Keeping Gailey in my Barn

It's been seven years since I've kept my horse at home. At the beginning of September, I brought her home. My barn still isn't exactly horse ready, but I'm working on it. While in some ways, it's a chore to care for a horse at home, in others it's a pleasure. Truly, I am enjoying my time with Gailey. I'm still feeling a little guilty that we don't have another horse on the property to keep her company, but I'm going to cross that bridge later. Right now, 1 horse, 2 dogs, and a spoiled cat are all I can handle.

My Little Barn

So I'm being indoctrinated into the trials and pleasures of keeping my horse at home. My first eye-opener happened when I purchased hay and grain for the first time in 7 years. Eight bales of hay and one bag of grain cost me around $200. That was a shocker. Considering how much hay this mare goes through in a month, it might prove cheaper to board her.

Then comes the chore of unloading the hay and stacking it in my barn. Sigh... I'm not as young as I once was--neither is my husband. Now I'm back in the mode of finding a non-rainy day to haul hay every few weeks and making sure I don't run out of grain.

When I last kept Gailey at home, she kept her stall clean, always going outside to her paddock to use the horsey facilities. After 7 years in a stall, she now thinks her stall in the bathroom so I'm constantly cleaning the stall, and she's constantly messing it up. I keep hoping her old habits will come back. She used to lay down in her stall at night, perhaps when she starts doing that again, she'll want it cleaner.

I did saddle her up one day and found her to be serviceably sound, so I'll be trail riding her in the near future.



My son is working for us once a week and cleaning out the pasture. If you recall earlier pictures of it, it'd gone back to the wild. It's amazing what he did with a chain saw and a little Kubota tractor. Now, it's pretty much cleared, but we'll have to replant the grass, as it's just dirt.

Pasture--Before



Pasture--After

Despite our best efforts to make the pasture horse friendly once again, she sliced open her leg within a few days of her homecoming. My vet paid his first of what I'm sure will be many visits to our little farm. So twice a day, armed with a syringe filled with 20 horse-sized pills and Karo syrup, I've been trudging out to the barn to wrestle with my 1500-pound mare. I'm happy to report the leg has healed, and she's doing well.



We love to go away on weekend vacations, but having a horse at home, does put a damper on our frequent travelling. We'll be staying home more often, maybe saving more money by doing so.

While having a horse at home presents all kinds of challenges, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I love the deep, guttural sound she makes when she sees me walking out to the barn. I like being able to check on her whenever the mood strikes me.