Pasture Management and Turnout

Okay, Megan. You asked for it, here it is. 😉

On my last post, Megan asked the following:

Would love to read more about your pasture management plan/turnout schedule and the reasoning behind it. I've been casually looking at farms and it's going to have to be small acreage so inquiring minds want to know 😋

You know you've done a good job when you're not seeing any erosion!

When I was planning to buy my property, I recognized that one of the biggest hurdles I would have to overcome and adapt to was to successfully use and management limited pasture. The lay of my land only leaves 2 acres available for turnout needs. This necessitates a dry lot and rotational grazing. Of course, this isn't ideal for three horses! But it's my reality and I was (and am!) determined to make it work in the best way. 

Aerial view from last summer during construction.

Step 1: Establish & Improve the Pastures

The first step to began last year when I hired a local farmer to come up and brush hog my future pastures. The area had been unmowed and unmanaged for a series of years. However, based on the surrounding lawns in my neighborhood that are maintained simply by routine mowing every year, I knew that this first step was bound to make a big difference for my future pastures. It's pretty outstanding what simple routine mowing can do to encourage grasses to grow instead of other forbs and woody stems (i.e., milkweed, goldenrod, Rubus species, hawthorn, etc.). It also helps immensely that this entire neighborhood was once a working cattle farm; my topsoil - as proven during construction last year - is pretty primo, even if it is currently lacking in some regards.

Brush hogging the golden rod.

Look at all that gorgeous top soil!

While mowing made a huge difference for my land, it was only the first step! Next, I took soil samples and send them to West Virginia University for free analysis. Yes, free. If you're interested in doing this for your own property, research the opportunities within your state. Many states offer the service free of charge for residents through Federal and State agencies and/or colleges and universities. If your state doesn't offer any of these services, you can always work with someone like Southern States who will both test your soils and then help you interpret the results and build a custom fertilizer mix for your needs.

Soil testing is important to do to determine what treatments are going to be best for growth of pastures/crops. Not all soils are the same! Environmental factors and land use practices dramatically influence the type and quality of soils. If you want to improve or change the composition of vegetation on your land, you've got to start with the soil. Plants need nutrients to grow well. And different plants require different nutrients. (Are all those various grade school science class lessons coming back to anyone else right now?) Anyone who lives in a rural area with farming should be familiar with this concept; many farmers rotate crops to help/improve their soils so that they better support other plants later on. (Nitrogen fixation is a big one.)

My soil results (above) told me that my soils were a bit acidic (pH of 4.6). The recommended treatment was to lime the pastures. I went a step further with my results, too, and emailed them to my local Southern States to get their opinion on what I should do. Through conversations with David at SS, I learned that liming was going to be my main focus for the next couple years. pH values don't change quickly. David said he'd like to see my pH value up closer to 6. 

I did the first round of liming this spring, and I will likely lime again next spring, too. I plan to continue working closely with local experts and do my best to implement their recommendations. It will be a process, and it may change and evolve over time, but that's to be expected. I'm new to this and pretty fluid about everything (within financial reason). I anticipate that once the pH is at a more ideal level, I will look more into a custom fertilizer mix to improve the mineral composition of the soil. I will also likely perform disking/seeding to establish better forage over time. 

Step 2: Prevent/Minimize Erosion/Sedimentation AKA No Mud!

I know I harp on this a lot since this project began, but I hate mud in pastures. It isn't great for the land, and it isn't great for the horses that live on that land. I dealt with some ridiculous mud at every barn I spent time around growing up. I witnessed situations that I now know were largely preventable with a bit of foresight and planning. 

I knew going into my purchase that I was incredibly fortunate to be buying land that drained exceptionally well.  When Dave had a perc test done years ago, the tester noted that it was one of the best in the region. Still, with neglectful practices that lead to gross mismanagement, anything can become a mud pit in a hurry in the east (as evidenced at other farms in the region I've spent time at). Too much hoof traffic can compact soils and damage vegetation above and below ground in a manner that negatively effects growth. This reduces the ability of vegetation to draw in water, which helps prevent erosion/sedimentation. 

Barn with dry lot. As viewed from here, the French drain resembles a capital E: the toe of the slope is the vertical portion of the E and then the three horizontal figures extend on the far side of the dry lot, through the dry lot right before the overhang, and on the far side of the barn. 

The first big step to minimizing sedimentation/erosion/damage to my soils was opting to have a dry lot for the horses. This "armored" area would provide a place for the horses to spend the majority of their time without harming soils. Planning for this from the get-go to dramatically reduced the likelihood of issues. I also installed a pretty intense French drain in and around the dry lot to both protect it and further minimize the likelihood of sedimentation/erosion (especially of areas downslope of my property).

The next step to minimize sedimentation/erosion/damage to my soils was planning to have multiple [small] pastures to rotate the horses though.

Step 3: Pasture Rotation

Designing the property to have two pastures to cycle the horses' time on was the next step in my grand plan to manage my land in the best way possible. This would allow the land to have a rest period to grow and recover from the stresses of grazing/traffic and help guarantee that the land remains healthy and functioning as it should into the future so that it can continue to support my horses. 

Majestic Grif posing during evening turnout a few weeks ago.

Currently, the horses are turned out for 3 to 4 hours per day on days that the ground is not a soppy, wet mess. This is still a very fluid thing based on my learning and the weather/environment. I also have been turning them out for one month per pasture. However, with less precipitation (leading to less vegetation growth) this is likely to evolve as the land dictates.

Thus far, the pastures are looking really great. We had heavy rain event of ~2 inches in 45 minutes last week and the only place I noticed erosion from runoff was along the edge of the dry lot where the water running off the pasture pushed the stone dust around a bit and partially covered a T post that has been lying there since last year. (Yeah, yeah, I know I need to move it, but look how my procrastination has paid off - its helped me make this cool observation!)

Step 4: Future Plans?

Looking forward, I plan to continue soil testing, liming, fertilizing, disking, and seeding as necessary. The composition of vegetative species growing in the pastures is far from where I'd like to see it one day, but this is a process that takes time. And ultimately, as I have already stated, this process will be one that is on a very fluid schedule based on what the land is telling me it needs. Additionally, as I learn more from my equine nutrition course, my approach will likely change to help guarantee my horses the most balanced diet possible from their pasture.

Thunderheads rising above the pastures earlier this month. The near pasture had just completed it's month rotation with the horses on it. They're in the far pasture for July.

Overall, I am very pleased. There is definite room for further improvement, but for the first year, I am super happy with the progress I've made and the land's response to that progress.

Pasture Improvements and Barn[yard] Glow-Ups

A silver lining to COVID-19 is that I've had ample time to work on things around the property. Usually I feel pulled in multiple directions: photography gigs, hangouts, post-work libations with my coworkers, potlucks, travel, etc. Noooot so much now. As a result, my to-do list for the barn and property that I expected to take until autumn has been completed.

Preparation and Liming of the Pastures

I'll likely lime my pastures for a few years in a row to get them up to a better pH. When I tested the soils last year, they rung at a pH of 4.6  This wasn't at all surprising, but it is a bit too acidic to grow lush pasture grasses.

To prepare for liming, I spent a few days picking up rocks, firewood, and wood scraps/shavings from the milling process last summer. This involved three more pick up loads of firewood to be transferred (we had already done a good 6 loads last fall), raking and shoveling of all the scraps and shavings, and clearing out rocks that remained from excavation.

I slowly did these tasks over a period of a few weeks while I waited for the weather to get its shit together so I could lime. When I finally found a window of time, I headed up to Oakland to get a buggy from Southern States that was full of pelletized lime and returned to spread it in the first pasture (I'm waiting to do the other one this autumn). 

Spring pastures sans all the firewood that had been piled up here!

Wheelbarrow with scraps, one jump that hadn't been moved, and tarp-encased slab of wood we're letting cure before turning into a bench 

Hooked up to the buggy waiting for pelleted lime to fill 

Hooked up and about to drive around the pasture spreading the lime

Post-liming. 

And the only morel I've ever found in Canaan...in the middle of my damn pasture!

It was a funny shaped little thing, but I was happy to discover it right before liming. I totally ate it with dinner that night lol

Rock Path

As my barn routine normalized, I began to notice that I was wearing a path down to the barn. This wasn't unexpected or surprising in the least. What was a slightly surprising and a bit frustrating though was that the last 6 feet or so was muddy because despite spreading top soil back, the vegetation was really struggling to reestablish itself. My constant trodding on it really wasn't helping either. The area was muddy and becoming worse by the day.

A big reason why I designed the barn/dry lot/pastures in the manner I did was to avoid ever having to step in mud again. I hate mud and one of my big goals with the barn project was to do all I could to effectively manage mud around my property. And so, in an effort to resolve the little bit of mud I was encountering on my walk down to the barn, I began building a stone path. 

It wasn't anything special at all, but it did help get me up out of the mud! I worked on it bit by bit this spring. First the topmost and bottom-most sections. The middle remained incomplete for a long time. And when I was about to mobilize and go fetch rocks to complete the middle section, I screwed up my shoulder. 

Fortunately for me, my brother - who has been back in WV for a few weeks and staying with me during that time - took it upon himself to upgrade/complete my rock pathway last week. Thanks, brother!

Norah checking out the lower part of the walkway

Middle missing

Rock walkway pairs well with the rock perimeter on my flower bed

Brother and his work in progress

A lot of the small rocks in the middle of this image and the next have been replaced with giant river rocks

I'm a big fan!

Barn Mats

While not the biggest or craziest upgrade, I did finally buy a few more barn mats. These damn things are pricey - especially when one needs to buy multiples. I'd like to eventually get about four more before calling it "good", but for now this is more than workable. I LOVE having mats to sweep. It's so much simpler than raking them for cleanliness.

Earlier this spring, I just had a narrow strip of mats up the middle.

But now mats fill the very large majority of the space!

We're pretty happy about this development for all barn aisle needs.

Acute Injury

It's old news to those who follow me on Instagram, but Q and I suffered a slip/fall/crash 2½ weeks ago. Q is very fortunately fine beyond rattling her confidence. I on the other hand suffered an acute injury to my upper trapezius muscle. 

I have no media to accompany this story, so have some random shots of the horses one pretty summer evening

I was on a ride with Kate and Dave when it happened. We reached one of our favorite gallop sections and I became a bit caught up in the moment, giggling as Dave and Stan rocketed past Q and I because Dave was making silly faces. I knew that there were pseudo water bars present in this area, but forgot in the moment. ...until Stan and Dave tripped slightly (but regained balance and momentum without issue) in front and to the right of Q and I. Fractions of a second later, we hit a slightly more uneven piece of ground. 

Q stutter-stepped as she encountered the uneven terrain. In her attempts to save us, her left foreleg slipped out from under her - and me. I was propelled unceremoniously over her left shoulder (a first!, it has always been the right side before now) and slammed into the mountainside. I essentially pile drove my left shoulder/neck into the turf and heard my neck (maybe other things?) crack 8-9 times. I quickly checked my CMS (circulation, motor, sensory) by wiggling all my fingers and toes and found everything to be in working order. In fact, one of my first thoughts once I had done that was, Wow, that was a shock, but it wasn't so bad at all! Not so different from my visits to the chiropractor...well, other than the suddenness and force of it all...

I love her big ol' eyes. 

Within seconds of my unplanned dismount, I was up and mobile. Q was standing idly with Stan and Dave while Kate, who had witnessed the entire thing, gaped at me in abject horror before asking me multiple times if I was sure I was okay. In that moment, I truly felt fine. My shoulder was a touch tingly, but nothing too crazy. The bones seemed to be in fine order and there were no deformities anywhere between my neck and shoulder joint. All in all, I counted myself lucky. 

More importantly to me in that moment, Q checked out to be completely fine. She had a bit of mud on her left stocking, but that was it. The worst of it was that she seemed a bit alarmed/uncertain about me being on the ground. I can only assume that my coming off her her left shoulder surprised her. In the countless times I came off that mare during 2014-2015, it was always over her right shoulder. 

He looks so great right now. I'm so freaking pleased.

I massaged my shoulder and surrounding muscles on and off as we rode for another 45 minutes. But by that evening, the pain in my shoulder had grown to a steady 4 on the pain scale. It would spike to a 5 or 6 if I did certain things. I dosed with NSAIDs and iced it and called it good. The pain was still present the next day, my range of motion (ROM) was further limited, and my shoulder had a "dropped" appearance that friends could see from a distance. Even Dave, who is notoriously bad at observing such deformities, could see a difference. 

By Sunday, I was highly suspect of a second degree AC injury. I continued NSAIDs, ice, and soaks in a cold river to ease the pain and inflammation and [slowly] one-armed all of my barn chores. I slept shittily Sunday night due to the pain waking me up multiple times and was in throbbing pain by Monday morning. At that point, I cried "uncle" and headed to the closest urgent care. I was checked over by a PA and sent to the hospital for x-rays. By Tuesday afternoon, the PA called me to let me know that my x-rays were clear and she was going to refer me to a physical therapist. My first appointment was set for 10 days later.

The whole reason I flitted out to take photos of the horses in their temp fence grazing area this evening was because that gorgeous rainbow was cascading down behind them

In the 10 days leading up to that appointment, the pain was a steady 3-4 with spikes up to 5-6 if I pushed myself outside of my comfortable ROM...and my ROM became increasingly limited during that week. The only way I could sleep was if my shoulder was heavily iced. The NSAIDs helped, but not as much as the ice did. As soon as the ice pack warmed, I would wake up from the pain. Not an enjoyable experience! 

In the 2-3 days prior to my first PT appointment, I regained some of my ROM. I was still limited, but not as much as I had been. The pain was finally under control with the sole use of NSAIDs, too, which was a big relief. 

His little cheek freckle has remained unchanged since I met him 15 years ago. I always wondered if it would evolve as he aged.

Upon arriving at the PT, I rehashed how the injury occurred, demonstrated my ROM, and discussed the limitations and pain I'd been experiencing since the crash. The PT assessed me and said that I'd suffered an acute injury to my upper trapezius. The muscle was "stuck" in a contracted state to protect itself and was the cause of all the referred pain I was experiencing throughout my whole neck/shoulder region. I knew it was knotted, and was incredibly relieved to hear that it was just that muscle and not the AC joint! My PT is confident I'll be back to normal in short order. In fact, he told me to not limit myself and noted that it's highly unlikely I will make it any worse. So that's pretty sweet! ]

The teeny black tips on his ears in the summertime make me so happy. And I know many of you are a fan of his "lipstick" 

After receiving this news, I had the pleasure of experiencing one of the most uncomfortable therapies I've ever experienced: dry needling + electric stimulation. The logic behind it makes perfect sense to me and I'm happy to deal with the discomfort of the treatment because I do know it will help speed my recovery. But fuck, y'all. That shit sucks. The PT took time and care to insert three needles deep into my trap. All I can say is thank god I've had tattoos and acupuncture before because those experiences were the only thing keeping me from crying out more than I did as he placed the needles. 

Once the needles were placed, he hooked them up to electrical stimulation that then triggered the muscle to twitch on and off for the next 20 minutes or so. While bizarre, the twitching due to the electrical stimulation wasn't actually painful. Once the treatment was over, he removed the needles and had me lie with my shoulder on a vibrating ball for a few minutes. Then he sat me up and HOLY SHIT. I couldn't exactly turn around to confront him face-to-face, but I exclaimed, "Ohmygod what did you do to me," as I devolved into nervous laughter over my predicament. The PT laughed with me, then noted that yes, I would be sore. Really sore. Really, really sore for the next 24 hours or so. He applied CBD salve, told me to continue my NSAIDs as needed, MSM/arnica salve as desired, and to lay with some kind of ball under the muscle a few times a day until he sees me again next week.

So happy to finally capture this little maneuver on camera! It always makes me giggle to watch them do this.

My trap was SO SWOLLEN AND ANGRY within 30 minutes of leaving PT. I wish I'd taken pictures! I couldn't help but laugh at myself every time I caught my reflection for the rest of that day. The swelling was absolutely comical.

Fortunately, by 72 hours post-PT, my shoulder was feeling the best it had felt since being injured. The pain no longer wakes me up at night, my ROM is vastly improved, and barn chores are a breeze again.

Q and her minions...erm, I mean geldings.

I'm so grateful that the crash didn't result in worse injury for myself and Q. I'm especially happy that Q is okay. I've only ridden once (under Kate's watchful eye) since the incident, and am so very relieved to report that Q's confidence, which was really shaky immediately following the incident, seems to be right back to its normal level. She led half of our 90-minute, 4-mile ride without a single nervous step. (And that ride didn't bug my shoulder one bit!) I think Q and I both needed that time in the saddle to move forward. 

I hope to resume riding with my previous frequency over the next week or so! There are many adventures to be had through the rest of summer. Hopefully without further injury ;-)

The Next Chapter

When you see my blog pop up in your feedly list and when you visit the site itself, you'll notice that while the URL is the same, the blog is no longer In Omnia Paratus. While In Omnia Paratus (Latin for "ready for anything") is still very much a strong motto for my life, after 10 years it is time for the next chapter of this blog. 

I started In Omnia Paratus at the end of college in December of 2010. I didn't know where I was going or what my future entailed at that point in my life. In Omnia Paratus was a perfect name for a new blog whose author had no idea what direction life would take her. 

In Omnia Paratus saw me enter the professional work force, get my first horse, sell my first horse, be given my next "project" horse, buy my second horse, be given a third, bring home a new puppy, move to Canaan, get married, and build my little farmette in the mountains of West Virginia. In Omnia Paratus chronicled the trials and tribulations of training Griffin from the ground up to putting him under saddle for the first time and bringing him along to be the horse he is today. In Omnia Paratus followed my journey with Q from anxiety-ridden quasi-impulse-purchase as an endurance hopeful to our first 100 mile attempt and completion of the Old Dominion 100 mile ride. In Omnia Paratus followed along as Stanley became mine to care for and not just "that horse I loved as a teenager". In Omnia Paratus followed my stories, adventures, revelations and epiphanies about dogs, horses, and life for all of my 20s. 

But now my life has entered it's next exciting chapter. Enter: Starlight Lane Farm.

Many of you followed along last year as Starlight Lane Farm evolved from a dream to a reality. From ground breaking to barn building to bringing the horses home and figuring out life as their sole caretaker. It's been an adjustment I have willingly made and enjoyed each step along the way. 

My adventures will certainly continue, but they will be laced with the new underlying adventure of owning and managing a small piece of land high atop a ridge in West Virginia. Fun new topics like land management, jump building, trail maintenance, barn hacks, and further education in equine nutrition will appear in this space. I'm excited, and I look forward to continuing to chronicle my adventures in this little space of the internet. 

Welcome, friends. New and old. 💚

Online Riders Collective Feedback Video | Q

In early May, Lyss shared about the Online Riders Collective. A few of Lyss' friends put together the site with the idea that trainers could view video submissions from riders across all disciplines for 1:1 virtual clinices. Called "Clinics for a Cause" riders are able to submit up to 15 minutes of video (one video or a compilation) of them riding and choose a clinician of their choice for tailored feedback on their ride. Every dollar of your video submission is donated to The Equestrian Aid Foundation.

I quickly decided that I was on board with this and would submit a video of Q and Grif. At the time of my submissions, it was only $25, so I ultimately submitted one video of Q and two of Grif. Unfortunately, I'm still awaiting the return of Grif's second video. I'm hoping it will be returned soonish? I'd like to share the feedback videos of him in the same post to compare/contrast the feedback I received. Until then, we'll focus on Qdle Doo. 

I opted to submit Q's video to Lauren Sprieser. I've seen Lauren teach in person, loved her style, and have read numerous accounts from other bloggers who have ridden with her. I've wanted to trailer to her for lessons (likely from one of her assistants at first), but my finances have been directed in other places in recent years (totally worth the barn and bringing the horses home lol). One day! 

To preempt Lauren about Q, I provided the following description with my video:

Q is a ~15 year old Morgan x Arabian mare. She's my 100-mile endurance horse and has completed the Old Dominion 100. My dressage friend has been after me to get this mare into the dressage court for years, so that is my aim for the future in addition to an endurance ride each year. 

This mare is opinionated and stubborn AF. I love her to death, but she's not easy! Also, Newton's 8th law of filming dictates that you're guaranteed to have a not-stellar ride when the camera is out, and that's definitely what this day was. Q rode like an angry little Morabian motorcycle, ignoring my leg and seat like a boss and bracing hard against the bit (very typical for her). 

This was our first time in an arena in ages (there are only two privately owned arenas here in rural Canaan Valley, WV) and she thought that was a bit of BS. Because she's an endurance horse damnit, and this dressage business is a load of crap in her opinion.  I was good humored about it (the reason the video is sans audio due to my rampant giggling, laughter, and making fun of Q), but it definitely wasn't an easy ride and I have a LOT to work on with her. 

The beginning clips are Q motoring around the arena like her tail is on fire. She was super go-go-go and not a lot of whoa or listening. I was trying to get her to calm down a bit (she's never been in this arena before) and relax before trying something more structured like a dressage test. The last two clips are her first ever attempts at dressage tests in an arena - Intro C (2019) and Beginner Novice Test A (2018). 

Thank you in advance for taking the time to give us feedback.

 

 

Lauren's feedback basically boils down to the following: do lots of transitions to keep Q more focused, do smaller figures to keep her attention, more inside leg, more outside rein, more leg, and do some spiraling in-out on a 20m circle. 

None of Lauren's feedback is a surprise to me. But it is very confirming because many of the exercises she recommends are things I've pursued in the past. It's nice to know that my approach/thinking has been in-line with what she'd recommend!

Something about summer weather makes me want to school dressage more often, so my plan is to work on these things with Q throughout the summer with the hope that maybe? MAYBE? I'll be able to go somewhere for a schooling show in the autumn. At the moment, endurance competitions just don't have me as jazzed as they used to. And honestly, with the pandemic and restrictions on gatherings, a dressage schooling event seems much more friendly for keeping people at a distance from one another than an endurance event. 

At any rate, it is nice to have a focused direction to work with this little mare. I'll do my best to do monthly recaps on my progress with her now that I have a Pivo to capture All The Media. 😁

Tack Room: Complete

Well, it would probably be better to say "complete" in quotations because I'll definitely continue to tinker with this room for awhile to come (I'm already planning to modify the grain storage, alter the side table, upgrade the couch...). But for all intents and purposes, it's pretty safe to say that it is done. I'm really pleased with the results and look forward to spending more time in this room!

I painted the door this beautiful navy a few months ago. I love the pop of color it adds to the aisle. 
I'm also pretty pleased with how this whole area outside the tack room has come together. It's been a very slow process of figuring out what I have, what my needs were for storage, and the best way to go about it. Looking at the photo now, I can say with complete certainty that I was able to create all of this storage/organization purely by cobbling together random things I already had lying around. 

Opening the door to enter the tack room, there is a scrap of linoleum on the floor in the heaviest traveled area leading to the bridles, saddles, pads (behind the door), helmets, and other random necessities stored below the bridles in the IKEA trones. 

Pretty much the entire third of the tack room closest to the door is 100% dedicated to tack and riding needs. The shelf above the door holds seasonal needs. Currently, my winter stuff (riding skirt, vests, gloves, hats, etc.) are up there. There are also miscellaneous first aid needs stored in that space.

All saddle covers are by Amanda and her Bel Joeor Metier Etsy shop. The ribbons are those that Stan and Grif have won. Griffin's three are the non-wrinkly ones in the center from Loch Moy (HT) and Wyndam Oaks (dressage). All of the crinkly ribbons are from a show Stan and I did sometime around 2006. We won high point at that show and also have an etched plate commemorating that, but I've yet to hang it because I need to add some color to the etched text so it will show up against my wall. 

Griffin is forever lurking...
The counter is a bit of a catch-all place for miscellany. I also set their dinner buckets on it while they soak and then to add their supplements to (though I removed them for photo purposes lol). The mirrored medicine cabinet and accompanying storage above are something my dad pilfered from a friend's doctor's office (if I'm remembering correctly), yeaaaars ago. They were originally white/cream, but I opted to paint them a dark brown to fit the space better. 

You may find yourself wondering, "Why is there a childish pink carousel clock in the space? It doesn't fit?" Well no, it doesn't exactly fit. But I've had that clock since I was like...5. It has graced every place I have ever lived. It has an annoyingly loud tick-tock noise but damnit, I love it. I spent years day dreaming about this reality in all of the spaces that clock previously occupied. It's only right that it's final home is the tack room in my very own barn. 
As for the black IKEA bookshelf, it houses various equestrian magazines, books, training manuals, and some blankets. A TV and DVD player sit on top.

Various magnets grace the back of the door. The supporting bars for the shelf have little hooks that I've hung various things from.

The couch with it's oversized cover and super cute equestrian pillows I scored from a questionable Amazon seller. The framed print above the breaker box is also of carousel horses and was in my room growing up. Various drawers of storage are beneath the couch and the side table. 

Remember when Griffin was dark? It seems like a lifetime ago! The middle spot is vacant with hopes that Mandy will one day paint me a Stanley to go with Grif and Q.

The jute rug really pulls the space together. 
The "Cheers Bitches" banner was leftover from a bachelorette party. 
The bronze statue on the windowsill is a limited edition and was the last Christmas gift I received from my paternal grandfather. And, just noticing this, but the framed cross stitch to the right of the window of the two horses was also done by my paternal grandmother. Both items have followed me everywhere (like the clock).

I suppose I should one day share more about the gallery wall that is visible here. But honestly, the large majority of those images are littered across this blog. The artwork, too.

A closer shot of the pillow design.

I was trying to capture a photo of my kickass custom shade that I waited FOREVER for due to COVID. Norah, of course, had to make it about her instead. I warned her that she was backlit AF and wouldn't look good, but she insisted. Cats, man, what can ya do? Regardless, I ordered this custom shade at the very beginning of March when COVID was just becoming a Big Problem in the US. I ended up getting it for something like 50-60% off due to pandemic fears. Totally worth the wait! It's so nice. And way better than any curtains I could have hoped to put up.

And once again, Norah had to make it all about her in this shot of the side table. Though really, it's okay because I purposely left that little pillow there for her. Spoiled big-eared kitty. (More evidence of her spoiledness present beneath the table where the 32 cans of cat food are.) The stickered bin contains a wealth of first aid supplies.

I hope the final "reveal" has been worth the wait for those of you who have been curious about how everything with the tack room ended up! This time last year, we were breaking ground on the barn. It feels so nice to be nesting this year instead of merely dreaming of this moment. 

Another Manic Monday

Well, here's another manic Monday photo dump. Mostly because I can't get my crap together to finish taking final photos of the tack room. Promise I'll do it today though for a post tomorrow!

Lovely springtime views of Canaan

Ickle baby Ferdinand. It's gonna be hard to eat this guy! He's so damn cute.

He came a month before they were expecting him

He was super snuggly those first few days!

Moon over the house

Dinner time views while I muck

Greening up

Looking toward home because FRIENDS ARE THERE

This dude is in amazing shape right now

FINALLY found pool noodles in local stores so I could do this

Front porch sunset sitting with the pups

I had taken my book out to read, but couldn't quit oggling the sky

Q took longer to shed out this year. Something to be said about Canaan Valley weather.

The weather this evening was absolutely perfect. No humidity. Light breeze. Gorgeous light.

Such happy ponies.

Twinning!

House view as I walk up from the barn

Sun rays preceding the sunset

Happy goobers

The Queen on her throne

So very lovely and green!

Jacks in a pulpit in my backyard! Was super psyched to discover several of these growing

Oh, hi there, Ferdi. 

Ferdinand and his tree, just like in the children's story!

Had my chef friend come over and make us dinner one evening. Fried chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, and mushrooms sauteed with ramp pesto

It was such a nice way to get yummy food during these odd times

It was also a great opportunity to hang out with this goober

I'm sorry you're out of work and had to come back home, but I'm so happy you came over to cook for us!

Flippy floppy mohawk in need of a trim + beautiful evening light

My Monstera deliciosa unfurling her first leaf with fenestrations. I was really excited. I also may one day do a whole post on plants I have in my house because it's getting a bit ridiculous. My bff in San Diego shipped me a bunch of new babies at the start of May. It takes me a minimum of 6 gallons of water to take care of everything in the house on watering days now. 

All three horses enjoying an evening stroll

I was up on the roof cleaning gutters

Are you tired of photos of beautiful evening light yet? Too bad if you are. I take a LOT of them.

Tack room teaser. And Grif being a creeper.

Sneak shot of the snoogling happening.

Because every time I get close enough, they wake up and the cute moment is gone.

More evening light on Mt Porte Crayon from my friend's front porch.

Sunset sentinel

Sunrise grazing

Amidst the pandemic, my office has moved. I went in on my assigned day (alone in the building) to setup my cube

It's quite a change from having a 10' x 14' office with a door

But the plus is that whenever we go back, my commute will only be 7-8 minutes AND I can open that window!

Because I am home all the time, the dogs get to spend more time outside. I don't like leaving them out all day when we aren't here, but being able to take a quick peak and make sure all is well during my work day is easy enough to do. They really seem to enjoy all of the time outside.

I'm not entirely certain how this is comfortable, Norah.

But I suppose that's what cats excel at? Finding odd positions of comfort?

Looking toward Dolly Sods and Mt Porte Crayon

Dry Fork of the Cheat canyon

Ugh, I love Appalachia

And I love the increasing number of photos I'm getting of this rebuilt Civil War era cabin on my neighbor's property.

It was a really perfect evening

Her ears are so obscenely large

STRETCHIES!

Hunky man

Another cute moment I turned around to while working

WE HEARD CRINKLING. IS IT FOR US?

I let Grif out to graze before heading out on a ride with Q and Stan. Q wanted to go with him and was contemplating the feasibility of slipping under the hot tape to do so.

But then she was a good girl and followed me back into the barn when I asked.

FINALLY got Miss Kate on bareback

And got her to gallop this shiny beast up the mountain. She was a bit nervous, but the smile on her face afterward gave away how much fun she had. 

Ugh. Mares. Q insisted on peeing in this same spot under the overhang for DAYS. So I finally marked it off in hopes of letting it dry out and breaking her cycle.

Because seriously, mare. EW. It took a good FOUR DAYS for this spot to dry out. Complete with me raking it twice a day.

Front Street in Thomas, WV with friends early this past Saturday.

The amount of support for the BLM movement is present in every shop window.

I had a great first session with my Pivo in some super shitty filming conditions

I'm eager to put it to the test more when the lighting is better

And y'know, maybe with a saddle?

Family photo snapped by a friend at her farm post-hike on Saturday

We hadn't even left on our ride yet and she was already over my shit lol!

But I found a new occurrence of an endangered species on our ride! Running buffalo clover Trifolium stoloniferum