Remy And Blue In Winter

I don't often use the horse stall anymore, but there were several extra cold nights when I put the two little horsey boys in their stall:

 They used to quibble over hay, but they've mellowed with age and now just seem to want affection all the time. I pet them, turn off the light for the night and go back indoors:

 But they do have access to the barn almost all the time. When I clean it and put down fresh bedding hay, they are eager to eat as much as possible - even as they begin pooping and peeing all over it:

 Outdoors, they seem even more immune to the cold than the cattle:

 And they are more adventurous, venturing out into the deep snow, apparently just for fun. I've seen them far out in the field, running through the snow at top speed, their tails flowing out behind them:

 They share the bale feeder with the cows:

 And then come back into the barn for more hay and, I'm sorry to say, to poop:

 Blue developed a slight limp in his left front leg but I found nothing in his hoof and no warmth which might indicate a problem. I suspect he got a bit too wild while romping with Remy out in the field:

 Remy usually waits for an opening at the bale feeder. Those cows are just too big to push aside:

 And they like to hang around the back door to the barn, near the base of a former silo. I have to be sure that white door is kept closed and latched, less they jump up through it into the barn where I keep my tools, etc:

 Blue was digging for hidden treasures:

 And then heard something interesting. They love it when an Amish buggy goes by:

Little Horses Of Winter

Remy likes to hang out inside the barn when the weather is cold and windy:

 And Blue follows wherever Remy goes:

 Remy at the barn door. Notice the frost on the end of his nose:

 Blue and Remy at the bale feeder with Jasmine. I don't remember where the other cows were at the time:

 I put the horses in their stall for the three coldest nights this winter, but that meant I had a lot of messy bedding and frozen poop to clean up. I have to fork it into the bin and then carry the bin out through the door to the tractor bucket:

 Of course I also had to clean the main barn floor where the cattle had spent the night. Then I put down new bedding hay. Remy and Blue thought I'd prepared a banquet table for them:


 Both little horses love to paw through the snow for any plant material to eat, even if it's plants they usually won't touch or if it's dead and brown. I suppose it's instinct to do so, an instinct which keeps wild horses alive during the winter:

 They each have a small stall for eating their grain, a place where they can't fight and the big cows can't bother them:

 And as soon as they're done eating, they begin making a racket by banging their metal pans on the concrete floor. They seem to think it's great fun, maybe even making music:


 Blue's snowy snout showed they he'd been digging in the snow for edible treasures:

 Like the cows, the horse's backs collect snow without melting it. They are quite well insulated:

 What is this, you may well ask. I took this photo from up in the hay loft, where I was tossing down hay for the horses below. They don't mind it falling on them and, in fact, seem to enjoy it:

The Herd

As the snow melted, leaving puddles all over the pasture, Jasmine decided to save herself a walk to the stock tank. It's so much easier to drink from the puddles:

 Life is good when the weather cooperates:

 The cows have spent the winter huddled together on the east side of the barn. Every bit of spring weather now inspires them to venture out into the rest of the field:

 Remy ventures out in almost any weather. He considers himself a wild stallion:

 Blue would rather stay where the hay is, but he can be persuaded to play with Remy, and the two of them run back and forth across the field:

 But they also like to hang out inside the barn:

 I can relate to Blue, up to his belly in hay. I can imagine myself standing in a deep pile of donuts and pizza:

 Blue is mild mannered and shy - except where food is concerned. Remy is normally the dominant one, but he has learned to stay clear of Blue when they're eating:

 A couple of barn bums, rolling around in bedding hay:

 The girls at the salad bar:

 The cows were skinny and hungry when they arrived four years ago, in no mood to share their food with each other. They're fat and contented now, so don't mind sharing:

 The two small stalls I made for Blue and Remy when they first arrived were not adequate as stalls, but they did prove enormously handy at feeding time. The little horses can't fight over their food, and the cows can't push them away and steal it:

Miniature Horses

Blue has lost some of his former shyness and become friendlier. He always liked attention, but only after it had begun. Now he often comes looking for it:

Remy, in contrast, is a glutton for attention and cannot get close enough. It's sometimes difficult to take a picture of him because by the time I lift up the camera, he's almost in my lap:

I fed one of the cows a bowl of grain outside the barn one morning and Blue discovered the empty bowl. He then had a bit of a temper tantrum, banging it with his hoof because it was empty:

The horses haven't spent many nights inside the barn, but there have been a few nights of freezing rain when I couldn't bear to leave the animals outdoors. And of course, they spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights in their stall because of the blizzard:

Blue, normally mild mannered, becomes quite dominant over food. Remy has to be careful when he tries to grab a mouthful of hay:

But outdoors, they're best friends:

They sometimes used to allow the calves inside the barn with them but other times chased them out:

The cows and horses get along pretty darn well now. They've all grown used to each other:

He knows he's cute:

Sharing the hay feeder with Rosella:

Remy, checking me out and wondering what mischief he can get into:

Blue, standing in the doorway of the barn:

Blue And Remy In The Snow

Meteorologists claim our winter has been milder than normal, but there were some rough and wild wintry days when Remy and Blue might have argued with that:

 Rosella forsook the big salt block for the horses' small one, while Remy began walking out to the cows' big salt block. I guess it's like dogs always wanting each other's food, even though they're identical:

 A cute pose by Remy:

 Every thaw, however temporary, sends both little horses out into the field to search for edible grass:

 And they always came back into the barn to "help" me clean the floor and put down new bedding hay. They want to be a part of things:

 After an overnight snowstorm, I could tell where the horses had walked by following their tracks. They sure covered a lot of ground:

 They didn't spend many nights in their stall, but when we had freezing rains, I let them in. Oddly, they weren't very happy about it:

 "I stick my tongue out at your stupid stall. I'm a macho outdoors horse:"

 Most days, however, looked like this - contented cattle and miniature horses, quietly eating hay:

 Blue has always been shy, but lots of affectionate attention has brought him around:

 As for Remy, he always come running for attention:

 Winter is ending and we'll all be glad to bid it farewell: