January 30, 2025
I tried to bring Vancouver weather back to the Island. It was not successful. There must have been a hole in the suitcase. For the week I was there is was -2C, frosty, but so sunny. January is usually a very cloudy and wet month. Not so this time, everyone I met commented on how wonderful the weather was. The downside is of course not much snow in the mountains, it may be another dry year out there, and that brings fires.
Snow has its downside too. Snow in Toronto, gave the flight an hour delay before take off in Vancouver. Then in Toronto it was a 2-hour delay, waiting for runways to be cleared. Just as they were ready for us to board, lights went out for a minute, the surge messed up the computers, that delayed the boarding until 11.30 or so. I arrived home at 3.30am, it had been a long day.
I am so lucky to have such competent Barn Heroes; I understand the week I was away was not good horse keeping weather. Cold and windy, so often the herd was in for the night. The Sanctuary lost most of the hedge rows that gave shelter from the Northeast and East winds. So decisions have to be made. For survival, during cold weather, horses need extra feed and extra water. Ours always have hay in front of them. when it is cold and windy the herd will just huddle together, that means they are not eating and do not drink as much as they should.
Wind chill -26C, into the barn they come, where their mangers are full. The 5-gallon water buckets are full too. It has always been a habit with me to wet their feed and supplements. Just as a prevention for coughing, but it serves to prevent a gut impaction. And of course they get lots of carrots, added for extra moisture. We work hard to keep moisture in that GI tract to keep colic away.
The wind chill is -26c today, it isn’t too soon to think of spring and make plans. Consider your hay needs and speak to your supplier for next summer’s crop. Then I wonder how many new insulators I will need on the summer fencing? How many trees have succumbed to these high winds and of course dropped on top of the fences? Maybe I will just wait to see that worry when the snow is gone.
Spring always brought new babies when I was young. So much excitement! Foaling was pretty natural in the field, we kept our eyes open to spot any mares that may have trouble, there usually were 40 babies each spring. In the mountains our spring was maybe April, but most the time May and June. We always made sure the foal could and would nurse, and get that first milk. Then it was important to Grandpa that they were hugged and rubbed. He wanted calm livestock. Now it is called imprinting and made popular by Dr. Miller, a veterinarian.
After a week they were trained to a halter and taught to lead. We would put the lead through the mother’s halter ring and lead both together. A simple rump rope encouraged the little one to move forward. A few days of this, the foal was quite able to be led alone alongside its mother. We would work with the foal to train it to pick up its feet. And that was pretty well the routine before they were sent to pasture.
They were on the range and rounded up twice a year for checks and feet care until the fall of their third year. Then the training started, they were all trained with long rein driving and trained to the wagon. Grandpa wanted quiet cow ponies. Each one was assessed as to when the saddle was added. A few days of this was considered enough for young horse minds. They were turned out on the range.
The following spring, their fourth spring the real training started. All the groundwork, all the handling had been taken care of. So it was a matter of conditioning them to the rope, the rifle and the cows. Cutting was so natural to them, we rode in Bosals, no bits in their mouths, when working the herds in those times. There was no problem selling our horses to the working Cariboo cowboys, they knew they were getting a well trained horse for their one hundred dollars.
There was a little different training techniques with the Belgiums. We did lots of ground driving when they were two. Youngsters were put to harness in tandem with a mature horse in the fall of their second year. Wagons had a light load, it was important to not work them too hard when they were young. In the spring, they would be introduced to the plough and harrows, but always in tandem.
There never seemed to be a hurry to get the young stock up and working. Probably because there was no shortage of mature working horses to chose from. Those were the days in the 40’s and early 50’s.
The boys got their first tractor in 1951. I laughed it was a devil to drive those two tight front wheels in our hilly fields. As young as I was, I could get a lot of work done driving a team.
I think it is cool to be kind, please share the kindness love and hugs from Yogi and the herd.