RicelandMeadows

Machinery Shed to Horse Barn and back again!

September 17, 2011

 

     One thing you can count on me having is a project list. I don’t like to waste time (naps don’t count), so I keep two lists in my head. One list is for sunny and dry days, the other is for the wet, cold and inclement weather days. The lists revolve around the seasons of course, but not all farm jobs are planting, harvesting or animal husbandry jobs.

 

     A job at the top of my list, is that of moving my draft horses back to their original barn built just for them. I planned the barn when we moved here, built it to be perfect for the three draft horses that I thought we needed … then promptly bought eight of them 😮

 

     Eight draft horses could never fit in the smaller barn, so I retro-fitted our machinery shed. I built four double stalls to stable the horses. The barn has worked well, but did require me to build another machinery shed. I am now down to just the three horses that I need to supply power. Some will say that I still have one more than I need, but I am thinking three is the right number.

 

     I need to build new mangers in the horse barn. The old one got torn out on a winter day when a calf jumped into it and got stuck! I have the lumber. I just need the time and perhaps a hand from one of the boys.  Hint-hint!

 

     The old machinery shed will be filled with my draft horse equipment. It will almost look like a museum, with all the steel wheeled antique equipment lined up and out of the weather. I have it all stored now, but it is hard to get at, hard to work on and sitting up on boards. The concrete will provide a much better place for those old wheels to rest.

 

     I am a bit excited about the move. I will be able to get every piece of our farm equipment under roof for the first time ever. I do leave the ones I am using sit out, but once they are finished for the season, they are washed, lubricated and put away. I even try to fix anything that I know is broken before storing it until next year.

 

     Another great thing about the move is that my harness room is adjacent to the horse barn as is the feed room. Harnessing and unharnessing, as well as, feeding will be a much easier and more efficient task. The wash rack is close by, as is a tie rail and rubber mats cover the floor where most of the grooming takes place … dang!  It’s almost like someone designed it that way 😮

 

     Rainy day projects and my duel lists, helps me make use of my time especially when I have to work around my off farm job. I can feel like I am accomplishing something each and every day … well ok, there are those naps that creep in…  But hey, without the lists I might stagnate and get nothing done!

 

     Recently we have been stuck in a rainy pattern. Our spring was one of the wettest on record, followed by a very dry July. August saw the rains come and pushed our crops to excellence. I don’t want to complain, so will only say that the fields are pretty wet again and mud is stopping me from plowing ground for speltz. No problem though, as always, I have a contingency plan!

 

     Our pastures are green and growing albeit wet. The animals are in good condition and the corn harvest is a little ways off yet. I will just wait and see how it all works out … I like to pick corn by hand anyway. I might get the chance to do it this year, if muddy conditions keep my corn picker in the shed.

Oh well, what the heck … corn harvest will just become a … Rainy Day Project.