Chicken Casualties

So, I'm rather sad.  We've been keeping Chickens now for over 2 years.  I really enjoy them, they are funny, entertaining, and give the best eggs.  When we first started keeping chickens we had a big issue with the local foxes using us for their dinner buffet... we lost several chickens before we figured out how to fox-proof our coop and run.  However, in the past year the foxes seemed to have disappeared and we hadn't had any issues or incidents.  So, I'll admit, we had gotten quite lax about chicken security. mmmmm... watermelon! Unfortunately, the foxes found us again this past week.  We lost 4 of the 6 chickens...

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Building trust

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about this issue with Cash and being hard to catch, and how it's all of a sudden, out of nowhere, reared it's ugly head, refusing to go away.  I've been thinking about not only his behavior, but about mine.  I can be a bit of a hard-hitter, a "you are going to do what I want or else" kind of mentallity when I work with my horses... I kinda had to with some of the bratty ponies I used to work with.  But that approach most definitely is not for all horses.  And I definitely don't think it's ever going to work for Cash.  I've been following Andrea and her blogs for awhile, with the...

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Video of the Week

I'm rather jealous that these guys can jump higher on foot than I've ever done on horseback (at least, not  physical fence height, we won't count extravagant over jumping efforts by various equines I've been on... hahaha) Video link courtesy of Eventing Nat...

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Difficult Decisions

Well, no way to get around it, I've officially listed Cash for sale. :( Having a baby is not cheap, diapers and other baby paraphernalia isn't all that bad, but the daycare! Good grief the cost of daycare... I'm not kidding it is at least twice what I pay for board on Cash.  And, that is the conflict.  Dear hubby is refusing to "pay for the horse" as he puts it (he makes 4x what I do!!)... and on my meager income alone I simply cannot afford childcare and board costs.  It's frustrating, disheartening, and gut wrenching.  I do NOT want to sell this horse.  Hard-to-catch stubbornness or not.  He's everything  I could have dreamed of, and exactly what I was after in my future eventing prospect.  Granted I still don't know him very well due to my pregnancy...

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Four Months!

My sweet little baby girl is four months old today!! I can't believe it. She is cooing, jabbering, smiling, grabbing things, chewing on things (she loves her fingers!), happy, and healthy. She comes with me to the barn and hangs out with her play mat while I work the ponies.  She loves to cuddle when we are at home and is already fascinated with the food on my plate at meal time.  I'm so blessed to have her in my life and I couldn't be happier! So happy!! Rosemary has reported to me that Cash is now a bonafide escape artist. This morning he was out and about, we received a light snow last night so the tracks around the barn proved...

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Meet the Pony!

I've been promising this post for awhile now!! Finally getting it done :) Everyone, I'd like you to meet Shadow. He is a 12-ish hand tall Hackney Pony.  But don't let his size fool you, he's got attitude enough to face off with the biggest of foes. He used to be a show cart pony, and he has quite the trot, he lowers his bum and picks up those little knees and just motors along. He does pony lessons for the more confident beginner riders. You can see a lot of his pictures on the farm website: Laughing Buck Farm But, as of late, he's been getting to have fun with me.  We are re-introducing him to the world of harnesses and carts. ...

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