This post was lost in my edit file from April.  Made me smile remembering that day.  The horses and pigs are surprisingly tolerant, even curious towards each other nowadays. April 2009 I brought home my first pair of piglets last night, Spam and Hamlet. I decided to put them in the barn because of the weather (freezing rain here) to settle in for a few days. While I got the stall across the aisle from the horses stalls ready for them, I left them squealing in the back of my truck. The horses, having never seen a pig, decided to vacate the premises and ran off to the far end of their winter paddock. Ever curious, they carefully crept back to the barn area just in time for me to haul the first squealing pig to its new home in the barn…pandamonium set in and off they went again to the far end, nearing tripping over each other in their hasty getaway. Well, I waited for them to creep back close (they were afterall hungry …

Peanut’s 3rd ride was with a total newbie….my brother Bear….who had never ridden a horse. I had spied Bear making some advances toward Peanut on the sly that looked like a ‘connection’…so I taught him to halter and saddle, then mount (though that went less than perfectly, but oh well…more for Peanut to get used to and prepared for). Peanut will be a perfect mount for Bear in regard to his size and even at this young age, Peanut does not look too small to carry a big guy like Bear. I then led him on a 10 minute ride, lead line style and gave him the basics of being centered. Good first lesson for Bear and Peanut did great in his 3rd saddling. Video links below.. http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/mamajud/RESTING%20HEART/?action=view&current=DSCN1321.flv http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/mamajud/RESTING%20HEART/?action=view&current=DSCN1322.flv

I’ve had some requests to show some picture documentation of my ‘paddock paradise’ here at Resting Heart Farm. This all started when I found myself collecting horses, lol. I went from 2 to 6 horses over the past year and have only about 12 acres of pasture for grazing (4 or so are not even mine). After reading Jaime Jackson’s book of the same title, I used some (not all) of his ideas to create a network of fencing alleys that do several things…. Right now in winter, it is a simple track around my main field. It allows the horses 24/7 access to the main barn and stalls, but keeps them off the main pasture and on the perimeter only. The circular nature is great for keeping them moving…in contrast to a small paddock approach to winter. This is particularly useful with youngsters as they get pretty bored very easily. So I’ll give you a tour… Here I am standing at the barn looking down the track. The water trough is at the bottom …

A few days ago, I was afforded a great photo op at my place. I had been out doing my barn chores and had let Manny out in the aisleway to hang out while I worked which is commonly our routine. I ran into the house to let my freezing Yorkies in and get a second cup o Joe. When I came back out to the mudroom, there was Manny, escaped from the barn, knocking on my door quite literally. He was sampling the ornamental corn on the door! Too funny!

With my Mom’s retirement finally here, we moved her into a small apartment here at Resting Heart Farm, so she could enjoy the things she loves…beading, knitting and her dogs. But she felt like she was missing out…in the horse department. So when a pair of minis became available, we couldn’t resist…. We added Miss Molly (formerly ‘Sunny’) and her colt, Magic to our herd in August 2007. Magic and Peanut were of course, instant friends!