Animals

Fly Masks, Dinner and Other Woeful Tales

Fly Mask Woes

If there is one piece of horse gear that is absolutely essential in the summertime, it is a fly mask! Without one, a horse suffers constant attack on his eyes and face. If you have ever set out to find fly masks for mini horses, you will agree that this is not the easiest task. There is not a great selection for these precious tiny horses. My good friend Ann bought me a mask that was intended for minis but as you can see, although purple and quite lovely, it is better suited for our pony Donnie Brascoe....

After an internet search, I was able to locate fly masks in several different mini sizes. I chose a small for Red....

And an extra small for Ollie.

But, after placing Ollie's on him, he froze in his tracks and telepathically sent me a message in his high pitched, micro-mini voice. "Help, I'm blind...I cannot see...why did you cover up my eyes?" On top of that, he started walking into the fence and gate. On closer inspection, I realized that this was his visibility:

Thank goodness I had ordered a second small (for Ollie to grow into). It seems the small ones are made from a lighter mesh with greater visibility. Unfortunately, this mask looks like an oversized pair of granny panties on his head. Oh well, at least it keeps the flies out of his eyes. Hopefully he will grow into it.

Dinner Woes

I have mentioned before that the Bigs are on a diet. Their grazing time is drastically reduced for now, as the grass is still very lush and green. They get their grain and two flakes of hay each per day...and believe me when dinner time comes around, they are quite persistent. If I don't get their hay as soon as I walk into the barn, Moonbeam is pounding on the door with his hoof. Once fed, they are quite content again. I have solved the problem of Red stealing Ollie's food. The Littles now eat on opposite sides of the fence...still together, but separate. This works great. When Red finishes his chow, he works on mowing down the grass behind the barn until Ollie is finished and they once again resume grazing in the pasture.

Other Woes

Did I mention my gator has a flat tire? Yes, I am now attending to chores on my pink cruiser (bike)....carrying eggs in a basket on the handlebars and water jugs in the back fender basket. Thankfully, a repair is in short order! Unbelievably, my truck has a flat tire too! Such is life at a construction site...too many nails around!

Saddest of all.....Amelia Airheart has flown the coop...gone AWOL...MIA. We worried that this might happen. I had even clipped her primary wing feathers to keep her from roaming. I guess the call of the wild was just too strong for her.

The Upside

"Tom Tom loves me" she says, as he gazes adoringly into her eyes.

- Who's Who....part 7
I often get the question..."Which animals take the most time to care for?" The answer to that is easy...no thought necessary.The horses! Cleaning up their manure three times daily...plus cleaning the pastures,feeding (in the winter time, they need lots...

- Sleep Tight.....
One of my favorite times of day is late evening..."tuck-in" time for the horses. They have their fly masks removed (yes, even Scarlet is leaving her fly mask on these days!) and have their bedtime meal....a yummy flake of hay for each. After feeding...

- A Lazy Morning
Outdoor work has halted....except for the essentials, due to extreme heat. Yesterday morning I took a little time before the temperature climbedto unbearable to take some photos around the farm. I always have the best intentions of setting out with my...

- It Takes A Village
I always find it amazing that I can do just about anythingwith the Bigs and do it by myself. But when it comes to theLittles....well that is another story. Tasks like trimming hoovesand clipping require a small army. It seems they always know when...

- Hysteria
Ok, here it is.....I either need a psychiatrist or I need new glasses! And when I tell you today's tale, you will understand what I mean. Today's list of chores included weed whacking around the bee hives (a task I have been avoiding). However,...

Animals