Well, sometimes Mother Nature tells you that you erected the horse shelter in the incorrect place.
In my defense, I had to make this decision before actually living here and understanding the cycles… Wind, rain, mud, dry dust, moonscape… I had no idea how it all worked around here.
Now I do. And, just by chance, Mother Nature has decided to help me correct my mistake. “Dawn, the horse shelter doesn’t belong here!”
And so, it doesn’t anymore.
Shelter down.
THIS WAS THE FIRST THING WE DID BEFORE MOVING HERE…
When escrow closed on the Paso Robles house, I was still in Grass Valley with the horses. I had the fence guys putting up fencing in Paso. Hubby offered to put up the first horse shelter. He asked where I wanted it.
At that time, we had only two paddocks budgeted, so I thought it best to erect the large shelter in the largest pasture. Which was a good idea.
The issue was where I decided to put it. For some reason, I thought putting it at the highest, dryest and flattest part, would be the best. It also had awesome views which I thought the horses might enjoy.
What I didn’t know was that this high and dry, very pretty spot, was also hit with the highest winds. And, we have a lot of high winds – up on this ridge. Epic.
Last week, we had particularly high winds.
On the first day of these monster winds, I noticed that the shelter looked torqued. I went up there and I tried to push on it to see if I could move any part of it – and I couldn’t. So, I just thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me.
On the next day of the high winds, I thought the shelter looked torqued – but the other way. Hmmmm. Could this be? So I went up there and tried to push on it again. I couldn’t budge it. However, I was fairly certain it was leaning the other way. Hmmmmmm.
The next day, it was down. Evidently, I was correct.
As you can see, it did have the best view on the place…
MOTHER NATURE
Although the shelter worked fine for 2.5 years, it was probably always in the wrong spot. First of all, it was at the furthestmost spot from the house – uphill. So, only the horses used it. I rarely went up there to groom or mess with them.
Secondly, it didn’t help to cover/shield where they ate or drank. Their food and water troughs are by the fencing, of course, to make daily feeding more efficient. If it was really hot or really wet, they ate/drank exposed to the elements. I always thought to myself… ‘A shelter down here would be better.’
And, I half-way got my wish. Now I have no shelter – so when I get another I can put it in the right spot.
Here is the shelter, ready to be carted away.
OY. But it is OK.
Summer is coming. I liked using that now shelterless pasture because it is huge. But, without shelter, it is hot. The trees in Marty’s Alley are not big enough yet to provide ample shade. So, I will figure something out. In the meantime, Finn, BG and Wrigley will use the smaller shelter in the adjacent paddock.
Finn, BG and Wrigley also really like this shelter… so they are good.
EMERGENCY APRIL BUCKET FUND FOR GRANNYPONY! – the 35+ blind, perfectly mannered little pony – left at the meat auction by her family! Click here for story
Only $300 to reach our goal! Although we have paid her initial vet bills, it would be wonderful to help with the follow-ups as well as purchase a month of senior feed from the feed store to boost her along her way to health!
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This 35+ year old granny pony was left at a meat auction to fend for herself in the huge pens with larger horses.
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