Confession

I'll admit it, I've been avoiding my blog. Honestly, having Morrissey on the market doesn't put me in the blogging mood. Since the first prospective buyers, there hasn't been any interest. You'd think that this would be disheartening, but you'd be wrong. She is still on the market, but I'm really in no hurry to sell her. Selling a horse is just no fun. Even selling a mean horse who doesn't like people is hard. Morrissey is not mean and does like people, so it just makes it even harder.

For the first few days she was on the market, I kind of avoided working with her. I was trying to prepare myself emotionally, but it just made me feel worse. Instead, I decided to try ground driving with her. I've never even seen it done, but I decided it was worth a shot. I tied both ends of her lunge line to her halter and stood behind her. I don't know any driving cues, so I just said walk... and she did. I turned her and stopped her with my "reins" successfully. It was fun! She didn't like it when I flapped the reins gently against her. I think that may be punishment in driving language, or maybe she was just being her normal self.

I'd really love to try driving. I have a huge arena at my boarding stables, and another huge riding area that I could use as well. It seems like a lot of fun. My fear of riding is mostly about sitting on the horse, feeling the lurching movements and feeling like I'm out of control. Falling is also a huge aspect of my fear. It seems like those things wouldn't really be involved with driving.I'm not afraid of dealing with horses, in fact, I love being around them. I'm just not sure I can allow myself to make another huge investment just to find that my fear gets in the way again. I could take lessons, but again, that is a huge investment. So much to think about.

In goaty news, my doeling from TLC Farms was born. I'll post pictures and details as soon as I get them.

Pony Keg

Morrissey is fat. She has always been a big girl, but she seems to be getting bigger. I'm really trying to focus on all of my animals' nutritional needs. Just because I have cookies and junk food on occasion doesn't mean I'll feed them that way too.

The pugs are all pretty fit and trim, Coli is underweight because of her Cushings disease. The goats are going to have every nutritional need they could ever even think of having met. But Morrissey is the one I can't seem to figure out. I already feed her practically nothing. She gets free choice pasture, two flakes of grass hay, 1 cup of rolled oats, minerals and water each day.

 I can't take her oats away or she'll throw a fit when the other horses get fed. I don't want to take her hay... that leaves pasture. I'm thinking of getting a grazing muzzle. Horse people out there, especially haflinger people. What are your thoughts?

This post is part of Farm Friends Friday! Check out all the other fun farm blogs!

Shedding Out

This is after 5 seconds of curry combing

In both my suburban life and my farmish life I spend a lot of my time dealing with fur. At home I have three pugs who shed off a basket ball sized amount of hair per week if not more. I seriously use a shop-vac to combat the weekly 'extra pug' they are so inclined to give us. At the barn, I have a woolly mammoth of a Haflinger that is now ridding herself of her winter coat, and what a coat it is. This means that I spend the majority of my time either using a lint roller, or covered in yellow and orange hair. 

Plenty of people would probably be embarrassed of this, but I don't mind. My babies are worth it! I've been spending a lot of extra time with the curry comb trying to free that sleek, shiny horse from her fuzzy prison. I bought Morrissey in October so this will be the first time I get to see her new look. I'm very excited. If only the pugs would stop shedding for the summer too!

Suburbanish Weeks and Farmish Fridays

Photo via  Blueherontexas.com

The past couple of weeks have been somewhat lacking in the farmish department. I am a fourth grade english teacher, so I've been devoting most of my extra time to helping my students succeed on the writing portion of the  TAKS test. Thankfully, we are past that. Spring break is only a week away! It is time to get farmish!

Just because my life can never be too simple, I've gone and fallen in love with a doeling. I saw her picture on facebook and she is just too cute for words. The same farm that makes the best cheese I've ever had in my life also happens to make adorable goats. I've maxed out my farmish budget on the other two doeling reservations I have for this breeding season, so my husband is not too keen on the idea of adding another one. Morrissey's performance last week probably isn't helping.

To add to the difficulties, I'd have to pick this little treasure up right away and start bottle feeding her store bought cow's milk. She'd have to live at our house for a week or two. Our suburban house with suburban neighbors. I haven't quite convinced him yet, but I'll see what I can do.

In horse news, Morrissey is in season. Apparently she is one of those mares who gets witchy. She had a few other fun symptoms as well, but that will have to be another post.

Did Someone Say Cliché?

They insisted on doing this... really.

Happy New Year! I know that this blog has been almost entirely about plans and goals, but what better time to make a nice, neat bullet point list that I can refer back to later?

This year I would like to...

• Ride Morrissey without being afraid.
• Continue with Morrissey's training
• Blog more about the dogs, (even the blind one who won't look at the camera).
• Draw a nice large portrait of Morrissey to hang in the house.
• Earn a dry champion leg for at least one of my goats. 
• Teach the goats to drive a cart.
• Start making and perhaps selling goat-milk soap.
• Learn more about nutrition for each of my farmish pets and provide them with the best food possible.
• Make solid plans about looking for a new (horse and goat friendly) home. 
• I know I said no more farm animals for two years, but perhaps a donkey or LGD for my goats?
• Hold on tight to my positive suburban attributes while adding some nice farmish ones as well.