Country Time Acres Blog

Grooming gives children a hands on experience.

Gypsy and Makhi enjoy a moment together.

It seems we are all facinated by them and enjoy their beauty but, many of us have never been close to a horse. Barn tours are a perfect way for children and adults to get up close and personal in a calm and friendly enviroment. I schedule my tours for small groups or individuals. These tours give participants the opportunity to learn about horses and the huge responsibility that comes with them.”What do horses eat? Do they bite? Why do some horses wear shoes?” These are all things children want to know.  Sometimes, depending on the weather I will do a mini performance with one of the horses. A tour doesn’t have to be complicated. Many just want the opportunity to touch one. If I have a child that is comfortable with the horse I often let them walk the horse and maybe even do a trick or two. Gypsy is perfect for tours because of her calm nature. Children also love grooming Savannah because she is so tiny. We end the tour with some carrots or apples and all children get a gift packet from us reminding them of their visit.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

Makhi enjoys being a big brother.

Grandparents are important people in a child’s life.

I always wanted a big family with lots of kids. My daughter’s, Jenna and Tracy are my world. Terry and I didn’t really have grandparents that were a part  of our life. We had hoped our parents would be different but, it didn’t turn out quite the way we invisioned. Oh, our parents were there but, they didn’t really spend much quality time with the girls. Tracy’s boyfriend, Leon has a son, Makhi and he is  our unofficial grandson. It was hard to get close to him for fear some judge would yank him from our lives. It’s a complicated situation. I am sure it’s hard for a woman to be a mother to a child she really has no say over. Now that Tracy is a mother I hope that she and her family can settle down into a somewhat normal routine. Once a week I get Makhi and we spend the afternoon playing games, doing puzzles, cooking and grooming horses. He will start school next week and I will miss this special time. I want to be a positive influence on his life, someone he can depend on and someone he has many happy memories of. Now we will share that time with his brother, Kaidyn. It doesn’t matter how many grandchildren there are, each will be special in some way and I will have that something special we like to do together. Some people don’t like being grandparents because it makes them feel old.  I feel the opposite, children keep us young. We don’t stop playing because we get old, we grow old because we stop playing. “George Bernard Shaw”.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

Sundae and I visit with Daisy troop 984.

This year I visited camps at the local SPCA.

In spite of the 90 degree weather and numerous health issues with my horses, I still had a very productive summer. I did my usual visits to Heartland Equestrian Center in Frederica, Delaware where I talked about horse behavior and did a show with my horses. Cheyenne, my star mini, has been pulled from performing due to Founder. I am still trying to get this under control but, it has been very difficult. After 2 veterinarians and 3 farriers I am still trying to figure out the best course of treatment for her. I am heartbroken that she may not be with me for our Oct. show, Wild West Round-Up but, feel it best to concentrate on her recovery. This year I added the Kent County S.P.C.A. camps to my schedule, teaching about horse behavior, care and sharing some wonderful stories about my favorite animal. Bonnie Keller at Heartland added two camps for little tykes this summer and I helped her with those. My grandson, Makhi got to tag along and had a great time doing horsey stuff and riding of course.  All the pretty little girls were fun too! Wait till he gets a little older, we will have to keep a watchful eye on him. With all of this I still managed to do my 2 hours a week volunteering at the Kent County Library and  spent every Wednesday with my 4-H club, County Time 4-H, cooking, sewing, doing crafts and of course caring for the horses. On our last day the girls were treated to a trail ride at Heartland.  I now have a two week break and will begin organizing my fall events which include Outlaw Days, Wild West Round-Up and numerous craft shows. New to the schedule are hoop classes, I am working on a schedule with the Harrington Parks and Recreation for days and locations. I am very excited about this new adventure. Since retiring the Small World Dance Team I have found that I truely miss working with the kids. Watch my schedule, it’s on the side bar and check me out on Facebook for future events.   Let the beauty of what we love, be what we do. “Rumi”.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!!

At what age should we wean our foals?

I love riding through the countryside in spring because of all the new foals grazing in the pastures. Nature is so beautiful! Now all of those foals are a few months old and many will ask “When is a good time to wean my foal”? The word wean means to discontinue breast-feeding gradually, to detach. Separation from the mare is one of the most traumatic events in a foals life, so let us focus on the word gradually. Most people like to separate the mare and foal at about 3 months old and then it’s done. Several studies have been done determining that growth of the foal is not slowed if weaned at 3 months or 6 months. Personally I feel a foal is like an infant, it needs that nourishment and time with the mare. Unless there is a medical reason to do so I think waiting till at least 5-6 months is better. The foal learns from the mare and should be introduced to their surroundings and socialized with other horses before being turned out without the mares protection. Make sure your foal is eating solids and is in good health. Weaning doesn’t have to be so traumatic.  When I weaned Cheyenne  I separated her from Gypsy for an hour at a time several times a day, each day making the separation a little longer. At night she stayed in a stall by Dakota. Mare and foal were able to see each other and that gave comfort to both horses. I really enjoyed watching Dakota teach her the ways of the herd and especially enjoyed it when Cheyenne would play games with him. He would be eating and she would suddenly run by him as if to say ‘Come on old man, catch me if you can” and the race was on!  Enjoy your foals while they are young, there is so much to be learned simply by watching them.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

This muffin has all my favorite ingredients!

Once a week I like to have breakfast for dinner and I try a new muffin recipe. This week I tried this recipe and it is now one of my favorites!  Here is what you need: Preheat oven to 375. In large bowl mix 2 cups all purpose four, 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In another bowl combine 1 egg, 2/3 cups buttermilk, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/3 cup melted butter and 2 teaspoons grated orange peel. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet. When mixed well fold in 3/4 cup chopped cranberries and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Put into greased muffin pan and bake 18-20 minutes. Let cool, serve warm.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

Chocolate lovers will love Polka-Dot Cookie Bars.

Chocolate lovers take notciec. My 4-H kids baked these bars this week and they were awesome!!! Here is what you need.  Pre-heat oven to 375. In large bowl mix 1 cup butter, softened, 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup packed brown sugar. Add 2 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. In another bowl combine 2 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/3 cup baking cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly pour into wet ingredients until mixed well.  You need 1 package (10-12 ounce)  of vanilla chips. Set aside 1/2 cup of vanilla chips and mix the rest into batter. Pour batter into  15 X 10 pan. Top with remaining chips and bake for 18-23 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.They taste great warm!!!!    Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!!