Horse Run-in shed

Hi there!

Last month we completed one of our remaining tasks on the year one to do list.  A horse run in shed.  A lot of friends have asked "what is a run-in"?  A run in is exactly as it sounds.  A small shelter that horses (or other animals) can run into, should inclement weather hit.

With wide open paddocks on our homestead, we knew we either needed to convert part of the barn to a run in with fencing so that the horses could come in should they need to OR we needed to purchase or construct a free standing shelter.

After much researching and planning, Derek concluded TWO things.  One - there are very few plans/instructions for a build your own run in shed; and Two - we could totally plan and build our own.  And that is exactly what we did.

Measurements were calculated and plans were drawn before Derek spent a weekend in the workshop cutting boards and beams and assembling the frame.  I got the glamorous job of putting together the roof trusses.

Again.. love me some power tools.  ;)

Next the frame was moved into place in the paddock and assembled and the outside of the run-in was covered with 2 inch barn board.

We opted for a corrugated steel roof.. in green to match the other buildings.  :)  My trusses are holding!  Yay!  And with a busy family of six, these projects sometimes have to happen by moonlight.

The last step was the wooden battens, and metal corner covers.

Pretty cozy! Now, a few days after completion we had a massive thunderstorm and guess where the ponies were?!

Standing head to rump side by side in the middle of the field.  Ugh.  Ah well... at least I felt better.

Plans are being organized and written up to be shared online with anyone else looking to build a run in shed of their own.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jeanette

Eggs and Ponies.. a WORDFUL Wednesday post

Hey there!  Its been a while!  :)

Thank you to my Nicole for allowing me to use her laptop as mine decided after six years it was finished with me.  THANKFULLY Hubby-D is a back up fanatic and we are all good on that end!

Sooooo... what has been happening around the acres??  Well...

Annie was getting a little wound up being the only equine friend in the family, so we opted to free lease (have them live with us for the winter) two ponies that belong to a friend who is away at college.  This was a great arrangement as "Cricket" is the mare that Nicole rode over the last year - remember that horsey-kissing post from the summer?  ;)

Her paddock mate is a gelding named Typhoon or "Tye" for short.  He's a sweetheart.  They both have settled in nicely and other than a few nips over the fence at Annie, and she back at them, they have decided they can be friends and barn mates.

We are down to our last eight roosters.  Three are beautiful (though still loud) and have been moved into the coop with the girls.  We will keep these boys and hopefully have baby chicks in the spring.  But to have baby chicks, you must first have eggs.. and I am so happy to announce that as of last Friday we do have eggs!  :)  Two of our hens have begun laying and in five days we have had seven eggs.  Go Girls!

It astonished me how happy finding these beauties in the nesting boxes made me.  I jumped up and down and squealed and texted just about everyone I knew!  Oh, and of course, posted to instagram.  lol  Proud Mama Me!

What a wonderful early Christmas present!  :)
Jeanette

Lucky 13!!

My hair is a bit more frazzled and grey this morning and my coffee is a little bit stronger...

I have a teenage girl in the house now.

Nicole turned thirteen on Friday.  How did that happen??

Thank you Derek for procuring an iPhone 4 for her.  We hid the phone beside her pillow in bed and then called it to wake her up on her birthday morning.  When she picked up, we all sang Happy Birthday.. I'm sure thats the way ANYONE would love to wake up in the morning.

Nicole decided that for her birthday she would like to stay home from school.  It was a Friday before Halloween.. why not?  She came out to watch the littles in their school costume parade before doing   a farm store shopping trip with her Dad and I.

Nicole loves to bake, so one item in her birthday bag was a peanut butter chocolate cupcake mix.  She spent the afternoon baking these and even shared them with visitors over the weekend.  :)

Now,  funny story.

We had really hoped to have a horse out here at SchnickAcres for Nicole's birthday.  While looking through horse ads on the weekend past, we had spotted a large white Percheron standing in front of a familiar barn - the barn that Nicole sometimes takes lessons at.  I pointed this out to Derek who promptly pulled up on his phone, and showed us a selfie with that same horse that he had taken during one of Nicoles lessons a couple of weeks back!

Fast forward to Friday... Derek and our lovely neighbour a few doors down are off to bring Annie the Percheron home to SchnickAcres.  She is a lovely quiet, gentle horse though her size does cause you to pause a moment.  Or if you are a cat - run for cover from her big hooves!  She can be ridden or pull a cart/sleigh but right now is content to graze in the paddock and eat apples from little hands.  :)

And wouldn't you know it... Annie is thirteen also.

Perhaps thirteen is our lucky number.  :)

Jeanette