IF ONLY!!!!

Today is the first day in Four there was no snow at all at the barn!.... I've been delivering HOT meals to the kids for several reasons. 
1. The colder it is outside the more energy it takes for a horse to digest processed feed.  This can make it harder on a horse that has coliced in the past ( my little girl Sweet Pea) and it takes away needed warmth created by using that energy to digest.  (not what I want for Navarre either)

So.  Sweet Pea gets  Alfalfa (dried/pressed cubes that I soak in boiling water for at least an hour) along with her low starch feed which turns to mush easily and quickly.

Navarre gets his high fat Rice Bran feed that only turns to mush if mixed with boiling water for at least thirty minutes or longer. 

Morning and Night they get their hot meals... then I give the extra hay with corn oil poured over it!

Today I had to FIGHT Navarre to keep him away from SweetPea's feed! mushy sloppy mess running down his mustache and he would wipe it on his knees ... like any kid eating and having a good time with their food.  But her feed has more sugars and she needs it! So out came the dressage whip.  NOT to hit him but to keep him down the hill while she ate in peace.

As the wind has yet to die down from Sandy... it whipped his mane and tail above his head as he pranced around mad at me!   His blue eyes glistened as he glared at me; a site rarely seen of Navarre as his forelock is down past his nose (and needs a good 9 to 10 inch cut)!   I'll get past you! I'll get to that CANDY you have given her and not allowed me to have!

Navarre gets vitamins and minerals, LOTS and lots  of vitamin E... a fly feed through, and a salt/electrolyte that makes him drink (he de-hydrates on me all too quickly so we decided not only blocks in the barn but powders in his feed are necessary!

Sweet Pea gets are more... relaxed routine of food... but he was dying to get to that alfalfa!   Not on my watch!

I enjoyed our little tiff this morning, I got hot enough I had to undo my overalls, take off a jacket, my gloves and wish I had on my normal boots instead of barn boots.  But I wasn't expecting Navarre to be so happy, and so loose this morning!   If only he were able to move like that EVERY DAY!  I would have such thoughts of the day I have to put him down (for all the pain he is in)

It is all a good thing!
Life is good!