Sam and Maddy are both in the tough love fat camp. Maddy's on stall rest, too, and she hates it.
Maddy can't stand being stuck in her stall. She stomps around and turns constantly which grinds her poop into the hay. There's no way to pick it out if you don't catch it falling from her rear! It became an awful mess and by the end of the week Carrie, Shane, and I had to muck it all out. Carrie and Shane scooped while I schlepped the refuse off into a compost pile past the arena.
We would have been able to go longer, but we had multiple people come to check out the barn and Carrie didn't want the smell to drive any prospective boarders away.
Sam started off in his stall, but Carrie moved him out to the dry lot. She learned some lessons with Nibs and picked up a cattle gate. We set him up so that the doors were open and Maddy could see she wasn't fully alone (We had to close her upper curtain window, because she tried to jump out over the door! Have I mentioned Maddy hates stall rest?).
Sam's been a bit of a jerk about it. Carrie tried to put out a water bucket for him, but he kicked it over. Every. Single. Time.
Carrie tied a buck of water for him higher up that he can't easily reach up to kick, but he still splashes it around and paws the gate whenever he hears someone in the barn.
The only thing that's made him tolerate the situation is Kitty. She's in heat.
Madeleine and Carrie finished clipping Kitty on Wednesday. I stayed inside for that one! I'm already trapped around all my allergies without work for a respite.
The horses haven't been the only source of action around the barn. Carrie spent half an hour on the phone with Laura when she was picking up the cattle gate. She was on and off the phone with her all week.
It started when Laura asked for some advice about her current boarding situation. Laura helped out a lot caring for the horses and with everything else going on (Laura's a nurse that teacher nursing) she was stressed and tired.
It led to Laura coming to check out our barn (and Loki!).
Laura, Barbara, and Heidi are all friends. They boarded together at barn that mostly shut down (Laura was the one who remained to help support operations). They were all happy to see each other.
Barbara and Heidi have both shown up multiple times over the week. Carrie is always quick to greet them and check in.
Carrie's even given Heidi a couple of riding lessons. How many trainers will shovel your horses crap as it comes?
Heidi joked Carrie's tough! "She make me straighten out my shoulders!" Carrie popped on Eddy after Heidi and put him through some paces one day.
There was one startling moment when Heidi fell dismounting after the lesson. Her foot got caught in the stirrup. Thankfully, she had switched to some safety stirrups that Carrie had showed her when she first started to board with us. Carrie ran across the arena to check on her, but Heidi was already up and more embarrassed than anything.
Sam was cute, because he trotted after Carrie when she left him at the mounting block. He followed her right back over there when she was sure Heidi was okay.
Heidi put Eddy away and then came back out to watch Carrie do some lungework with Sam.
And then Carrie rode him.
And then she took him for some laps around the yard (some at speed!).
Carrie's really trying to work Sam, build up his muscle, and shed some fat. She's given him a day of rest after each hour+ session and he's already looking better
Every one of our boarders has come out and done some riding this week. It's projected to get colder over the weekend and I guess they're all trying to get some exercise and sunlight in the current COVID world.
We have had a string of people interested in our remaining spots this week, as well. With Laura, I think there were at least three who made it past texting and onto the property. Carrie's been trying to figure out logistics and if it would be wise to turn our dry lot into "Maddy's personal playground" complete with a run-in shed (That would put our horse capacity up to 8).
It's a good thing the horses have picked up, because the virus has played havoc on the travel industry (amongst others). But, that's another post.
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