Autumn Notebook

Both Ruby and Winston enjoyed hanging out near the horses:

And Rosella tried to touch noses with Remy, though the electric fence prevented it:

The very last flowers which went to church. It was communion Sunday and all three vases were placed on a small table with a white cloth underneath. The vase on the left held pink Morden Blush roses. The vase on the right held neon red Emily Carr roses. The vase in the center held yellow Heliopsis, red Yarrow, magenta Rugosa roses and Peony leaves which were turning red:

The trees bordering my north field began to show some gorgeous color:

And I purchased a lifting harness for Seamus. He hasn't needed it much yet, but I know he has periods of lameness when it will be helpful for both him and for me:

My sister brought a new toy for the cats, and both Sammy and Daisy like it very much:

Caspar, Clover and Bugsy like to sleep together on the big, green floor pillow:

Blue claims the morning hay and won't let Remy have any, although he softens once his belly is full:

Remy likes to sneak a bite of vegetation from beneath the bottom electric fence wire:

The Box Elder tree finally began dropping seeds, so I've had to spend much time picking them up twice each day. There is still too much green grass in the pasture for me to let the horses out:

Blue and Remy, my mischievous boys:

I finally got a buyer for Winston, so the next morning I was able to trap him inside the barn. He bawled for his mother and his herd, but was not as upset as previous calves. The buyer also wants to buy Ruby when she's old enough:

Getting The Red Poll Cattle Ready For Winter

I now have most of the Red Poll cattle crowding the barn door for a bowl of grain each morning - unless I'm a bit later than usual, that is. If I'm late, they leave in a huff:

Ruby and Scarlett, in for a snack:

Ruby and Winston finally began to follow the big cows into the barn. Winston has tasted grain and decided he likes it, but Ruby is still wary of it:

The morning rush. I can't let them in, though, until both horses are walked, one at a time, out to their corral:

The girls eat their two cups of sweet feed so rapidly that I don't have time to put a bowl down for the calves. Luckily, the cows start eating the hay on the floor as soon as they've finished their grain:

Ruby watched while Winston tasted his first bowl of grain:

Jasmine:

Rosella, Scarlett and Ruby

This was midday, not morning grain time - so they didn't get any. Nobody needs grain, but I am trying to train them to come into the barn so I can have them inseminated, get vet care or trap the calves when it's time to sell them:

Winston and Amy playfully butted heads:

Scarlett and Rosella both needed minerals and salt, perhaps because they are both producing milk:

Breakfast time:

Getting Cattle Inside The Barn

I need to get Scarlett, Rosella and their calves to start coming into the barn so I can have the two moms artificially inseminated again and so I can tattoo and sell the calves. I began by tempting them close to the barn with bowls of grain:

I don't care if the other cows eat any grain, but I decided to give them some if they come close enough:

Rosella and Scarlett are both producing large amounts of milk, so they are always hungry and ravenously eat any grain or hay they find:

Rosella was the bravest and the first to begin coming into the barn, returning to her former regular stall:

Then Jasmine, Rosella and Amy began coming into the barn. That giant on the right is Amy. She was smaller than the others when she arrived six years ago, seemed a bit oddly shaped and was sometimes bullied by the bigger cows. Now she's a giant, albeit with a docile personality:

Because Rosella couldn't reach the bowl on the floor as easily as the other cows, I made a little stand for her bowl of grain:

 Ruby and Scarlett in the rosy light of dawn, as they came in for a drink of water:

 Scarlett and Ruby by the salt lick and trace mineral feeders:

The girls became so accustomed to early morning grain that they often now come as a herd to the barn when they see me enter it:

 Jasmine, Amy and Rosella:

 Winston, Scarlett, Ruby, Violet:

 Winston has resisted coming into the barn, but he's getting closer:

The Little Horsey Guys

Blue and Remy have quit their rebellious ways and become perfect (well, almost perfect) gentlemen:

They seem to have decided that their new lives of corral by day, barn by night, are good things:

They do look longingly out at the pasture sometimes, but they'll get their chance as soon as the grass stops growing:

The Box Elder tree is covered with poisonous seeds, so as soon as they drop, I'll have to keep the horses inside the barn until I get them all raked up:

Keeping the boys supplied with good hay is part of my defense against them eating Box Elder seeds. They'll be less tempted if they're not hungry:

Remy goes out first in the mornings and gets tied to the tree while I bring Blue out:

Then I return to the barn, turn on the electric fence and grab a big armload of hay for their breakfast:

When it's hot and not rainy, the boys get covered with fly spray twice each day, morning and night:

I use a sponge to wipe it on their head and ears, then spray the rest of their body. In the evenings, I scrape off any bot fly eggs which have appeared on their legs or sides during the day. Using fly spray in the morning helps reduce the bot fly eggs a lot:

Always the trouble maker, Remy often tries to nip Blue while he's tied up for his fly spray:

It's been a good summer for the horsey boys, and soon they'll have six months of freedom in the south pasture:

Big Red Polls, Little Horses

Jasmine has been looking healthier than ever before and I am encouraged to think she might become productive again. Formerly, her obesity prevented her from coming into heat. I suspect she's begun cycling again, though. I've been keeping notes on my calendar:

Winston is happy, healthy and curious:

The herd is often found all in a row, ideal for photos:

Winston in his frequent pose, watching me with curiosity. This time he had poop on his head:

It's almost as if they line up for photos, but I think the real reason is that they like to press against each other to brush off/crush the flies:

Winston and his Aunt Jasmine came in for a drink of cool water. He seems to hang around with her more than with the others:

I always lead Remy in and out of the barn first, so in the evening Blue has to wait, tied to a tree, until I return for him:

They spend their nights in the barn, protected from too many flies and with plenty of hay and water:

In the morning, I spray them both with fly spray, then lead Remy out and tie him to the tree while I fetch Blue:

When both horses begin their day in the corral, they play briefly and then begin searching for grass to eat. I bring hay out right away, but they'd rather have green grass:

In the evening, I go out to the corral to bring them in. This night, Winston and several cows were just outside the horses' fence: