Another Day of Firsts

This past Saturday, we had a great day!  After a leisurely breakfast of pancakes (of course), we headed off to UFA to get some chicken feed and shavings, and check out the rest of the store.  As we walked in, this is the sign that they have outside.... it made me laugh!

Have I said lately that I love UFA?!!

After that, Art took the Girls home and I headed out to the barn for a quick ride.  It was a beautiful day!  After my ride, I was heading out the door and was talking with my friend and owner of the barn, and she asked if I wanted to stay and help brand their 2 year olds.....  um, yup!  So I called up Art and the Girls to see if they wanted to come and help too, which of course, they were anxious to!

It started off with having to catch these horses, which are fairly crazy!  Like I said, they're only 2, and they've been out in the fields for most of their lives.  We herded them into a smaller pen, and down a cattle chute, where we carefully got halters on them all (not without some drama, I must add!).  After leading them to the barn, we proceeded to "sack them out", which was taking a big sheet of plastic on the end of a stick and shaking it all around them, trying to get some of their beans out, as well as making them a little less skittish. 

After that, we lunged them all and "roped them out", which meant that as one person was lunging them, another person would put a rope around their neck, butt and eventually, belly, and then....hang on!!  Most of them didn't really appreciate that, so they'd buck and rear and drag us around the arena until they got a little more used to it (and, incidentally, it is one of the first steps in breaking a horse....getting them used to the idea of something around their bodies). 

The next step was taking them back in the barn and clipping a spot on their hindquarters where the brand would go, and finally....branding them (it was a freeze brand).

These young horses, by then end of the day were all tuckered out....a day of firsts for many of them!  During the branding, I helped by being at the horses head, pulling it's lips and rocking it's head back and forth to help them relax.  Let me tell you, it was hard work!!  My arms were definitely "feeling the burn" after a few horses, so I'd switch out with someone. 

As we were taking the horses back to their pens, I stepped in a large puddle of icy water, and my feet were instantly wet.  Soaked, actually.  I thought it had been from working all afternoon in the snow and mud and ice.  Upon closer inspection of my boots, this is what I found...

No wonder my feet were soaked!!  Apparently, it's time for a new pair of rubber boots!

Fortunately, that was the end of the day, though, and it was time to head for home. 

On Sunday, I decided that I had to rectify my hole-in-rubber-boots issue, so I sprung for a new pair of Bogs.  Oh.  My.  Goodness!!  These boots are the most amazing thing ever invented in this world!!  they are rated to -40C, so you're feet don't even get cold in the snow! 

I, of course, decided that they had to be tested, so we cleaned out the chicken house.... Yup, they're amazing!  I'm never going back to plain old rubber boots!  And look, they're even cute!

And they match my Carhartt's! 

I wore them today again, when I went to town (I'm telling you people, these boots are amazing...comfortable...warm!), and told Art that we had to get some for the Girls, since after being outside all day yesterday in their rubber boots, their feet were soaking wet too!