Running & Eating, Eating & Running

It is what horses do best right! So much fun to watch as well and the track has definitely gotten its use the last few days while the horses have enjoyed being out on it. 

 

Now I am trying to figure out the best ways to feed the two of them. I use a round bale and I also keep some square bales around that they like best because it its timothy instead of the plain grass hay that the big bales are made of. The problem with the timothy bales is that they are very expensive but they do give them more encouragement to walk the track. So what I have been doing is mixing a little timothy in with some grass hay and seems to work.

I have also seen more destruction and waist with the two of them at the bale. To combat this I have decided to keep the round bale covered and put a bulk amount in small mesh bags. 

Really, your going to cover it? Such a perfect Frankie look!

I am also putting some loose hay on the ground along the track. Munchie will eat out of the nets but he rather not work so hard, he wants quick and easy! It is more work for me and if I have a day that is too busy I will simply let them at the round bale. The waste is just proving to be too much if they are allowed to be on it all the time.

I would like to build some more feeders but that will have to wait. I have five of the small mesh hay bags and I use all of them. There is also the barrel and I want to put up one more. I really would like to also get a bag of hay cubes but our local place only has alfalfa cubes. There is one other place I will check to see if they have the plain timothy cubes.

Hamering, trimming and clearing

Just a small update. After three days of a few holes in the crab net I have seen no more, YAY! Emma has left the net alone and does not bat at it anymore. I have put the net in various locations including tying it to a container on the ground. They seem to like it up higher better but after a lot of reading, that is not a great location for it as it is healthier for them to eat with their head down. I also bought a basketball net and made a mini "basketball hay ball" that I have tied from a beam and it swings freely. It is up just high enough that Emma can reach. Frankie seems to enjoy chasing it around and trying to grab hay from it.

I have cut the barrels for the hanging barrel feeders and am attempting to make my own nets for those. Other than that I have been clearing and trimming back the trail almost to completion and have hardware up for the entire top rung of fence. I need to buy a couple post for some gaps where there are no trees to attach hardware and then I will just have the two lower rungs of fence. I am hoping to see a lot of progress in the next two weeks!