The Boys are Home at Last!

Our three horses, Kipp, Jesse and Carson arrived yesterday from New Mexico!

Jesse is the paint horse, Kipp is the appaloosa (the white one) and Carson is the palomino (in the background at the stock tank).

They've been kept on a dry lot, so I'm gradually introducing them to the pasture here.

Each of them got about an hour total turnout today. I only put one out at a time figuring it would make it easier to convince the turned out one to come back to the barn if he was out there alone.

Kipp went first. Carson and Jesse did not think it was fair that he got to go out in all that grass.

Jesse was next...

 ...then Carson.

All three did exactly as I'd hoped and stayed close to the barn and their buddies. I had no trouble bringing them back in.

Slowly introducing horses to pasture allows their digestive systems time to adjust to the new food. It helps prevent serious health problems like colic or founder.

Today, they each got about an hour of turnout. Tomorrow, they'll get two hours. Each day they'll get an hour more until they're out all day. I'll only bring them up to the barn at night.

Here's Jesse checking to see if his dinner is in his stall yet. Nope...not yet.

Kipp and Jesse

I'm so happy to have our horses here. We always boarded our horses, so this is a big deal for us to have a place to keep them at home! I've dreamed about this for a few years and now it's really happened!