Now selling Equine (and Caprine) Products!

Everyone knows I get very passionate about farming in general, but horses in particular.  As my trimming business has been increasing, I find myself constantly talking about the products we like best on our own farm.  So, after some discussion, Anna and I have decided to start selling some equine products.  The good news is, some of these double as great Caprine (goat) products too!  We are now dealers for Easy Care Inc horse hoof boots, Zephyr’s Garden topical horse and dog products, and NibbleNet hay slow feeders.  All of these products are items we use on our own farm and can attest to the quality and value.  We absolutely love the Zephyr’s Garden products because they are non-toxic, so they are safe for the horses, kids, and goats!  Check out our Equine Products page for details!

Kid quote of the day

Vicki was just standing by the table, learning to sow a little dress. Out of the blue, she says, “Dad, I know you are a farmer and a barefoot horse trimmer. What else are you?”
I responded, “I’m in the Navy.”
She said “Oh yeah.”
Then I asked, “What is Mom?”
She responded, “A farmer. And a Facebooker.”

Are you crazy?

Some of you probably think that 3 kids, 1 puppy, 2 barn cats, 4 horses, 11 goats, 50ish rabbits, 75ish chickens, and 12 turkeys is a little bit crazy.  We would agree.  It is a little bit crazy.  But it’s fun!  Unfortunately, we are absolutely nuts, so stay tuned for other possible announcements in the near future.

BTW- while having a farm can be stressful, is definitely a lot of work, and doesn’t really have a good profit margin, it’s fun.  And we love it.

Fresh peppers!

As the weather is cooling off, the garden harvest is slowing down.  Yesterday afternoon, Anna assigned Alex and Vicki to pick bell peppers and tomatoes.  The peppers looked so good, that I went ahead and ate one while they were working.  Of course, Amanda decided she needed to eat one too, but she wanted a purple bell pepper.

Raw Milk Reality – understanding statistics

93% of all statistics are either made up or used in a  way that misrepresents the data.  Think about that for a second.

Opponents of raw milk almost always bank on the argument of public safety and pasteurization is needed to keep us safe.  However, if you ever actually take the time to look at all the evidence yourself, instead of relying on our media’s headlines, you will begin to understand the actual risk you assume when consuming raw milk.  I don’t want to convert everyone to raw milk, but I think people should recognize how much the mainstream media misrepresents scientific data.

Luckily, someone has already done an independent review of the data and added perspective to the statistics.  http://chriskresser.com/raw-milk-reality-is-raw-milk-dangerous

 

 

Get your boots here!

Rob is now an Easy Care Hoof Boot dealer!  For horses that are making the transition from shoes to barefoot, boots are a critical piece of equipment to make the transition comfortable for the horse.  Some people argue, “If your horse needs boots, it should have shoes.”  I disagree.  Nail holes in the hoof wall damage the laminae of the hoof, and can allow bacteria place to cause significant problems.  Just take a look at a horse with shoes.  Many have problems with cracking and chipping in the area around the nail holes.  Also, shoes on a hoof prevent the hoof from expanding and contracting.  Finally, most horse owners would agree that the horse really only needs the shoes for riding.  Does it make sense to put a piece of steel on the hoof for a few hours of need a week?

How about cost – how much is each visit from the farrier?  I bet it’s a LOT more than a visit from a barefoot specialist. Give me a call to find out how much you could save.  The cost of boots is usually recovered in less than 2 trim cycles AND those boots will last years.  We are still using some Easy Boot Epics that we bought in 2005!

While there are many different brands of hoof boots on the market, I decided to carry Easy Boots because of my personal experience with the product over the past 7 years.

If you are interested in purchasing Easy Boots for your horse, send me an email or give me a call!  I will be placing my initial order of inventory very soon.

Ledyard Horse Show

Yesterday we took the kids to the Ledyard Fair Horse Show. They showed in four classes, three beginner walk-trot classes and one polebending class. The kids and ponies did well, each earning a red ribbon for second place, Vicki and Devil in walk-trot pleasure and Alex and Precious for walk-trot command. They enjoyed the polebending and both cantered their horses to the finish. They got four ribbons each and had a good time. The horse show was fast and prompt for a change and we were home by 1 pm. More pictures below.

 

That’s a relief!

As some of our close friends know, I have been in discussion with my detailer about my next orders.  For the past few weeks, all indicators have been pointing to a move out of Groton.  Luckily, this morning I got some good news – orders to Newport, RI.  I don’t know the details of the job (and it doesn’t really matter), but it is something on staff at the War College (not a student).  This is significant, because Newport is close enough that I can commute without having to move.  Hopefully, I will be able to get a follow on job that allows us to continue to stay in the Groton area.

To say that we are relieved of some stress is an understatement.  While setting up a farm to the extent we have carries risk, we have decided to live the life we want now, instead of dreaming about it for the future.  Therefore, we will continue to farm.  We will continue to fine tune our operation to balance what we want for our family while trying to develop some income for the farm.

Our goal remains, Rob retires from the Navy in 2019 to be a full-time barefoot trimmer and farmer.  Hopefully, that will be in CT, which allows us to build the customer base.  It’s good to have a goal.

Alex the photographer

Alex has always had an interest in photography.  He started with a Kid Tough camera that didn’t last too long.  Then, we purchased him an actual Kodak waterproof digital camera.  That was great until it got lost.  Then he started using our Canon pocket digital camera.  He figured out how to change it to Black and White mode and is very good at using the timer to stage pictures.  Today, Anna found the missing Kodak camera in the barn, under the pallets of hay (it was gone since last Oct).  Everything still works, so he is back in business.

All of these photos were taken by Alex.

 

Mack attack!

So, Mack has lived with us for about a month now.  He came from a home with 2 working parents and a kid that didn’t do much with him.  Now, he spends time outside running until he is ready to sleep, sleeps until he is ready to run again.  When necessary, we put him on the dog run, but he is pretty good about staying with us around the farm.  He loves to chase the goats, but eventually, they get tired of him, and turn to butt heads.  That causes him to run away.  He tries to herd chickens, and so far, hasn’t eaten any.

Overall, he is a good farm dog.  He is very rough on toys and destroys tennis balls in no time.  Alex and Vicki found a substitute item for playing fetch – tomatoes!  Alex and Mack actually played fetch with a tomato for almost 10 minutes and he never bit through the skin.  He has a very gentle mouth.

Here are some pictures of playing with Alex.

The story of our lives with horses. And goats.