My week-end of Rain,mud...what to do?

I liked the sight of Flash, the trees and the horse left overs picture in that order. Despite the mud your comments convey a pleasurable weekend spent with your best friend Flash. Thank you for sharing that with us.

~ Good gracious CF!
Was the ground in the paddock saturated or did the mud actually move/slide?If so where did it come from?
Does this happen often?
Not much of a relaxing weekend for you and the horses !

Good blog.
Despite the rain causing all that mud, you seemed to enjoy your time with Aries, Flash and Hawk.

This summer in England there were some outdoor events such as dog shows which were more like a mud bath, so I understand exactly what you're describing here.

Great photos. :o)

GF & TT...I do not mind the mud...I really enjoy having a reason to be with the horses no matter what the reason is. It was a great day..all though I was glad to get home and into my dry jammies and slippers by evening..
Arlene...We had a few days of very heavy rain...this particular area was a spot that some one filled with silty type fill...and Steven found that out after he had put these temporary paddocks there...the building of his barn and getting his fields ready has taken longer than planned so we have to deal the ground getting saturated, the horses walk around in it and it turns to muck...by scraping it out over and over again we are hoping to get the silty material out a little more before we put some gravel in for the horses to be able to keep their hooves drier for the winter.

~that sounds like a lot of work~but no matter if you're enjoying yourself.

What you have to do when you love your fur folks..

It seems a lot of hard work but if you enjoy it then it isn't hard work.

It stands out how much you love it Catfinch , I don,t think you would change very much despite the hard work .

Except maybe some nice dry firm ground :0)

It will happen ..in time ...

You are very deadicated to your horses, but looking at them who would'nt be, they are really lovely no wonder you love them so much.

....Yes I love being with them...I am afraid my own home and gardens suffer because I spend so much time with them I can barely get my laundry caught up at home! I will have to cut back on my GOY time too if I am going to get anything done here as well...LOL...I am having way too much fun on this group as well...but it is so good to laugh and smile and meet so many new people...not that I don't see people at work everyday..but that is work...this is pure enjoyment. Thank you all...~Cat

What a lovely spot you have the woods the horse the views over the lake - sure its a lot of hard work to keep everything running smoothly , despite your claims to the contrary.

Seeing that pile of manure one question.What on earth do you feed Flash on ?

I am very lucky to get to enjoy so much beauty...I don't let myself forget that for a single minute...the lake is not a lake..it is actually a bay of salt water that is part of Puget Sound...there are Orca 's and octopus...seals..otters...and lots of other salt water sea life. Nothing runs smoothly...can't think of one thing actually...most of the time I am on the verge of saying..can't do all of this...but have not figured out what to let go of. We feed 4 horses there...so Flash is not to blame for the whole pile and the pile is around 3 years old. We feed them a flake of alfalfa and a flake of Timothy hay twice a day....in the mornings we also give them 3 lbs. each of a vitamin rich grain. They are very healthy...as you can see...spunky too...

~ they look gorgeous and a credit to you~I don't know how you fit it all in~don't overdo it though!

Thanks Arlene...I don't fit it all in...so I most usually don't over due..LOL..

Hi Cj I love the pictures. Flash is so handsome You are so fortunate to live is such a beautiful area. After visiting you I would love to live there IF my family wasn't here in Virginia with me.
Betty

Hello my sweet friend Betty...Hey everybody..this is my friend Betty..she lives clear across the country from me but has held me up and kept me sane for many years now and we have met and hugged and talked for hours on the phone. She is so very dear...Love you...Betty. ~Cj

Hello Betty! Welcome to GoY ;-)

Cat, when you come over to England for that Cornish Cream Tea, could you maybe bring some of that manure over with you for my garden? Ta.

Will do...just tell me where you want it dumped....

~ hi to Betty~
~ever been to the UK Catfinch?~

No Mam....would like to visit one day.

~ well let us know when your'e coming over with or without the manure~although with it we might get an advance whiff?

Ya got that right lady.

Just so ya know...that is my John Wayne imitation...

~twirl those guns!

Get ofa y'horse - that's mine
;-)

You can dump the manure straight onto the veggie patch, seeings it's 3 years old :-)

hi catfinch,
we have a paddock at the end of our lane and often see the two horses passing our kitchen window , but they are going out onto a road , not into those wonderful woods you have. we are going to use the horse manure in our garden over the winter , the horse owner said ' help yourself' , and i only have to barrow it 200 metres.looking after horses is very time consuming , there are always people down the track early morning and again in evening , but they always have a smile on their faces !
you must be a very busy lady looking after 4 horses and a shop , maybe all that fresh air ?? hope the rain stops , no fun getting wet! ...................steve

They are a friends woods...I am lucky to get to have Flash there...and yes working with horses is good for my soul..I am missing seeing him...have been woring til after dark and have not seen him for a couple of days now...had hoped to see him today but my employee for my store is sick and may not be able to work so I will be missing him for another day...may be able to go out after dark just for a pet and hug..need to see him...always takes the edge off what may be bothering me and I too usually leave with a smile.
The work is good for me too...it is the sort of work that you have to focus on so you cannot let your mind wander into territories that hurt or are worrisome. Horses know their place in the world like most animals...that is very refreshing to me.
The rain will come and go as it will...we know how to work with it or not...the sun never stops shining...we just cannot see it sometimes.
~Cj

What breed are your horses? Flash looks like he has wild native ancestry? Part quarterhorse?

Very distinctive markings.

I have taken care of Arabians, Morgan, and Tennesse Walker ... listed in my own riding comfort zone level. After the ill-trained Arabians the latter was like being upgraded to riding a Cadillac. The Morgans I liked because they were so intelligent. The Arabians were too, but in an evil sort of way. Owners fault, I fear.

uh-oh ...now you've done it...I love to talk about horses...I love our Arabians..both Egyptian Arabians...of course the 27 year old is the most lovable and so full of heat at his age yet..it is wonderful..the almost 3 year old is a stallion and so Stud like..but is a love too...not been trained yet but touchable and brushable...will start training at 3 ...not much good to train really until they are gelded but his owner has a plan to mate him with his mare a Thouroghbred and Quarter cross...Apendix I believe he calls her...he hopes she will throw a paint sports horse for reinging...we will see if we get that far with this wild
Arabian Stallion...My horse Flash a 3 year old American Saddle Bred...very tall..close to 17 hands...I trail ride that is all...he is great as he responds well to leg direction and does not rub me off on trees...LOL...he is still learning though and needs lots of work, I have not had enough time with the store, the house and the early dark days to work with him lately...will be glad to get to the winter solstice so this can turn around...

Saddle horse I can deal with. My experiences with badly trained Arabians is less lovable. Same with the Arabian 101 guidebook I was never given. Quarter horse and Morgan's I love.

My grandfather was apparently a "trucker" in the Ukraine, then Czechoslovakia. His farm was used partly to raise these big horses for freight hauling. Sadly I know nothing about him at all. They were expelled after WW!! and he died within a year. My grandmother on that side of the family followed within a month of his death.

Being born in 1950 this was a part of my history I would never even know..

My father would rarely talk of thim.

I never really had anyone in my family ancestory that had much to do with horses..not sure where my love of them comes from...but I do enjoy them very much and not for riding only..I love working with them in training.....you have to think like a mare to work with them...very interesting position in a herd.