June 28, 2022
Summer programs, student orientation week, my oh my we are busy, Just preparing the yard and the special activities take a lot of planning. Maxine, the amazing program manager, has it all under control. I am so pleased to have Sanctuary programs continue under her guidance, it is a lovely thing to have the young ones coming to the barn and working with the horses, learning great management skills.
Monday the boys were brought to the barn for special bug treatment. They were sponged with plantain tea. Sheaths were cleaned and beans removed. Yes, yes they all learn the nitty gritty here. Tuesday the ladies were brought from summer pasture to the barn. They got special care too, udders cleaned, chests, bellies and under the jaw sponged. I love plantain. It removes the itch, heals the wounds and also acts as a repellant. It is one herb that all Trailblazers can recognize and harvest. I used to make oil infusions with herbs. Those days left a long time ago. So much easier to boil water, pour over the herb and steep for 10 or 15 minutes. I am taking stock of my herb supply, just checking how much I have to dry for the winter by accounting what we used last winter. It is important that herbs be stored out of the light. Glass jars are not a good idea, they soon lose their potency. I am gathering some opaque bottles for storage this time. Many of the herbs I use are in the field, the herd can treat themselves during their time on summer pasture. I gather and dry for winter use.
One should always take stock of the pasture. Ours have far too many daisies and buttercups for my liking. The pastures dearly need a generous serving of lime. We will see how the pocketbook fairs after the square bales are in the loft and round bales in their place. I am weather watching, hoping for a week of good haying weather for the farmers. It would be lovely to have early hay this year. It was a job last winter to keep the weight on the oldies . Weather was evil last summer, hay was late, it was coarse, too coarse for oldies that do not have much left of their molars to chew well.
Bracken Hill welcomed us and a lot of other folk to “Talk Horse” such a wonderful facility. A lot of work went into that presentation. Lots of talk about nutrition, and they have an amazing hay chute, that we may have to incorporate in our barn. I have been stubborn about cutting a hay hatch in the floor of the loft. It is a safety thing. I was only one person with 15 – 20 adventuresome kids. They would think nothing of jumping through a hatch. Instead they accomplished the skill of working together throwing the bales down from the stack, dragging it to the stairs and popping it through the side wall to the stable. Teamwork makes everything easy peasy!!!.
Canada Day, was always a big day for Trailblazers. We spent many hours preparing for the North Rustico Parade, Costumes planned, spit and polish for the tack, pony carts decorated. Much practising with their horse to carry the flag.. The day before we would take the pony carts to the starting point. Load the truck with table, shelter and snacks to give pony drives for the afternoon. Harry Weeks did the honour of making it all happen. He would take the horses to the school. After the parade he would take the riding horses home. Then he would come back for the ponies in the afternoon. The monies we made giving pony drives ($2 per child) would pay for the trailering. He charged us a pittance!!. When he retired, he wished us on Frank Doiron, Frank did Canada Day duties and also trailered us to Larry Banman’s fun show in the fall. For a pittance!! Frank retired and Byron Weeks inherited us. I am sure their fees barely covered the fuel for the days driving. 6 or 7 am they would land at the barn. It didn’t take us long to load tack or the horses. At the end of the day it took a little longer, we were tired. I am forever grateful for the generosity of these three men, their charm, and their skill was impressive. They did it for the kids. A couple of times there were hitches in the git-a-long. I was so very proud of the kids stepping up to the challenge. Good to have wonderful memories of Canada Day in North Rustico and it looks like they have a wonderful plan again this year. You can make your own memories.
Take the time to be kind, love and hugs from Yogi and the herd.