tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38918954577992258042024-03-13T02:59:44.098-07:00Slice of RanchSheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-48322196809947064872024-03-10T20:56:00.000-07:002024-03-10T20:56:32.820-07:00Spring is coming to our Slice of Ranch<p>As the spring begins, some of our tasks change a bit with the different season.</p><p>For winter, when the snow falls and the ground is often frozen, we use the heated hose for water and make sure the horses hooves don't get too packed with snow.</p><p>Now that the weather is warming up, the snow is melting causing a pretty muddy mess. This year we will be adding sand to the horse stalls and riding areas so the horses have better grip even when the ground is wet. However, right now we make it a habit to walk around the property, especially where we will be asking the horses to go. We do this even before we get them out of their stalls.</p><p>This way we know what the surface feels like. It is true that the horses, since they stand on 4 feet instead of only 2, are often more steady on the uneven or slippery ground that we are, but knowing what the ground is like allows us to take every step to make it safe for everyone.</p><p>Sometimes it will be too slippery to ride, but we can still walk the horses around with halter and lead rope. Or we may even be able to give them a bit of exercise in the round pen by lunging them for a bit.</p><p>Both of these are great ways to still interact with our 4-hooved friends while keeping everyone safe and still having fun together.</p><p>Besides, there will be plenty of riding time coming up when the ground is a bit dryer and we want everyone to be ready for those enjoyable times!</p><p>What are you looking forward to most as the weather warms up? <br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-25782194555095623522022-04-09T09:30:00.001-07:002022-04-09T09:32:31.229-07:00Guests on the Property<p>When we think about having guests on the property, around the horses especially, there are additional things we need to think about to keep everyone safe and happy.</p><div>Some key things to think about:</div><ol><li><div> How good is the person at following directions? If we ask the guest to step back, or stop moving forward, will he or she do it right away? Or only say "what?" even when we speak clearly?</div></li><li><div>How much does the guest <b><i>think</i></b> they know about horses? This isn't to say they don't know plenty about horses, but we know our horses best. Will the guest do what he or she thinks is best even if we ask them to do something else? </div></li><li><div>How many guests are in attendance at one time? Are there enough people that we can't actually watch everyone at the same time? Can one guest get into a negative situation before we notice? What might the rest do if we stop to help one of them?</div></li></ol><div>We have found that it is always best to think ahead to what could or might happen instead of waiting until a negative situation occurs to figure out the best course of action.</div><div>Hopefully, by thinking through several scenarios beforehand we will be more prepared and act positively when our guests are here. After all, we want our guests to be happy they came and encouraged to come back again!</div>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-60916049940382319592021-03-13T15:08:00.000-08:002021-03-13T15:08:16.581-08:00Lazy Slice of Ranch Days<p>Even though each day has its own list of chores we make a point to enjoy the chores as well as the horse training, riding, and even unmounted relaxing time. </p><p>Today, we got out early and did our morning chores and then went inside for breakfast and spent some time chatting with our family and enjoying hot tea and coffee.</p><p>After breakfast we headed back out to work the horses in the cool morning and then inside again for lunch and a few errands we had to run. </p><p>Back home again, we went out and checked each horse's water level and then inside to write for a bit and bake some delicious brownies!</p><p>In a little while we will head back out to see the horses and do our evening chores before dinner. </p><p>What is your favorite thing about lazy slice of ranch days? Please comment below and let us know!<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-38699414523044227572021-03-07T10:32:00.000-08:002021-03-07T10:32:00.842-08:00Slice of Ranch Construction Updates<p> Now that we are moved in and have gotten used to how things are working on our slice of ranch, we are ready to think about some construction updates. We have installed the round pens for horse training sessions and beginning horseback riding lessons and want to finish them off by tilling up the ground and adding sand to improve the footing. This will keep the ground from being too hard in the summer when it completely dries out and in the winter when the ground will be frozen.</p><p>In addition to the round pens, we have room for a riding arena. We are still deciding if we want to put a fence around it or if we just want to put sand down and leave it open. There are pros and cons to both and we are still working through all the ideas there.</p><p>Pros to a fence: <br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If a horse gets loose, they will still be contained.</li><li>It will be a defined space for riding.</li><li>Sand footing will stay in place better.</li><li>It can be strung with lights for a beautiful night ride.</li></ul><p>Cons to a fence:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It will restrict the wagon trail to a specific size and there will be no way to turn the wagon in a circle if necessary.</li><li>Arena will be smaller to allow room for the fence, round pens, wagon trail, etc that all share space in the field.</li><li>View of the field and people riding will be somewhat obstructed by the fence.<br /></li></ul><p>We will be putting in a wagon trail around the outer rim of the property. It will be wide enough for the horse-drawn wagon with a bit of space on either ride. The trail will have nice wide curves at the corners so the wagon doesn't have a tendency to run off the edge during a turn. Once the wagon trail is in place we will think about details to make it extra special like lining the trail with rocks and string lighting or maybe lanterns.</p><p>Whether or not we install arena fencing, we definitely want to get some arena lights. Probably these lights will be up on poles so they can more effectively light the large area. We have neighbors on either side so we want to position the lights so they don't shine in any windows. It is really nice that our neighbors' homes are on the other end of their properties so placement of the arena lights should be pretty simple. <br /></p><p>Before too much longer, we want to install hitching posts for our horses. Right now we are tacking them up in their stalls, which works just fine for now. It will be good to have a place to take them to put on their tack so they get used to standing still outside their stalls. This will be especially nice once we are transporting them to trail rides off our property. <br /></p><p>The most important construction project right now is replacing one of the fences in the field. This post and wire fence runs between our property and one of our neighbors' property. Unfortunately the wire is too small for the horses to see, so if one of the horses got loose they could run through it without realizing it is there. We always plan that the horses won't get loose, but its important to do what we can to keep them safe in the event that they get away from us.<br /></p><p>What construction projects are you working on, or planning, for your slice of ranch? We'd love to hear what you are doing!!!<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-14860776552586510682021-02-21T11:12:00.002-08:002021-02-21T11:12:59.062-08:00Slice of Ranch Food Chain<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The other day we discovered a small dead, dark bug/beetle in the hay wheelbarrow after we finished feeding our horses. It startled us, as we always look at the hay carefully before we feed.</span><p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After a bit of research, we found that it was a darkling beetle (also called a mealworm beetle). Just one or two of these beetles is not a problem for the horses, but since the darkling beetles are decomposers of dead plant material hay infested with them has likely "gone bad" and should be thrown away. Since we only found one, we decided to keep our eyes open for more but to keep the hay for now. <br /></span></p><p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The next time we went out to feed we pulled back the tarp from the hay and watched a mouse disappear over the edge of the farthest bale.</span></p><p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">More research found that mice eat beetles, specifically mealworms as well as other insects, snails, and fungi. We prevent the mice from living in the hay by stacking our bales loosely, with space between them, and in a crisscross fashion so wind can blow through.</span></p><p>Mice droppings are toxic to horses, so we don't want them living in the hay, but the presence of the mice in the area will help keep the beetle population in check.</p><p>Then our resident barn cat and horned owls will keep the mice population in check...and we have just described part of our slice of ranch natural food chain.</p><p>Write in and let us know about your slice of ranch food chain!<br />
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-19858167359174839722021-02-15T10:52:00.001-08:002021-02-15T10:52:32.072-08:00Helpful Glow<p>During the cold weather, we use electrically heated buckets to keep the horses water from freezing. It doesn't make the water hot, only just warm enough to not freeze. To power these buckets we run electrical cords from the work barn. The electrical cords are yellow, so they show up and we use curved metal hooks to keep the cord on the ground so no one trips over them.<br />NOTE: We hope to run an underground conduit later on for the electrical cords to run through, but for now this works well.</p><p>Our electrical cords have an orange status light that tells us when they are plugged in. This is super helpful, especially since the cords are lying on the ground and can become unplugged. Each morning and evening when we give our horses fresh water, clean up their pens, and feed them, we also check to be sure their electrical is plugged in.</p><p>We're all for helpful little things that keep everything working and running properly! What little things do you find helpful? Please share in the comments.<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-86249248155946702492021-02-07T09:36:00.005-08:002021-02-07T09:36:59.929-08:00"It Rained" and now its Muddy<p> In these winter months when its muddy outside, we take some time to analyze the situation before just jumping in to change things. </p><p>The other day, after a hard rain we found all the horse pens had several inches of water. Each horse had a small area to stand (about 10 feet square) that stayed pretty dry.<br /></p><p>At first we wanted to go right in there and move dirt around, create canals to drain water from the pens and build up the low side so the water didn't sit there. </p><p>However, instead of making any changes right away, we decided to mark the calendar with "It Rained" and then check the ground each of the following days to see how long it took for the water to drain on its own.</p><p>As it turned out, the pens dried out fairly quickly without any help from us. Sure we got muddy boots for a few days, but from what we have read the mud and water can actually help keep the horse hooves stronger...as long as they also get a chance to get dry as well.</p><p>While we waited for the pens to dry, we continued to check each horses hooves every day to be sure they weren't getting soft or spongy, which can indicate that they are staying too wet.</p><p>After several days we found a few places that still needed a little work, but it was a lot less than we had originally thought...and the changes we made were different than those we would have done in the wettest weather. If we had moved dirt too soon, we very well might have caused the water to run into the "dry" area that each horse already had...making it worse before it got better. </p><p>So much better to wait and see first, then make small adjustments.<br /></p><p>What are your wet weather suggestions that you use for your slice of ranch? We'd love to hear from you!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_H3hciVSnEN62-D_1o2ge_cPF_LfDc8Uu4NAh3eWwEZqxIrtL85PnNwMTpzW4LX0N3z2Uw5Kl3VbYgbd7NavPm5DG8XpI-q6WfWs-tTOWKwnyrLxSl_54rNNcQrh4twCPjJ8wv1DJq0/s2048/IMG_8186+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_H3hciVSnEN62-D_1o2ge_cPF_LfDc8Uu4NAh3eWwEZqxIrtL85PnNwMTpzW4LX0N3z2Uw5Kl3VbYgbd7NavPm5DG8XpI-q6WfWs-tTOWKwnyrLxSl_54rNNcQrh4twCPjJ8wv1DJq0/s320/IMG_8186+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-8822078815286304222021-01-31T10:38:00.000-08:002021-01-31T11:12:38.551-08:00Darkness Can Hide Danger<p> In the winter our normal feeding times end up happening in the dark most days. This can present some challenges because even with a flashlight we aren't seeing as well as we would during the light of day.</p><p>The other day we almost missed some fox tails in the bales of hay we were feeding our horses. Some animals like cattle (cows) and most goats are fine with fox tails, but horses are pretty "picky" and their mouths are sensitive.</p><p>This is a reminder to check over the hay each day before passing the food around. The last bale was fine, but fox tails are extremely difficult to prevent entirely while growing the hay and may be missed during the baling process.</p><p>Once the horse gets the fox tails, they may not eat as quickly as usual or they may stop eating all together. The fox tails can prick their gums or tongue causing pain and keep them from wanting to eat at all. An additional issue with this is that even if they only get one serving of hay with fox tails, if the fox tails remain in their gums or tongue (unnoticed by the owner) they might continue not eating for days on end. So keep an eye open.</p><p>Here's a picture of the hay we found with fox tails. Can you see them?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0tRWElFqHtLpPE6rSMao4h50C10cN3tm2aFnVDLyUb6ubbh_968YApCsF-_LmUFOsuC6tQGv6Pf0pJLrJ1RVqJ1uR8MaqjomQLueNBQC2liWjItgKDNo4ZOPSJUnvxm7gQkP02lbOZY/s2048/IMG_6856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0tRWElFqHtLpPE6rSMao4h50C10cN3tm2aFnVDLyUb6ubbh_968YApCsF-_LmUFOsuC6tQGv6Pf0pJLrJ1RVqJ1uR8MaqjomQLueNBQC2liWjItgKDNo4ZOPSJUnvxm7gQkP02lbOZY/s320/IMG_6856.JPG" /></a></p><br /><p><br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-8879039456958546172021-01-24T13:47:00.002-08:002021-01-24T13:47:37.072-08:00Cleaning Muddy Boots<p>When we get lots of rain or snow we have mud to deal with while working the horses or cleaning their stalls. In addition to being careful with our footing, so we don't end up sitting in the mud--which we have all done at least once--we also find that it works best to clean the boots before leaving them for the next time.</p><p>By cleaning the boots every time we have better traction, the boots last longer, and walking is much more comfortable when we aren't carrying around extra mud with each step. Besides all of these reasons, its always a good idea to get the boots clean before getting into the saddle so less mud gets on the saddle or in the stirrups.<br /></p><p>To clean the boots we have tried several things and found that a combination of a few work best for us. Using an extra hoof pick seems to work relatively well, but this means you have to bend over or sit down to scrape the bottom of the boots.</p><p>Right now our boots have a rubber bottom and canvas top. To clean the rubber bottom when they are extremely muddy, we are now using a product called The Scrusher (<a href="https://www.scrusher.com/">https://www.scrusher.com/</a>). It is made of stiff brushes so you can push and pull your boot through while its still on your foot. The one we chose also has a steel base with room on either side to stand. This helps hold The Scrusher still while we pull our other boot through.</p><p>We placed The Scrusher on the back porch and have noticed that the use of it keeps us from tracking too much mud around. Mud from the boots flips a little to the front and back of The Scrusher, so we placed it in a corner where most people won't be walking. <br /></p><p>Since The Scrusher is short, it only cleans the bottom of the boots and the sides down near the soles. For the upper part, we have found a stiff brush works well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KW5CfENAXXlkjfy9IG5p_htC9KK6Byqp2JLbbKRkGVdiVX9N0F_yWuM7qAnIwY_gNO_DhE4NWdv13njeBgrWWkiWWoEs8Sa9R3SLRpkCOJRcwYYwly930RVZ0sCy22_ArGhfj4JROrQ/s2048/IMG_6857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KW5CfENAXXlkjfy9IG5p_htC9KK6Byqp2JLbbKRkGVdiVX9N0F_yWuM7qAnIwY_gNO_DhE4NWdv13njeBgrWWkiWWoEs8Sa9R3SLRpkCOJRcwYYwly930RVZ0sCy22_ArGhfj4JROrQ/s320/IMG_6857.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-26833154325200491302021-01-16T17:31:00.001-08:002021-01-16T17:31:06.076-08:00Helpful Clips<p> Since we now live where it gets cold, we have to plan ahead so the manure we collect from the horse pens doesn't freeze in the bins. If this happens, the manure stays in the bin until it thaws out.<br /></p><p>We have found that these small clips work really well for holding the 95-96 gallon bags open over the trash can while we fill them. Then we just remove the clips when we put the bins out at the street and the manure slides right out with the trash bag when the bins are turned upside down! AND the bins stay clean which is always nice as well. Our clips are magnets as well so they are versatile or we can magnet them to a board when we aren't using them for the bins.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDlYqM1VHRCIdAEBKoyOfYZuTrMKYDPOBz77xSkSRO9vx7m3XN0CHGy8x4v0k__H6H4tMaVMvkkQNX3mB_Rihv42jZJn-HWlb7TbgL1eUlyTGkzLx1MShOvXx9-F-4cWZ4RIrybFS4Ls/s2048/IMG_6785.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDlYqM1VHRCIdAEBKoyOfYZuTrMKYDPOBz77xSkSRO9vx7m3XN0CHGy8x4v0k__H6H4tMaVMvkkQNX3mB_Rihv42jZJn-HWlb7TbgL1eUlyTGkzLx1MShOvXx9-F-4cWZ4RIrybFS4Ls/w167-h223/IMG_6785.jpeg" width="167" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwTfHIZQAk5xtteFpsBuBJ-8g_ix0wAIXubjxQaCiKPBpYLNlAlV4UnAQXNss512rVM8_CAgocAF45UAei6BIKxaLye59Hn5zfj_jYVj3kSvCuEplzdBzLcIJWJQXA6xqVh6cKolPHWU/s2048/IMG_6784.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwTfHIZQAk5xtteFpsBuBJ-8g_ix0wAIXubjxQaCiKPBpYLNlAlV4UnAQXNss512rVM8_CAgocAF45UAei6BIKxaLye59Hn5zfj_jYVj3kSvCuEplzdBzLcIJWJQXA6xqVh6cKolPHWU/w168-h224/IMG_6784.jpeg" width="168" /></a><br /></div><br /><p></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-10795780561931026902021-01-10T10:20:00.003-08:002021-01-10T10:20:23.873-08:00When it Rains...it Snows!<p> Planning for our ranch has taken on some new and interesting challenges now that our "slice of ranch" is located where it snows.</p><p>The existing barn has room for our tack room, but we altered our first thought and are now placing the tack room in the center of the building because the existing walls are perfect for hanging saddles. We are planning to add shelves on one side for tack boxes, buckets, and ingredients for our homemade fly spray. Nails across the back wall will be perfect for bridles, halters, spare cinches and other tack that hangs fairly flat. Each horse's tack will hang together except for the saddles. The saddles will share a wall since they take up a lot more space and hang a lot deeper.</p><p> We are looking forward to finding just the right place for each item so we can find it and use it at the appropriate time.</p><p> Make a comment and let us know what you do to prepare for the snow! We'd love to hear your ideas, what works, and what doesn't. <br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-6847951488996207182020-10-31T10:30:00.003-07:002020-10-31T10:30:53.570-07:00Keeping the Flies Away...Naturally!<p> Sometimes using chemicals is a necessity, but whenever possible we like to use natural products. About a year ago we began researching something to use as fly spray.</p><p>We came upon this homemade recipe and after trying it we definitely recommend it. The ingredients are simple and can be purchased at a local store. We have chosen to buy a larger bottle of the essential oil online and have it shipped.</p><p>Recipe:<br />2.0 cups white vinegar<br />2.0 oz water<br />0.5 oz essential oil (either eucalyptus or citronella)</p><p>NOTE: We recommend that you hold the different types of essential oil out to your horse and see which they like the best. Our two horses liked the eucalyptus oil so when we brought our new young horse home we used what we already had made up. She likes it fine.</p><p>We'd love to hear what natural products you use with your horses. Please leave a comment!<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-47425479940191276192020-10-15T17:51:00.001-07:002020-10-15T17:51:59.976-07:00Thinking Ahead<p> When you are completing your chores, working with your horses, or just notice something with, on, or about your property, WRITE IT DOWN.</p><p>Note changes you would like to see even if they are not feasible right now. Maybe there will be a time to make the upgrade later and then you can refer to your notes.</p><p>For instance right now one of our horses likes to push on one side of his stall to get closer to his neighboring horse. We have thought about moving him further away, or placing concrete footings to keep his stall in place, but neither is something we can do at this time.</p><p>We have created a computer document that we continue to add thoughts to whenever they come up. If and when we think of another thing we can do to fix the situation, we add it to our list. And of course a great thing about a computer document is that we can list several things and then go back and add to the first one and do things "out of order".</p><p>In addition to being a good way to think about things before you do them, it can be fun to look back over things you have listed before. Did you end up doing everything you thought about? Did you later think of better ideas? It ends up becoming a bit like a journal of your slice-of-ranch life. :-)<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-46213610920534586682020-10-11T09:46:00.002-07:002020-10-11T09:46:25.946-07:00Dust, Dust and more Dust!<p> This week we completed the big job of cleaning out and dusting our tack room. We were just putting away some clean towels and found rat and mouse droppings on a high shelf prompting the self-appointed assignment. Our goal is to sweep out and clean the tack room on a regular basis, but when the rats and mice move in we realize we have waiting a bit too long.</p><p>We have found it most efficient and effective to take everything out so we can clean the walls and shelves of the tack room. This allows us to see everything and remove as much dust as possible. If you have room, move all the items clear of the door so you can sweep without getting all your items dusty again. Or you can use a vacuum if that's possible for your set up.</p><p>Once everything is out and the walls and shelves have been cleaned, we begin the process of putting everything back in its place. As we touch each item we decide if its something we want to keep then we decide where it should be stored and why. </p><p>Do we use it all the time? Or is is seasonal? We don't give our horses baths in the winter because its too cold, so the shampoo can be put away in a less easy to reach place during the late fall and winter months. However, we keep the soap close to the front so its easy to reach when we need to clean our hands or wash a piece of equipment. </p><p>Medical stuff, especially the items for humans, should always be easy to find and clearly labeled. Think about sending a non-horse person to get the medical kit...could they find it? Bandages and wraps for horse injuries should be stored, but they can be put away and clearly labeled for the eventuality of a horse injury.</p><p>In total it took somewhere between an hour and a half and two hours to take everything out, clean it all, and put everything back that we decided to keep. </p><p>Now that its all clean and reorganized we know right where everything is and what we have. We even added a few things to our list to buy. The items we use all the time are easy to see and access...it makes us more efficient and effective with our time.<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-1582337025351760172020-10-04T17:23:00.005-07:002020-10-04T17:23:38.613-07:00Enjoy What You Have!<p> There are so many "versions" of ranches or ranching that it can be easy to wish for what you don't have instead of thoroughly appreciating what you have right now.</p><p>If you have one horse, you may wish you could have a second one or you may want to add a goat or a mini. You may have an acre but wish you had just a little more room for a larger arena. Maybe you don't actually have a horse yet and would love to find just the right one for you. Well, these are all great, but if you can't make the change right now you might think about learning a bit more about it. You can do research online and find an article like this one from Horse & Hound entitled "<a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/owning-multiple-horses-605142" target="_blank">6 things you discover when you get two (or more) horses</a>". You might read some blogs by ranchers or people with larger properties to see what challenges they face. This can give you some insight ahead of time. Especially if you think you want a different animal all together, its always a good idea to read up on it. After reading that book about how to take care of goats, you may decide that another type of animal would work better for your situation, or be more exactly what you wanted to begin with. Learn as much as you can and this will set you up for even greater success when you go to make a change.</p><p>Then when you aren't reading or researching, remember to spend lots of time with your horse (or if you don't yet have a horse, enjoy being able to spend all day with friends or at the mall and not needing to be home to feed your animal). Meet up with a friend and go on a trail ride...or a hike, or take some extra time and give your horse a long brushing or complete bath (if weather permits).</p><p>Remind yourself that when you end up adding another animal your time will be split between them. :-)<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-4446249542204043622020-09-27T14:58:00.000-07:002020-09-27T14:58:00.360-07:00Imperfect Food Delivery!<p> It's always fun to try new things and this week we decided to order a box of fruit and vegetables for the first time. There are several different services like this available, so we shopped around a bit and found one that would deliver to our place.</p><p>We began seeing the commercials for Imperfect Foods several months ago. The great thing about Imperfect Foods is that they take foods that have been rejected by restaurants or grocery stores because they don't look perfect enough. The mission of Imperfect Foods is to eliminate food waste while still delivering quality produce and other foods to their customers. (<a href="http://www.imperfectfoods.com">www.imperfectfoods.com</a>)<br /></p><p>When we made our order we added a special note asking them to ring the doorbell when they delivered so we would know when to bring the food inside. Sure enough they rang the bell and when we opened the door we waved to the delivery person and our pink box was sitting on the front step. </p><p>All the food was in the box together meaning no extra packing or additional waste! Everything we ordered was pretty hardy so we didn't need to worry about bruising too much. The most fragile things we ordered was peaches, but they aren't quite ripe yet.</p><p>We see the small imperfections on the food, but it makes us feel good to know that we have saved the food and will enjoy eating it instead of it being thrown away. Plus, everything tastes great. We tried a new kind of cabbage and it was yummy! </p><p>The food really makes us think of how food looks when you grow it yourself!<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-52632951814758194012020-09-20T15:56:00.002-07:002020-09-20T15:58:33.094-07:00Solving Issues<p>When repairs need to be made, or an issue needs to be solved, it can be a great time to stop and think. What is currently happening? And how do you want this to be different? These are important to know before you just jump in to "fix" something.</p><p>There are probably many examples of this, but here is one we recently handled.</p><p>We are currently training a young horse (for our training adventures see <a href="http://www.TrainingHorsesHelpingPeople.blogspot.com">www.TrainingHorsesHelpingPeople.blogspot.com</a>) and we have begun noticing that she is rubbing a section of her mane completely off. As we pause and think through things, we realize that though its annoying to see the bare spot instead of her mane, at least she isn't injuring herself. Now that we know this, we can take out time to solve the issue.</p><p>At a local home improvement store we found some lightweight wire and heavy-duty wire, but neither one were quite the right size or exactly what we wanted and they were kind of expensive. So, we decided to keep looking.</p><p>A few weeks went by while we thought of some additional ideas before deciding against them because of their potential to cause the horse injury or at the least, prove to be ineffective.</p><p>Then this past weekend we tried another store and actually found exactly what we wanted. It was exactly the right size for the side of the pen where our horse is pushing her head through and exactly the right color to match the pipe fencing! Plus, its about half the price of the "not quite right" wire we almost bought the other week.</p><p>We'll keep an eye on the new wire to be sure it ages well and doesn't cause any additional issues.<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-68339423981919249602020-09-13T10:02:00.004-07:002020-09-13T10:02:39.080-07:00What's A Ranch To You?<p>When you think of a ranch, what comes to mind? Is it wide open spaces? Horses? Cows? White vinyl fencing? Maybe the word conjures up a place you used to ride or even a specific horse. For some people its about wood and western decor.</p><p>Whatever comes to mind you can use those thoughts and images to create your own <i>slice of ranch</i>. Let your imagination flow and see where it takes you! </p><p>You can do something as simple as hanging a western-style picture, maybe one of you and that horse you rode, in a wooden frame. </p><p>If you are limited on space it may not seem possible to have "wide open spaces", but do you have part of a wall available? Consider shopping online for a background. Prices vary, but there are many design and color options and in some cases you can even order a custom size if you don't mind waiting a bit longer. This can be an especially great option if you are in a rental situation and aren't supposed to permanently change the walls. Command-style strips can fasten your "wide open space" to the wall of your choice with no holes.</p><p>How do you create your slice of ranch? Please comment below.<br /></p>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-33791568899319737972020-06-13T14:21:00.001-07:002020-06-13T14:21:28.391-07:00Land: Flat vs. Hilly<div>Is flat land better than hilly land? Or is it better to have hills? This is a great question with a variety of answers that we will discuss.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Flat land</b><br /></div><div>One thing that comes to mind about flat land is that all of it is usable for pretty much anything. If you want a larger tack room, or want to add a guest house, you have a flat area to use. Its also easy to see across your land. If a horse gets loose or you hear something at night, its much easier to locate your horse even if he's on the other side of the arena, or check on the horses from a distance, if you have a clear line of sight across the expanse.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hilly land</b><br /></div><div>While you can't always use every square foot of hilly land it does provide some variety in training atmosphere. You will want to give your horse some practice on going up and down hills before you take them on that fun trail ride, and having a few hills available where you work and ride can be a great help in getting your animal ready. Hills, and therefore valleys, also provide a chance for breezes to travel across the land following the elevation.<br /></div>Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-47600138722490058002020-04-13T21:34:00.001-07:002020-04-13T21:34:18.586-07:00Organization is Key
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One of the important things to keep in mind when you are working with limited space is that there must be a place for everything and its always best to keep everything in its place.
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An image comes to my mind of a trauma nurse in the middle of an active trauma situation. There are two doctors looking over the patient and asking for this drug, or that piece of equipment. There is the phlebotomist drawing blood, and an X-ray tech taking x-ray pictures of the injuries. The emergency technician is calling out the patient’s blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rate.
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During all this craziness, the experienced trauma nurse has a limited amount of space to work with and many things to think about and react to. He or she needs to know where the drugs and equipment are located without having to think about it. Not only so the nurse can get the item when the doctor asks for it, but the nurse must be able to explain the location to someone else as well. The trauma rooms are small and its not always possible to move around easily.
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I volunteered in the hospital for several years and in that time we were reminded over and over that we should NEVER move anything in the trauma room, unless specifically instructed, because the nurse knew exactly where everything was, allowing him or her to do the job most effectively. On several occasions, I was asked to get something from the trauma room and the trauma nurse was able to tell me exactly where I could find it. Amazing!
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We need to organize our small tack room, or other ranch supplies, in this manner so we can find what we want or, if we are holding a horse, we can tell someone else where to find the item.
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When you sit down at a computer, you probably reach for the mouse or trackpad to navigate. Do you even have to look down to find it?
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A great time to think about organizing is when you plan to buy something new. Do you need a new bridle, halter, saddle pad, or helmet? Think about where you will keep it and why that is the best place. If you are buying a new bridle, it probably makes sense to hang it with the other bridles. Have a look at your bridle collection and be sure you need the new one. Maybe what you really need is a new halter because your young horse will soon grow out of the current one.
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This isn’t to say that you can’t buy a bridle for the fun of it, or because its pretty, but with limited space you want to think about what you really want so you save room for that item.
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We’d love to hear your thoughts on organizing your tack room or other ranch supplies, so please comment below!
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Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891895457799225804.post-72322404110320316692020-03-22T15:27:00.000-07:002020-03-28T11:17:23.483-07:00Slice of Ranch Origin<br />
Hi all,<br />
I looked up the definition of a ranch and this is what I
found. The average size of a ranch in the United States is over 400
acres, and while that would be wonderful, I don't think a piece of land
that large is in my future. So...I decided to start a blog about my
little "slice of ranch". Hope you all come back often and enjoy what I have to share! <br />
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Sheena Lee Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01356793226806902055noreply@blogger.com0