One of the Worst Things About Horses? The Schedule.

One of the worst things about having animals is having to keep them on a schedule and routine. Depending on the day, weather and plans for the day it can become a large inconvenience. Having to feed them before doing anything for the day and making sure you’re home to feed them at night. 

My mother taught me that plans come after the animals and if you have to change plans so they get fed that is what you need to do. Ideally, they get fed at the same time each day but with a busy schedule that can be extremely difficult. 

Smokey is very old and needs to be fed 6 times a day and having to either stay on the farm or drive back and forth is frustrating. The rest of our horses have their quirks as well. Fireball and Whiskey need specialized grain. Denver spills most of his grain so he needs to be hand fed. Bo needs a probiotic and Durango needs supplements on his feed. Spitfire is the most low maintenance but she needs her water changed more than anyone else because she is a messy eater. Legacy only gets half of his hay at feedings and the other half at snack times because he wastes so much hay. 

The morning feedings don’t make me as angry unless it’s wintertime and I’m getting up at 5 in the morning.  But during the warm months the horses go out to pasture each day at 10 am and you have to stay on the place to do that. Then you need to be back by 7 or 8 to put them all back in their dry lots (corrals) and start the night feedings. Any evening plans are too difficult to plan around because they either need to be done by 6:30 or they can’t start until after 8 and then you have to be home by 10:30 to go back out again and feed another time. 

It can form some resentment toward the animal because you are responsible for them. A feeding routine is best for them and if you care about them you should be willing to do that regardless of the sacrifice. It can just get old quickly and always having to explain that the horses come first can make for a non-existing social life. 

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