~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PREPARE FEED BUCKETS:

1.  PREPARE SENIOR FEEDS:

       A:  SENIOR FEED (Ohio) and MINERALS (Sarge)

           1.     Go in barn*, get Senior Feed for Ohio (black bucket = 1 scoop)  of the can marked “Kalm ‘N EZ”

           2.   Also take SARGE's bucket and add 1/2 cup (yogurt container) minerals and Sarge's smartpaks (label says "laminitus")

           3.  Take buckets back outside to driveway/feed can area. 

           4.  Add to each of these 2 buckets:  ADD 1 scoop timothy CUBES from cans outside

     B:  Add water, to ABOUT AN INCH over the top of ALL the cubes in feed buckets (about 1/2 of a red bucket each for Sarge and Ohio's).

2.  PREPARE Other CUBE BUCKETS: 

              -    1  red scoop Timothy Cubes:  Tazer, Poco, Ginger, Chewie, Leo, Chaco, Texas, Daisy, Sterling, Phoenix   

3.  WHILE THOSE BUCKETS SOAK...

     --> Go upstairs in Barn and Drop down hay

            -- One timothy hay bale, two from my 1st cutting, and 1 second cutting.  Then shut and lock the door.

4.  PUT HORSES IN while those buckets soak…

     From BACK Pasture Group: 

         - Ginger:  First row of stalls, in middle

         - Sarge:  Middle row of stalls, in front

         - Phoenix: Middle row of stalls, in middle

         - Sterling:  (cremello horse/blue eyes/ *May be partially deaf/blind): in stall at Back of lean-to/shelter

         - Chewie ("Chewbacca"):  Stays put/eats it pan in middle of lean-to shelter.         

                      Note: Chewie is very sweet, but not only NIPS, but is also VERY food / generally aggressive.  Don't stand in his way, *Especially if other horse are nearby that could push him into a panic flight -- he could run you down.**

     FROM FRONT PASTURE GROUP:

         - Ohio: will go in first (middle row of stall, back the first isle, in the back)

        - Daisy:  Far row of stalls, in back

        - Poco:  Far row of stalls, in middle

        - Chaco: Far row of stalls, in front

        - Texas:  in single stall in front of lean-to shelter (with green plastic sheeting/wind break)

         - Tazer:  First row of stalls, front stall

          - Leo:  First row of stalls, back right -- watch; he likes to sneak into Ohio's stall and *will* push him off food.

4.  SENIOR FEED TO SPECIAL THREE OLD and SKINNIES:  Ohio and Daisy can each have some of Kalm ‘N Eazy senior feed = ½ scoop each while the cubes keep soaking.

     a. Daisy has a bucket for senior feed by the ladder (back of isle), (1/2 scoop Kalm'NEZ)

     b. Ohio has the blue “better bucket” at the post by the saddle pads/across from the cat food can

      c. Phoenix has a corner feed bin right by the cats and beside his hay net

5.  MINERALS and SUPPLEMENTS:  *** Prepared in Feed Isle and distributed in this order ***

   -  EACH HORSE GETS 1/2 CUP (to purple line or just below) of MIn-A-Vite Lite

     - ALSO ADD and distribute -- usually in this order:

        - Poco:  smartpak strip (6 wells)

        - Tazer: smartpak strip (3 or 4 wells)

        - Chaco:  minerals +  grain

        - Chewie:  minerals + Smartpaks (3 wells)

        - Sterling:  minerals - just minerals

         - Texas -- just minerals (+ summer gets garlic)

         - Ginger: minerals + Smartpaks (only 1 well)

         - Leo: minerals + smartpaks (2-4 wells, depending)

     (Note: I usually distribute 2 or 3 at a time as follows: 

       -- Poco alone

       -- Chaco alone

       -- Texas, Chewie and then Sterling at same time 

       -- Ginger, Tazer and Leo together -- Leo first if you can

6.  FEED SOAKED CUBE BUCKETS:

 -  Check to make sure the cube buckets have soaked into a “mash” – add more water as needed -- BUT NOT SOUPY...  (most horses won't eat it too wet...).

   -  Now that cubes have soaked into a “mash” can put into the buckets or pans in their stalls/lean-to [2].

       I *try* to feed in this order (to stop kicking and pawing…):

           1.  Sarge = in red pan on floor.  (try to find the cleanest, driest spot, and check he didn’t pee/poop in it)

           2.  Tazer - in black bucket in his window (remember, he paws about food so I usually feed through the window)

           3.  Ginger = In blue bucket, feed through the window (She KICKS about food)

           4.  Ohio = Big Blue "Better bucket" on pole by his hay net (beside the little green bucket)

            5.  Leo = Orange bucket at his door

            6.  Chewie = black bucket in the lean-to open area

            7.  Sterling = In black bucket on wall in the lean-to "stall"

            8.  Texas = black pan on ground (we take back after feed so it doesn't get pooped in)

            9.  Phoenix = in his corner feeder

           10. Chaco = red pan, on sled (to catch his droppings)

           11. Poco = Pink bucket, on right  (sled is to catch her droppings)

           12.  Daisy = red pan on shelf on LEFT of her stall, by waters

~ WHILE THE HORSES EAT their cubes... ~ (~20-30 min.)

7.  FILL and CHECK WATER:

   - THREE LARGE black water tanks -- Check Daily:

          -->  To ensure water is clean [our standard:  if you wouldn't want to drink it, please dump, scrub, and re-fill], 

           -- if needs topped off and is clean, please top off -- hoses are hung at the light pole in the drive (or in summer may be left in barnyard)

           -- *In winter, check that heater is not shorting/shocking horses, and 

            -- top off other water buckets as needed/if separated from barnyard 

8. HAY:  Please distribute FOUR (4) BALES into Hay Nets:

     *NOTE: We have the easy-load hay nets there, and if you can manage to get in them, that’s great.  That cuts down on waste, but if the fence is broken, please don't use that one, and notify us.

    ---> I mix all the types of hay into each net so EACH horse gets an even distribution of the different minerals in each hay type.

9.  Cats – give 3 scoops of the container that’s in there (and water if jug is full)

10.  Put horses OUT:

     A) SMALL GROUP:  (usually in back)

           Sarge, Phoenix, and Ginger go back out on the right, the back pasture (with Chewie, and let Sterling out too form the lean-to)

     B)  LARGE GROUP:  (usually in front)

            All other horses go out through barnyard and into the front pasture 

11.  LEAVING CHECKLIST:

      a)  Be sure any feed can / lids are shut tight.

      b)  Be sure to check feed isle is SHUT AND LOCKED (both top and bottom doors),

      c)  shut the side pasture, and put chain into keeper (because Chewie will open the door)

      d)  check that water is shut off (NOTE: the spigot leaks, so just open and close it again until it stops running),

      e)  lights off (if they were used/turned on),

       f)  shut main door to barnyard (and lock with safety)

       g)  ensure gate chain is shut. 

 Depart.