Sunday, May 31, 2020

Sunday Stills

Gracie and Dawn grooming

Maggie and Maggie grooming, Cinnamon watching

Traveller, Missy and Gracie

Penny, Dawn and Cinnamon

Charlotte and Cuffie

Jake and Charlotte

Diamond and Maddie

Lily and Maisie

Dooley and Sport

Art and Alfie

Havana and Renny

Cody and Dooley

Baner

Bruno and Duesy

Taylor and Dooley

Remmy and Merlin

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Vaccination Day


The pace of life has been pretty hectic at Paradigm Farms over the last couple of weeks. Body clipping was in full swing. We clipped 21 horses and only have Sparky the donkey left in the clipping queue. Jason fertilized all of the pastures. Yesterday was extra busy as we vaccinated all of the horses.

To make vaccination day go smoothly it takes a lot of advance planning. I coordinate with the vet clinic and give them an exact count for each vaccine.  On vaccination day I print out instructions and we each have a copy. The horses are listed by pasture groups and next to their name I indicate which vaccines they will be getting. On the morning of we put halters on everyone while we are feeding. If someone decides to be a runner it is a lot easier to stop that nonsense if you can grab a halter. The afternoon before Jason had gotten step-in posts and electric tape ready at each pasture. In each pasture I fed the horses, Kate put on halters, and Jason put in the step in posts and ran the electric tape to trap the unsuspecting horses.

In each pasture when the horses were finished eating their breakfast and realized they could not immediately wander 20 acres away their was a lot of displeasure expressed. They complained to management. They threatened to contact their owners. "I'm texting my mom and telling her that I can't do exactly what I want to do right now!" None of their protests worked. Then we added insult to injury when we returned later with the vet, who brought needles with him.

Just when the horses thought their day couldn't get any worse, we didn't immediately release them from their temporary prison when the vet had completed vaccinations. We knew they would never come when called for afternoon feeding after being jailed not being allowed to wander at will all day. There were many sighs of discontent when we feed them that afternoon, but at least the food was good. Finally, after what felt like the worst day of their lives, we removed their temporary walls and the horses headed out to the absolute farthest corners of their pastures.

Some reminded us of yesterday's indignities by refusing to come for breakfast, only coming to eat after being physically chased up to the front of the pasture. Again, they grudgingly admitted the food was good. Being retired is an impossibly hard life sometimes.


Look at the many pinned ears and grumpy expressions as Chance, Rey and Baby realize they cannot leave. They asked if they could speak to management.

Hemi and Apollo

Thomas and Levendi

Levendi

Thomas

Cisco and Inti

Inti

Trigger and King

Rey and Ricardo

Revy and King

King

Chance, Convey and Baby

Moe and Faisal

Rubrico and Roho

Sushi, Squirrel and Franklin

Rubrico and Toledo

Squirrel and Ripley

Rocky and Wilson


Sunday, May 24, 2020

Sunday Stills


Cocomo and Ralph

Bear and Quigly

Digby and Paramount

Johnny and Blu

Happy and Sebastian

Bear and B-Rad

Taco and Sam

Ascot and Lighty

Indy, Elf and Digby

Moses and George

Fendi

Gus and Gibson were not interested in taking perfect "after" pictures to show off their body clips

Bruno being clipped

Silver and (a freshly clipped) Gibson

Gus and George

Donneur and Ralph

Romeo, Lotus and Doni

Romeo and Lotus

Paramount wishing he was anywhere except separated from his friends and being clipped

Paramount and Sebastian showing off their fresh clips