Today was one of those beautiful sunny days in the middle of winter that refreshes your soul. I spent the day cleaning stalls and just watching the animals enjoy the sun. As did a few of my neighbors. Everyone was out enjoying their little bit of heaven.
We live in an animal friendly neighborhood. It's not technically a "neighborhood" but we have lots of neighbors on small farms. Across the street we have a beautiful 50 acre farm that has Cleveland Bay horses, miniature donkeys, geese and about 25 peacocks that come over to my place and let me enjoy their colors. Some neighbors don't appreciate this visit of the peacocks as they have a tendency to go where they want, be it sitting on the roof of your house or your spotless Corvette, it's all the same to them. One poor neighbor left a window open in their house and came home to a few peacocks running around their living room. They had been in there for hours. Imagine the mess. I love the peacocks and peahens with their beautiful colors and little pea-babies but they have never caused me any trouble. Next door we have a horse farm with some pretty fancy racehorses. In the spring there is usually a baby or two. I get my horse fix but don't have to own a horse. I have owned horses all my life but with the cost of hay and vet care skyrocketing it is a relief to not have one anymore. I vowed to not own another horse until I had enough money to call the vet in the middle of the night, on Christmas, without thinking about how much it would cost me.
So there are animals all around us and wonderful neighbors that will help feed if we are away, will help if one of the animals is sick..............or loose! I just haven't found anyone that can milk. For this reason, I haven't had a milk goat for sometime. When my son was young and at home we stayed home most of the time so it was easy to keep the milking schedule but now that he is grown and gone we can travel more and as much as I would like a milk goat I kind of want to see a bit of the world.........well really I'd settle for the United States. Not one of my neighbors can milk for me so I have been leaving the babies on the mothers and then letting the does dry up after the kids are weaned. I have been thinking of an exchange program for people that want a milk goat but also want to take a vacation or two. Someone that can board my milk goat if I board theirs. Sounds like a good idea to me.
So after a few weeks of bad weather where I have just been feeding and then rushing back inside I got to spend the day with my favorite friends.
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2 comments:
Why do horses need so many vet visits? What did people do back in the day? Like my mom said, her dad had horses and she knows for a fact he didn't break the bank to keep them. Are they less hardy today, or why do you think this is? It's been a lifelong dream of mine to have a horse, but there's no way I can afford it right now. I'm trying to justify a guard donkey and maybe I can ride it. Ha ha ha!
btw, I want a better look at Moly's ear wattles! How odd!
It's not so much that horses need the vet out often. We had horses twenty years and maybe had them out 1-2 times but toward the end of our horse's life she was colicing often and we or the vet couldn't fiqure out why. Some horses are prone to such problems and she was one of them. Horses need lots of hay, very expensive in our area, hooves trimmed, teeth floated when they get older etc. I don't think vet medicine has ever been so unaffordable for the average person. I can do a lot of my own doctoring but sometime you need the vet and every time they came it was 300-500 dollars.
You are at a different point in your life than me. At one time it was well worth the expense. I liked nothing better than riding down a trail with my son on his lttle horse by my side. You may find it well worth it too. I say go for it.
I'll try to get a better picture of Moly's weird wattles. I have seen a lot of goats in my days as goatgirl but I can honestly say I don't remember seeing any under another goats ears.
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