This is Wally after our ride today. He's still slightly wet from being spritzed off but as you can see he's comfortably sequestered in his fully covered, completely shaded outdoor stall. You see, it's just too hot and sunny for him in his turnout paddock during the day. Or so I suspect, being a horse mom. So when it's horribly hot like it is now I put him in his stall until the late afternoon sun sinks behind the hills. Then he gets turned out again. Keep in mind it's not that he doesn't have shade in his turnout paddock. He has a huge shelter with his feeder and water underneath the overhang. But he chooses to spend most of his waking hours standing in the far corner where he can look out over the panorama that is our neighborhood. And that leaves him standing in the full sun. I guess this is a different spin on, "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink." But with Wally it's, "You can build a horse a $800 shelter, but in hot, sunny weather you cannot make him stand underneath it." I'm shuttling my fat Paint gelding from one enclosure to another so he doesn't get sunburned or too hot. And all the while I'm sweating like a farm hand and my bare arms have turned the color of a well-done rotisserie chicken. Ah, the things we do for our horses! Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Wally Cabana
This is Wally after our ride today. He's still slightly wet from being spritzed off but as you can see he's comfortably sequestered in his fully covered, completely shaded outdoor stall. You see, it's just too hot and sunny for him in his turnout paddock during the day. Or so I suspect, being a horse mom. So when it's horribly hot like it is now I put him in his stall until the late afternoon sun sinks behind the hills. Then he gets turned out again. Keep in mind it's not that he doesn't have shade in his turnout paddock. He has a huge shelter with his feeder and water underneath the overhang. But he chooses to spend most of his waking hours standing in the far corner where he can look out over the panorama that is our neighborhood. And that leaves him standing in the full sun. I guess this is a different spin on, "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink." But with Wally it's, "You can build a horse a $800 shelter, but in hot, sunny weather you cannot make him stand underneath it." I'm shuttling my fat Paint gelding from one enclosure to another so he doesn't get sunburned or too hot. And all the while I'm sweating like a farm hand and my bare arms have turned the color of a well-done rotisserie chicken. Ah, the things we do for our horses! 
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9 comments:
Wally's just too cute! He looks like he's enjoying life in that stall. Haha, he looks so happy.
Hes such a cutie! i'm hoping that warm weather doesnt come our way any time soon.I like how it is now not to hot and not freezing cold like our winter. ahh that was so so so cold!
Oh my goodness. I've just caught up, hadn't checked in for a while. I'm sorry you had to sell Wyatt. But I totally understand. I am currently looking for homes for my yearling and 2 year old. My spirit is willing, but unfortunately my body is not. I've put it off long enough. By the time I got through with all the feeding, watering, and grooming of 5 horses, I am exhausted. Then I worked with my yearling on ground manners, and picking up his feet.
And geez I thought it was really hot here today, but it was only in the 80's. I feel for you!
Over the weekend my husband and I accidentally lucked up on an NCHA cutting event tucked into a mostly enclosed arena. Geez. I'm glad it wasn't in the hundreds that day! Those horses were drenched in sweat and looking miserable.
Wally looks quite content standing there. He is such a handsome boy! He reminds me of my paint mare Koda.
Hang in there. And I'm glad to hear that Wyatt got a good home. Now if my colts can only be so lucky!
Jamie
Good for you for thinking of Wally's best. I would hate to see that beautiful pink nose get burned and chapped!
Thanks- I never really understood the point of outdoor stalls before. Our horses are outside 24/7and hate it when the manager brings them in. I get it now.
I am in Texas, and it is really starting to warm up. my horse gets sweaty just standing in the field, and his coat lathers if you brush it. sometimes the saddle pads are so wet with sweat they have to be left out side for a day to dry off. in the beggining of summer, one has at least a little hope of staying fairly sweat free and not having to take more than two showers a day (I HATE to be sweaty, nobody really like the feeling of walking around with a days worth of dried salty sweat on you). but I have already given up, and the sweat is pouring off my face by the time I have brought him in from the field. three or four showers a day is the norm(one shower after morning horse chores, one after the afternoon ride, one for a bycicle ride, and another at night so you can go to bed fresh and clean) and its not even June yet.
Wally is beautiful! That looks like a really nice place for him to keep cool. If only I had a horse...
Wally's such a handsome boy!
You've got a real nice pen for him. What did you use to make it?
~Sasafras
As you can tell by my latest post on my blog, NOW IT'S RAINING AND COOL! So Wally's inside his outdoor stall for a completely different reason, LOL! Weather can really affect our lives with our horses, can't it?
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