Every Eight Weeks

Six times each year, we have a visit from the farrier.  All of the equines take turns getting hooves trimmed.  One of the more important aspects of keeping horses and donkeys is keeping their feet healthy, which means regular trimming and shaping of their hooves.

It's a favorite day for the pups.  They tell me that there's nothing quite as tasty as hoof trimmings.  But then, to these pups, horse poop is also a delicacy!

All of the horses (and even the donkeys) seem to enjoy the extra attention.  All, except this girl... Scarlet took a little extra coaxing to get the dreaded halter on.  She's selective with her refusals - never refusing the halter when she knows its purpose is a trip to the pasture.  But, for anything else - well, you just never know which Scarlet you are going to get.  Yesterday it was Stubborn Scarlet.  Patience and carrots won out and she eventually acquiesced.

After a night of rain, followed by a morning of rolling in the dirt, the horses were all fairly wretched looking.  I think they do this on purpose to embarrass me.  They like to pretend that they are completely neglected.

Luckily, the donkeys don't lie and keep themselves neat as a pin.

In the earlier days, it was a struggle to trim the donkey hooves.  We'd end up having to tie their halter to a fence post so that they couldn't run off.  Now, both of these girls stand perfectly still for their pedicures.  I don't even need to hold their lead ropes.

I just sit on the ground next to them and we discuss current (farm) events while the farrier trims away.

Chester rests outside the donkey shed while we work.  I keep telling him to be vigilant, because both of these gals occasionally like to stomp an un-suspecting dog.  It's the donkey form of "Whack-a-Mole".  Chester's been whacked on several occasions.  And still, he lets his guard down.

Most of yesterday was cloudy (post-rain).  The air was washed clean and fresh and the chickens enjoyed the abundance of worms that had come to the surface of the ground.  The beauty of having free-range chickens is that a diet rich in insects and worms and fresh greens makes for the most delectable eggs with bright orange yolks.

The weather was too raw for gardening, so I spent the afternoon finishing up this shawl.  Now I am down to just one other project on the needles.

I finished the week with some heavy-duty baking... bread, crumpets, double chocolate biscotti, and peach galette.  I don't believe we will starve this weekend.🤣  

I hope Spring is arriving where you are - giving you a lovely weekend!  We'll chat again on Monday.