An Afternoon in My Stable
As you all know, I am an avid horseback rider, and love to go out for rides on my handsome Friesians. If you follow me on Instagram @MarthaStewart48, you probably saw this weekend’s post taken just before eight of us set out on a lovely trail ride in Bedford.
Horses are amazing animals. I have nine residents in my stable - five Friesians, a Fell pony, and three Sicilian donkeys. Caring for equids is a huge responsibility, but it brings me great joy to see that they are happy and in the best possible health. Every day, my horses, donkeys and pony get groomed from head to hoof and then given a variety of supplements with their meals before they are turned out in their paddocks.
Here are some photos of their daily routine.
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- Inside my stable feed room, breakfast and dinner bowls are set out every afternoon – two for every horse.
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- This is Helen, the newest member of my stable team. She prepares the horses’ supplements. Each horse gets a variety of vitamins and minerals depending on their individual needs.
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- We use these large stainless steel dog bowls to mix up each horse’s dose – each bowl is properly labeled, so there is no confusion which supplements go into what bowl. We also label them AM and PM, so it is clear which items are for morning and evening feedings.
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- To make it more appealing, we mix the supplements with their favorite grains.
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- We keep all the powders in these uniform stainless steel containers, for easy reach and distribution – again everything is well labeled.
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- Here is one of the stainless steel containers indicating what is inside, which horses get this and how much is given.
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- The bowls are then piled up for morning and evening.
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- Helen keeps them stored in one of the bins until feeding time. The white container is for the donkeys while the small scoop is for Banchunch, who is still quite young and doesn’t need a lot of supplements.
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- These are commercial flour bins from a bakery. I use them in the stable for storing grains, and in my greenhouse head house for storing and organizing different planting mediums.
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- All the grains are soaked for five to 10-minutes before mealtime.
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- We add just enough water to cover the top of the feed. Soaking allows all the grains to expand.
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- All the horses get some Timothy cubes as well – a consistent, convenient, low protein forage replacement formulated with Timothy hay, beet pulp and specific minerals. The horses love it.
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- All the Friesians know it is feeding time and look on with anticipation.
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- Look how shiny their coats are. I am so happy my horses are all doing so well.
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- My fun-loving Sicilian donkeys also watch as dinner is being prepared. They are outside all day and then come in for grooming and dinner before they are put in their stall for the night.
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- The donkeys love to roll in their paddocks, so their coats can get quite dirty and dusty.
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- Here’s Dolma cleaning Clive’s face. The donkeys love all the attention – they are very social animals.
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- Inside the tack room, bridles, harnesses and saddles are cleaned regularly.
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- Here is my saddle, cleaned, conditioned and ready for the next ride.
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- After all the oats and other grains are soaked, Sarah prepares each feeding bowl – mixing and distributing what is needed for each horse.
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- And then it’s feeding time. Because horses have small stomachs relative to their size, they eat little and often. A horse needs food spread out, preferably in two to three feedings a day.
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- Clive is enjoying his meal too. Horses and donkeys get a natural, dry, high fiber diet. In addition to their feedings, they also graze on pasture and hay, and get fresh treats.
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- Dolma places halters on all the horses so they can be taken to their paddocks for the night. They love being outdoors.
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- And by late afternoon, the horses are ready to be turned out. Here is Sarah walking Banchunch and Sasa out to their paddock.
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- And here are my other handsome Friesians – Rinze, Meindert, Rutger and Ramon being led by Helen, Dolma and Sarah. See you tomorrow my dear horses.
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