Free again...

 

Yea, my taxes are done for another year. Of course if I were smart I’d work on them during the year then it would take no time at all to get them done at yearend. Maybe this year I’ll be more organized, yeah right. I have an excuse for last year because of mother, this year I don’t have an excuse, so we’ll see what happens. First off I have to protect my meager flower garden. Because there’s no feed anywhere the deer are doing a job on my flowers. They’re even eating my red hot pokers. It wasn’t cold enough this winter, and we didn’t get enough snow for them to die down, and since it’s the only green around the deer are helping themselves to my meager garden. I planted bulbs, and they are eating them too so I’m putting up chicken wire around the porch. It won’t be very pretty, but it’s better than loosing everything. Of course they are leaving the weeds alone. If they insist on eating my flowers they could at least eat the weeds too you’d think, but no they only eat the stuff I don’t want them to eat. I chased them away four times last night. You’d think they’d get the hint. I can’t really blame them but I want my flowers.

 

Next the stalls need attention, and so do the horses. They need to be brushed in the worst way. After that comes hooves. I got LBM started (much to his dismay), but I have to work on him some more. I’m afraid I’m going to have to use the age old method of tying him up for a couple of hours so he gets the idea that yes you do have to stand still for more than a few minutes, or until you think you’ve stood there long enough. He is going to be one handsome boy though. He’s starting to mature physically. He’s still real little (except for his head), but that’s typical of our horses. They mature very slowly. I’m already having to use Ibn’s old halter, now his body just has to catch up to his head. Marina’s first filly was like that. She had this huge head. When the rest of her finally caught up to her head, she stood 15 hands tall. I’m hoping the same for LBM. I haven’t measured him, but I think he’s still at 14 hands, and he turns three this year. He’s loosing that baby look about him, and thankfully he still has his dam’s movement, but he has a long way to go if he’s going to be as tall as we all think he will be.

 

I’m really not as far behind as I was last year, and now that I have more time I should be able to get Star, and Stormy under saddle. Unfortunately April screwed up her leg, and she will be down for at least another two weeks. After that if she has to have surgery, who knows how long she will be down. She has a boyfriend now (that I actually like), and he’s making sure she follows doctor’s orders. He may also buy Ser-Haat. He lost his horse in a divorce, and is aching for another. He’s worked with race horses (his brother is an ex-jockey) all his life, and is totally enamored with our Arabians. I think they will be a good match. He has the patience, and sensitivity to be able to deal with Ser-Haat. He knows good breeding, and has a good heart. He plans on coming over Sunday to work with him to see how they actually interact with each other. As sweet, and loving as Ser-Haat is, once he starts working with him, I know they will bond. It may take Ser-Haat a while to warm up to someone, but once he does he gives his all.

 

That leaves Star, and Stormy to sell. If I can get them solid under saddle I should be able to sell them. I’m not asking near what they’re worth because we’re so broke, and the market is so bad. I really need to sell some of the brood mares also, but if I do that we won’t be able to start back up. Our girls are getting too old. We’ll get Angel back in four or five years, but by then she’ll be in her twenty’s. Oh well I guess I’ll cross that bridge when it gets here. Right now we’re just on survival mode. I don’t want to give up breeding, but I may have to. Star, and LMB were the last foals we had. LBM is half Arabian, and the only up coming stud we have. I don’t know if Jeri is still fertile or how long that will last if he is. Ibn is only 17 so he should still have a number of years of breeding in him. I pray so. Eventually the market will turn around, and God willing we will still have breedable horses when it does. If not we’ll deal with it when the time comes. Right now I have to deal with my garden. I’m bound, and determined to have flowers this year deer or not!!!