It’s been snowing here for about a week straight. The snow seemed about one foot deep yesterday morning and my dad fired up the tractor to plow the roads as he usually does in the morning. Unfortunately about half way through the plowing work the tractor was stuck in a ditch with a flat tire. It then snowed an extra 6’ to 8’ after that. The problem with this tractor business it that we feed 7 bales of hay a day and the horse and goat barns were both out of hay.
This morning the animals need to be fed. Hmm, what to do? We don’t own a sled, and I don’t want to hand carry 7 bales of hay one at a time 700’ to the barn. I decide to try out the garden cart. I hauled it half way up the snow covered hill and that was enough for me to want to take the rest of the day off (Yeah, it was empty too). But the cart still seems like a better option as at least it is up off the ground enough to stay out of the snow and can carry about 3-4 bales at a time. So, what can haul way easier then me that happens to be on the property? Ah ha, Horse! Not just any horse, but my beautiful, awesome Pixie horse. Now, I was not really sure how it would go. Pixie has never pulled anything but I have faith as I have put a lot training into her that comes in handy for situations like this.
So, it sounds like a plan and I trudge through the giant 3’ deep snow drift that surrounds my horse trailer. Out of it, I grab my saddle, blanket, bridle, brush, pick, and rope. I then trudge back towards the horses where they are happily munching on their grain and last bits of hay. They all look up at me, turn up their noses at my ridiculous human antics and plod off to the next feeder further away from me and my approaching saddle …all except for Pixie that is. Pixie looked up and then continued eating. I layed down my stuff next to her and saddled her up while she quietly stood and munched. And then we were off to the hay pile.
I loaded up the cart with hay and we were ready to deliver to the 150 cold hungry angry goats. I mounted up with my rope in hand attached to Garden cart, wrapped it around the saddle horn and asked Pixie to pull, and pull she did. She calmly put her weight into it and pulled the squeaky wheeled raquety cart like she had been pulling her whole life. She hardly even looked at it twice and pulled straight on (no shying, or wiggling!). I had to keep the cart pretty close to her in order to get the front up off the ground careful not to let her back legs bump the handle bar. I was so proud that even when she was pulling against a cocked heavy saddle that she still neck reined and moved off my legs just as sweetly as always.
When we got our load to the goats she was happy to stand and eat out of the cart while I fed the ornery goats, and was just fine with doing the next load after that.
I put her up and gave her lots of extra treats and pets. It looks like we may have to do it again tomorrow too, I was lucky that this morning it was not snowing. Tomorrow I’m afraid I may face blizzards.
I am sooo proud of my pony, and I am so thankful that I have been able to train her from the get go and that I spent so much time prepping her for new scary situations, it makes such a big difference. And so you all know she is only half Arabian, but is missing just a bit to much Arab to be registered. She was our first foal of an accidental breeding but I have never regretted having her around.
Now, I wish I had a harness I could use instead of a western saddle. I would never tie the garden cart to her harness, but an extra person acting as a pully/emergency release fixes that problem. Next step after that would be to build a cart and sleigh, and finally drive horses around the ranch which is something I have wanted for quite a few years now.
My brother built a sled while I was out. It’s made of pro-panel and coffee cans split in half. I do have some dog harness’ and I’ve got my eye on those lazy dogs. I think I’ll go out and try it now. It may work better for Pixie too.
Merry Christmas!
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