Winter is Coming
Even though the midwest summer heat and humidity are still hanging around, fall will be here in a blink of an eye, and Curtis and I are planning ahead to prep our older horses, Braveheart and Melody, for Missouri's unpredictable weather. We want to be prepared for any weather scenario, so Curtis has his trusty checklist that helps us get ready for anything that can happen in the season ahead.
Over the next couple of months, I'‘ll share the three main aspects to Curtis' checklist in maintaining Melody's and Braveheart's health and vitality, which are providing shelter, their overall health, and stocking up on necessities like food, natural supplements and bedding. Today, the focus is shelter.
While the weather is still warm, we’re going to take a close look at our barn to make sure they have a warm, dry place to escape any inclement weather—and roof leaks are the first things we'll look for and address. We've had a few super storms over the summer that allowed us to see where any rain was able to make it's way into the barn, and we are able to patch those leaks.
Next up is checking the hanging heaters to make sure they’re working. It's amazing how much heat they can generate and keep the horses warm. The benefit of having heaters in the stalls is that Melody and Braveheart can choose to stand under the heat or roam to a cooler area in the barn. If we didn't have the heaters, we would blanket them at night anytime the temperature dropped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Along with the heaters, we check all the lights in the barn and change any that are no longer working. This is important especially since the days are getting shorter. Soon, it will be dark when we go to feed the horses, and it's not very safe to walk around a dark barn, even when you know where everything is—there's no telling what we'll encounter.
The first year we were here, Curtis had to feed the horses without any lights working in the barn and was at the mercy of his cell phone light. He wasn’t aware until he heard something stomping and hissing that he had walked passed a deer who had meandered into the barn seeking food and shelter. The lesson of this story to have lighting that works in the barn.
Eventually, we'll address anything that invites little critters to call our barn their home. Dead leaves and old bedding piling up around the corners of the barn are great invitations to any critter looking to escape the cold. Raking leaves and removing old bedding takes a lot of time, but it's necessary. And I have to admit that I’m always happy to see a clean barn.
We’ll treat the barn for pests, like spiders, snakes, etc., and patch up any open areas where a bigger critter can hide, too. I love all animals, but the reality is that certain critters can spread diseases that can harm our horses. So, we do what we can to create an uninviting environment for them. We're also blessed that many of the little critters are dealt with by the swift paws of our neighbors' cats. Let me give a shout out to Myrtle and Killer. And once everything is clean, holes are patched and the critter issues are taken care of, we can begin spreading new bedding and stocking up on necessities for the winter.
God Bless all the good people who manage a ranch or farm! It's a lot of work that doesn't come with much praise. But, as my Aunt Pauline would always say, “it builds character." Stay tuned for Curtis’ other two items on preparing your horses for the upcoming winter months. Until then, may God keep you safe and well.
Fondly, Amy