You’d think it would be easy…
Just feed horses some hay and fill up their waterers… Easy.
Oh and could you give Tess her special meds? Oh and make sure they are separated … yeah and maybe watch the new one and feed the sick kitty… and couldja just make sure the big dogs have food…
It seems so easy to us since we do it every day… So, OK, well maybe it isn’t that easy to feed other people’s animals, but it isn’t that hard, either… To me, it is a lot of common sense and observation.
So why is it so tough to find a conscientious feeder person?
I think it is because we owners are all so different and particular.
I think…
WHY WAS I THINKING ABOUT THIS?
Hubby fell off his mountain bike in Moab, Utah yesterday. It was bad. He literally fell on his head. Luckily, he was biking with his good friend, the spine surgeon. Phew.
Hubby was stabilized and then flown to the best hospital in the area. Needless to say, I had to get there. (He will have surgery today and should be OK.)
I needed someone to feed –
And as usual, there were stipulations… I have a new horse, a sick kitty, a deaf dog and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.
OY.
Yikes! Poor Hubby. He fell and go boom, bad. But, he will be OK...
WHO TO CALL?
All of us around here are always in need of a good horse feeders. (I think I should hand my shingle and do it… but that’s another blog…) Anyway, the issue is that the few animal feeders that we have are all quirky. Of course, so are we. So, you’d think there should be a feeder for all of us.
My quirky thing?… I take issue with things that maybe I shouldn’t.
After all, when I come home, they are all alive. So what if the place is a bit messy? Does a mess really make them less healthy? My horses are all rather messy, come to think of it.
But here’s the deal… One of our regular feeders leaves me notes on what I need to do that would be better. I’m not sure why this bugs me but it does. I guess I should actually consider her revelations instead of feeling put off. She probably knows a few things since she feeds all over the county… If nothing else, I could perhaps find some blog topics from her love notes…
The other feeder has some wonderful qualities. She loves the animals and can fix the water main when it explodes. Good to know… But, she is rather absent minded and will not check to see if the end of the hose is actually in the trough before she fills it – or in her case, fills the ground.
Sigh.
GOOD THINGS
In both of their defense, they’ve been heroes enough times to make me continually call them when I need help.
For example, when we were on vacation, the horses broke through a fence and the absent minded one had her boyfriend come over and fix it.
Nice.
And the other feeder, the Scribbler, can spot a horse thinking about becoming ill and can nip any onslaught immediately. She really is all over it all the time.
Nice.
So, what is my issue? I’m Type A. I like it to be done how I do it, which is impossible since no one else lives in my head. Thank God.
THE GOOD NEWS
I have to share the good news in all of the upheaval.
When I got on the tom-toms yesterday and blasted far and wide about needing help with the animals (while I was packing furiously…), several of my neighbors stepped up graciously.
I had an offer to take my elderly dog – which I would love but the people are not really dog people and that wouldn’t be fair to stick them with an old, sickly dog…
I had another friend offer to feed during my entire absence if I couldn’t get any of the ‘regulars’.
I had another friend drive over and make sure Dex (the older dog) was OK and the horses were fed.
And finally, I had another neighbor offer to come and get the injured kitty and his sister (just for company) and doctor him all week for me. NICE.
CONCLUSION
Sometimes not being able to find a horse feeder will bring out the best in your neighbors – especially if peril is involved.
Obviously Hubby has garnered some good karma in the ‘hood. They are all rallying around him in their own way.
Lovely.
Oh, and I’m sure the animals will survive, too… Even if they aren’t fed to perfection. Miss Persnickety here is taking off her white gloves and leaving the building.
Our view out the hospital window in Salt Lake... it kinda looks like the Angels do live in the clouds above the hospital.
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
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“So, what is my issue? I’m Type A. I like it to be done how I do it, which is impossible since no one else lives in my head. Thank God.”
UM ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry to hear about your husband. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
So sorry to hear about your hubby and sending prayers for healing and return to health. The critters will al survive I’m sure. Great you have the good kind of neighbors.
Oh no! Dawn, is there anything I can do? I’m home today. Call if there’s something I can handle for you.
Tell, hubby, he’s not alone. I have a friend that was also air lifted out of Moab while mountain biking. It was late in the day, getting dark fast. They were in a hurry to get out before dark and in a rushed moment he crashed. They called 911. The emergency response people said it was too treacherous to air lift him out at that time. He didn’t have a doctor with him, and he had serious internal bleeding. It didn’t look good. BUT a nurse happened along the trail who was friends with the helicopter pilot for the emergency rescue team. She personally called the pilot who said he would come while she helped stabilized him and even went to the hospital with him in the helicopter. He would have died there within the hour had she not come along at that moment. So, perhaps there are guardians up there in the mountains. It certainly feels close to the stars up there!
Hope hubby is ok soon..
amd they say riding horses is dangerous!
What’s sad is that I’m a real good feeder, and will do what I’m asked to do and I can’t find anyone who will pay for it – rather throw a whole bale of hay to their horses and take off for a couple of days! (Well, I wouldn’t feed massive doses of antibiotics to a 4 month old foal ‘prophylactically’ when a neighboring foal was ill, rather than put a blanket on and a nice bed of shavings to keep them warm, but … that’s me) Wish I lived in your area! I hope your husband comes out great, and quickly!
Saying prayers that everything will be just fine with your hubby and, well, uh….the feeders at the kingdom too! You MUST be Type A….who else would write at times like these??? Breathe.
Sending prayers and healing thoughts to you and your husband. I can certainly relate to your concern with good horse feeders. They are very hard to find. It sounds like you have great neighbors though.
Oh My Goodness! I am glad to hear hubby will be ok, but he DOESN’T look ok in that pic….I have a picture just like this one of our son when he crashed his motorcycle! It is such a scary thing! Wishes for a speedy and full recovery!
Moab is an awesome plce to mountain bike. It’s also one heck of a place to crash. Well wishes sent your hubbys way. (yours too).
Sometimes type A’s just have to learn to let things go, your pets will be ok, and you will be less stressed.
All that and you still had the time to write a blog?! Hope all goes well with your husband’s surgery and the feeding of the animals.
Wow, hope your wonderful hubby pulls through without a head injury, and all is well. (I’m an athletic therapist and have worked with alot of brain injury patients).
Great blog about ‘feeders’. We go through the same thing whenever we want to go away. I am full of angst and worry, and check my phone every day for messages of doom or disaster! :D Fortunately, our babysitter is a man who used to breed Thoroughbreds for racing, and he is more paranoid about the horses than I, and lives right next door to the farm. I use a big whiteboard for instructions for the horses, dogs & Kitty, which gives him the opportunity to respond to my numerous notes with useful information like “you’re nuts!” :) Hope your trip to the hospital is a short one.
My prayers and thoughts are w/ you and your hubby. Glad he will be ok. Surely he was wearing a helmet. Thank goodness for those and his good choice of bike partners.
Do you ever sleep? I am glad to hear that hubby will be ok.
Prayers for a sucessful surgery and a quick recovery!!