Managing horses when you’re sick
Posted by Bill on Jan 03 2007 at 10:21 pm | Tagged as: Horse Lifestyle
You’ve heard us talk about it before (Getting Out of Barn Duties and Bill takes over horse duties for the day) but now I have a new pondering about managing horses when you’re sick. Up until now, it’s mostly been either Mikki or I who has been sick. That’s not so bad because the other can pick up the slack and there really isn’t that much work that has to be done. Tuesday night Mikki and I both got sick with something harsh. We think we both have the flu. Now everyone eventually gets the flu and we’ll make it through but I have to tell you…it’s a pain in the butt doing horse chores when you have the flu! Today we compromised a little but doing the worst horse stall housekeeping job ever. We finished our nighttime routine of feeding the goats, filling water troughs, filling hay troughs, sort-of cleaning stalls and feeding oats in a new record of 12 minutes flat. I should be in bed right now moaning about how achy I am but instead I wanted to share these thoughts in the off chance I’ll croak. Let the world know we risked our lives taking care of our beloved horses. 
But seriously, I hope our horses can forgive us for sort-of shoveling and sort-of raking manure to the sides of their stalls in our rush to get back to bed. And while our horse friends insist our horses will be just fine if we left them in the pasture overnight, we’re not ready to give up pampering our horses.
Oh, I can relate. I don’t like to work when I sick. Thankfully God gave me two kids that can do the chores if I can’t. Actually my kids do the horse chores already. My daughter has to earn her horses keep so that is her job. But I still can relate. You must have what my kids just got struck with. Yucky flu. I hope I don’t get it. The good thing is I don’t think it last for more than two days. Get well soon!
Yeah, the kid got it first and gave it to us. Not what we had in mind when we taught him to share.
He’s only ten and kind of afraid of his own shadow, much less the shadows of 1000-pound beasts, so there’s zero chance of his taking over barn duties. Bill and I are still sick, so we’re deciding just how horrible our horsekeeping duties will be tonight. Luckily, it’s not cold and icky out, like it could be this time of year.
Two days? Our son was sick for about 6, and we’re finishing out our third day. I for one am wishing I’d had a flu shot…Bill still insists he’d rather be sick than stuck with a needle. Silly boys.
Just wanted to wish you two well!!
and Happy New Year, too!
Lisa
in NM
Well thanks! I’m feeling much better and Mikki is starting to as well. What a punch in the gut this has been. Ick. Not a good start to the new year.
Happy New Year to you as well!
Bill
Ya shoulda got yer flu shot, like yer ol’ pappy tol’ ya to.
Ha! I knew this would come up. Oh well, think the of money we saved! Like $5 I guess. Yeah, I guess we should have gotten a flu shot this year. Oh well, too late now.