obsessed with keeping this barn safe from fire.