I can't believe it's nearly the middle of November. It seems like even our slow seasons are crazy these days! Summer lingered longer than usual this year but we've had several frosty mornings, the trees are colorful if not bare and the days are getting shorter so I think we can officially call the change of seasons.
Fall is probably my favorite season. The foals are all on the ground and we get to enjoy working with them and watching them grow and develop. Weaning is a bit stressful but our horses generally handle it well and it's fun to have a little more independence in the mares and foals. As they work through this milestone, we then send foals off to their new homes. Those days are always bittersweet, as it's hard to say good-bye to our babies but it is so very rewarding to see the excitement when their new families come to meet them. For the foals who are staying here at All the King's Horses, I can begin work on some of their training. Last year we enjoyed doing monthly Mountain Trail Challenges at a local arena so I've begun getting the weanlings out and exposed to some of the obstacles and tasks they may encounter there.
Another benefit of life slowing down a bit is that fall is when we have the most time to actually enjoy riding our horses. Admittedly, it hasn't happened as much this year as I'd like but it's so much fun when we get to run out for a quick trail ride. This is also the season when we are most free to travel and most years we try to make a point to get away for a short time. This year, we ended up in Colorado for a wedding and had the chance to explore a bit and also meet a fantastic horse farmer who uses Brabants out near Boulder.
As fall moves closer and closer to winter we begin to prepare for that transition. Horses come in off pasture when the frost hits and are put in designated winter fields with water and access for hay. Dehan will transition from his summer work in residential tree trimming to the winter horse logging operation. It's more work, but we love giving our horses a job through the winter and his passion for the animals and the woods makes up for the investment.
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