When it comes to leaving town for a week, a long weekend or even overnight in very cold weather it's difficult when you own horses, dogs and cats. There's the routine they are used to - there's the order of feeding - there's the special feed for this one and that one doesn't get this. The complexity for those who are not used to this individual attention for each animal can be mind boggling.
Recently a couple moved to retire here from California with their three horses. They bought in the Hitchin' Post at Hunter's Ridge, a very new equestrian community two miles from East Fork Stables just south of Jamestown,TN. The Mrs. still has one year of work to finish up in California, but the hubby is here with the horses. The hubby's sister passed away and with little notice he had to make arrangements for the horses while he joined his wife in CA to attend the memorial services.
We got a call asking for help which we had offered previously - when you are new here, it always seems someone "adopts" you until you are well acclimated. There are so many things to pick up on - vet, farrier, hay source, etc.
As luck would have it, while the owner was away in CA seventy-degree weather, we've had bitterly cold weather. But dutifully, even in eleven degree mornings, my husband and I did the feeding, changing the water to keep it from freezing, cleaning the stalls and sweeping the walk-out areas like a team of old pros. We have four horses and they get the best treatment possible - but you take a lot of care when you take on the responsibility of a neighbor's animals.
They were very good horses and after the second time we drove up we always got some big nickers as they knew we were there to feed and take care of them. It's a good feeling to help a neighbor and we know how good it feels to have that back-up. When we first moved here and I had a hip replacement, our neighbors helped us by feeding so that my husband could be with me at the hospital.
What comes around goes around they say.
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