I grudgingly get on my exercise bike during the winter months, since the weather limits what I can do outdoors (the bike gathers dust spring, summer and fall). While I bike (am I supposed to say “spin”?), I watch training DVDs, as they inspire me to keep going, so maybe Sally and I can look like the riders and horses on the DVDs. Still, this spinning thing is mind-numbing. I know I have to do it, but it bores me to death.  I prefer to dig into something physical that also has a purpose.  One of my favorite things (of course) is barn work and anything else outside. Right now it’s raking leaves! Now there’s an aerobic activity if there ever was one, especially if the leaves are in the muddy area where the horses walk into the barn.

Last weekend, I also had to clean the stalls, which I never mind doing, of course, but my husband usually takes care of that so I can get to work earlier in the day. I’m definitely grateful (and somewhat spoiled) for that, especially on cold and rainy days. This past weekend, though, he was a bit under the weather, and I offered to take care of the barn. I had a ball.

I swept out rooms that hadn’t been done in a bit, washed water buckets, knocked down some cobwebs, picked up sticks behind the barn and raked all the outside barn area clean. Long ago, I made the connection that keeping the horse-traffic areas around the barn clean of manure and debris helps stop it from becoming a deep mud hole. It’s a real motivator.

As I was cleaning the stalls, I began to ponder about whether we needed a new fork or not (my husband will say the ones we have are fine—even the one he has tied together). I see ads for new forks with thinner tines or thicker ones or a different basket or whatever and wonder if it would help. And, of course, if it’s worth the extra cash. Three tools I wouldn’t change, though, are the wheelbarrow (which as two wheels in front so it doesn’t tip over too easily), my rake (it’s metal and lightweight) and the barn broom—the piece de resistance.

It’s a black bristle broom, and it moves a lot of dirt with little effort. I despise push brooms because I don’t think they clean as well. They leave stuff along the walls and in deep crevices. We tried a blower, but the dust it raised made a bigger mess everywhere else (the floor was clean, though). I’ll stick with my broom.

The bristles have to be black and made of corn, though. I find that the wimpy yellow bristle brooms (even the corn ones) bend if you try to push a large pile of debris, plus they leave stuff behind. We’ve combed a lot of stores over the years looking for the black brooms, and when we find them, we usually buy four or six of them at once.

When I returned from the barn that first morning, I sat down with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. There was a supplement in the paper that had advertorial copy discussing all the neat, rather unique items available for sale in our area (a pre-holiday shopping push, I’m sure). My eye was quickly drawn to a photo of a black broom. Great, I thought. We need a few more. I started to read the description of the item: “Primitive looking black bristle broom”! Primitive! How old was the person who wrote that line and what do they use to clean their barns?

Well, OK, maybe the broom is primitive, if you go back to its earliest days. And I doubt you’d need this broom in a condo. But this “primitive” woman hasn’t seen anything better to clean a barn aisle, get down cobwebs or sweep up loose hay. Plus, it gives me a better workout than that stupid stationary bike. I’m wondering if I should write a letter to the editor about the term. But, then again, I don’t want to draw a lot of attention to this broom. They’re hard enough to find already.

My immediate reaction was that I’m sure they probably don’t really like it, but after some thought, I’m not sure that’s really true. Those who have run-in sheds for horses will tell you that there are many times the horses aren’t in the shed when we humans think they should be.  I’ve noticed that most horses enjoy the shed for the really hot days (to be out of the sun) and on blustery, cold, wet days (to keep from getting chilled). Otherwise, they seem to prefer the outdoors.

Our horses don’t have the luxury of a run-in shed, but we do monitor them when they’re out if the weather changes. They go out every single day of the year, regardless of the weather. Usually they’re out sunrise to sundown, but on nasty days, it’s we limit it. If they come up to the barn and stare at the house, we know that means “Let us in!”

Otherwise, we’ll watch the conditions and make the decision for them. We’ve seen them seem choose to stay outside more often than not, even when the temperatures are below freezing. Wind seems to make the difference in the choice, especially if it’s combined with rain or snow.

You’d think hail would be a problem, but apparently not the small stuff. In fact, our horses seemed to think it was great fun to play in it (clearly if it were a heavy hailstorm, we’d insist they went in). Thunderstorms with lightning of any sort scare me, and I greatly prefer that the horses are inside during those storms, but if they’re way out on the “back 40” during a mild storm, we’ll let them go. They don’t wear shoes, and the tree pattern around our field means the horses aren’t the highest object out there (and there are no single trees for them to gather under).

We did have one mare that absolutely had to be brought in before the weather changed or she’d run till she dropped. She was extremely difficult to control if you didn’t get her in before the storm started, making leading her up to the barn a true test of your handling skills.

We learned that if the weather darkened, we would bring Tuesday in—simply to protect her from herself. It was a strong, clear personality change, and if we waited too long she was nearly impossible to catch. Once she was in the barn, she was fine.
I’ve heard about horses who will colic with the change of seasons and some who colic just at falling barometric pressure (like before a storm). I know Tuesday’s not the only mare who reacts oddly during storms.  I get charged up by the electricity in the air during an approaching storm. A windy day with a threatening storm is my personal favorite weather and it has always given me extra energy. My mom laughs that most people want a sunny day, except the kid who has always danced to the beat of a different drummer (me).

So, I guess horses are just like us: Some of us enjoy the stormy weather, while others worry about it. And still others seem to think it’s just great to go out and play in. I’m wondering if it’s got anything to do with age? I wish our horses could share their thoughts.

Like many readers, I grew up without mounting blocks. Pony Club and 4-H mounted meetings actually included sessions on mounting properly.  We also practiced gymnastic mounting maneuvers I can no longer perform, like mounting bareback and the nearly insane mount done off of the rump of the horse (run, leap and land on the horse’s back). If you were going to do that, though, you needed a dead-quiet horse and a daredevil streak. I no longer have either one.

Anyway, traditional mounting lessons included how to train the horse to stand still until you got on, picked up the reins and told the horse to walk. Of course, “way back then,” riders also usually rode horses that were the right size for them. If you were a kid, chances are you were on a pony. If you were a young teen, your horse was likely no more than 15.2 hands. An 18-hand horse was relatively rare. Bottom line: You could mount without assistance.

I’m sure beginner lessons still include how to mount your horse, but I’ll bet most of the time the riders are using mounting blocks. On the one hand, that’s good, because a rider can really put some uncomfortable pressure on the horse if he or she has to drag him or herself up into the saddle instead of a quick foot-in-the-stirrup and hop on. We’re talking chiropractic help here.

It’s bad, though, especially if you trail ride or ride alone. You could end up in a spot where a mounting block isn’t available. So, every now and then it’s smart (especially if your joints are starting to creak) to use the old-fashioned method—just to stay in practice. I did this the other day, and my hip and knee complained loudly.

So, yes, I use a mounting block routinely, and I have had one for years. My mare clearly thinks mounting blocks are the only way to go. When I place the mounting block next to her, she nearly always turns toward it and tries to climb on top of it. She actually succeeded once, when I was distracted by another rider. Mercifully, the block actually held her weight, and she was so very proud of herself. Clearly, she’s a frustrated circus horse.