# I hate people today.



## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Sigh. We're experiencing a nor'easter, they are very common and we'll probably end up with about a foot of snow by tomorrow morning. Anyway, it starting snowing hard around 9 am, and just now I answered a knock at the door, and found a guy in his mid 20s standing there. I immediately thought, Wonderful, I get to listen to a religious spiel- but he surprised me by saying, "Your horses are out." I immediately turned to grab a pair of gloves and a jacket while asking, "Where are they?" He said, "Behind the barn." I paused, the pasture is behind the barn, then the light bulb went on, and I told him, "They are supposed to be behind the barn." He said, "It's snowing and they should be IN the barn." I said, "Did you notice that they both have rain sheets on and are dry as toast? Which is totally beside the point because this is my farm, my stock, and my rules." He sputtered and stuttered awhile before saying in loud enough voice to start the dogs barking, "Are you going to bring them in or am I going to have to call the authorities?" I said, "Knock yourself out, Sparky I'm not bringing them in until 4 o'clock." 

Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened in the 15 years we've lived here. We're rural and most people realize that animals are OK out in the weather, but we've had an influx of people from downstate moving into the area. A few years ago I had a woman come to the door and berate me about "blindfolding and starving" my horses, that one definitely caught me by surprise-, when I asked what she was talking about she described the fly masks and grazing muzzles. 

The guy from today wanted to argue a bit but when I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and told him I was calling 911 if he didn't leave immediately he bolted for his car. Even tho I had my fingers crossed he'd get it stuck (it was tiny car) he made it out of the driveway. 

Why can't people keep their noses out of stuff they know nothing about?


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

I try to educate those who stop to tell me about my horses. They are ignorant, probably only know about animals from Disney movies, where they are turned into people or the TV shows that have animals as pets, treated like dogs.

Might be easier to post a sign, "Masks prevent fly bites, muzzle is to control over weight", which the folks can process easier. Change sign for winter, "Blanket is warm and waterproof. Snow on his back shows R-factor insulation working by not melting!"


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

That is really horrible.

We have those types in my neck of the woods as well.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

There's that, or they could just mind their own business.  If they're going to live around here they'll be educated soon enough. I was actually polite, or at least more polite than some of my neighbors would have been.

Had he asked rather than demanded it would have been a different story.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

They also get each other whipped into a fervor on the internet, sharing misinformation back and forth among themselves. The constant cult-like reinforcement of their wrong-thinking gives them the illusion of being correct. They are really brainwashed, and I don't say that lightly. They traumatize themselves with awful video and photos of atrocities to fuel their indignation and anger and then they unleash it on inappropriate targets.

I have some PETA supporters that are peripheral in my life and they are becoming rapidly less-militant as they are introduced to the truth and have their myths gently busted. Some of those myths do include things like misinterpretations of fly masks and grazing muzzles. Or the purpose of bits and iron shoes. Or the treatment of our egg-laying flock. Or our farm dog who is, indeed, sometimes on a chain outside. The horses' explicit and eloquently-stated preference to not wear a blanket at all until well after we would rather remain indoors altogether.

As a teamster who makes public appearances, I encounter these folks on occasion. Some of my fellow teamsters have fun at their expense because it really is a lost cause to try to reason with them. However, I still do try. I have my portfolio of gentle educational responses all mapped out and ready to deploy. Sometimes I do feel like I made some headway, but you can tell in advance when you are going to be talking to a brick wall versus when the person might absorb some of your information. If nothing else, silent bystanders will judge you by how you treat the closed-minded ones and extrapolate your values from there.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Yes, we have a facebook thing going here right now. Horses on pasture 20-30 of them and someone new to the area things they are starving because they can't see the feeding area from the highway.


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## sherry in Maine (Nov 22, 2007)

sorry you have to deal with these types.
Too bad they can't pay attention to their own issues


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

After having the field next to the barn (that is posted) ripped up every couple of years by ATVs (but you didn't say I couldn't ride in the field when I moved in!) having to carry a million dollar plus liability policy on the farm because no recent city dweller has ever heard of a land boundary line- (but you have so much land and never use it!), to the guy that actually brush hogged paths through our pine trees so the deer would come to his salt bait so he didn't have to "tramp all over that hill" to shoot them. I've found that it just doesn't work to be overly polite, and most of them will come over and apologize after a couple of years.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

How do Mustangs survive in the wild without blankets and masks, or does it get that cold in the wild. Need to do my own homework. 

What happens to turkeys and oysters.

Good luck with the snow.


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## badlander (Jun 7, 2009)

Brace yourself.

Sparky just might call the authorities in order to do his 'civic duty' or whatever his twisted city sense tells him to do.

I can remember going out to the corral and finding my horses standing with 4 inches of snow on their backs with the stable door wide open for them to go into if they so desired. Knocked the snow off of them and ran my hand in their thick winter coat. Next to their skin they were toasty dry and warm.

City slickers just don't realize that snow isn't the enemy and isn't as dangerous to horses and cattle as wind chill is. Came home the other day and noticed the Amish neighbor's horses were all standing in the shelter of some trees in a ravine. All out of the wind and as happy as clams in the sand.

Ignorance is only bliss to those it infects. To every one else it's a pain in the backside.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Bret said:


> How do Mustangs survive in the wild without blankets and masks, or does it get that cold in the wild. Need to do my own homework.
> 
> What happens to turkeys and oysters.
> 
> Good luck with the snow.


Not all mustangs did, or do, survive and then rarely made to their teens. Most horses on farms have been domesticated for thousands of years and need a bit of comfort be it waterproof breathable sheets, grain, hay, dewormer, or fly masks. 

Thanks, it's not even worth calling it snow unless we get a foot.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

badlander said:


> Brace yourself.
> 
> Sparky just might call the authorities in order to do his 'civic duty' or whatever his twisted city sense tells him to do.
> 
> ...


I got Sparky's plate number, and if visited by animal control will let them tell him all about "nuisance calls." :thumb:


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I had Dept of Ag show up years ago. They got a complaint because my horses were moving the RB feeder.

A few years ago, we had a ton of rain. It never stayed dry long enough for the pastures to dry. AC got sick and tired of answering all the calls about animals being in muddy pastures.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

dizzy said:


> I had Dept of Ag show up years ago. They got a complaint because my horses were moving the RB feeder.
> 
> A few years ago, we had a ton of rain. It never stayed dry long enough for the pastures to dry. AC got sick and tired of answering all the calls about animals being in muddy pastures.


That's just nuts, what is wrong with moving a round bale feeder?


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I have no idea. But, I solved that problem. I no longer have the feeder. Figured I don't really need it since I just have 3 horses.

I board, and my horses are in the front field at the farm. So I try to be sure that there's never anything for people to complain about. Of course, right now we're getting a ton of rain, so that means the field is underwater in spots, and muddy in other spots. And you wouldn't be able to tell looking at my field that my horses have hay. I put it in hay nets and hung it in the run in. I'm wondering if someone is going to call in and complain about that.


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

Here IMO is a great article about how horses are designed for cold weather without the use of blankets.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

At first I thought that was going to be the bunk article allegedly by Colorado State University that mentions "17 different levels" that horses can raise or lower their hair to....

but this article you posted is a good one. Thank you!


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

mrs whodunit said:


> Here IMO is a great article about how horses are designed for cold weather without the use of blankets.


No thanks. I've learned that generalizations like "horses should not be blanketed" are never correct for every situation. Like, it's cold (just above freezing) pouring rain, and the older TB mare stiffens up something awful if she's left in the stall for too long BUT if I put a waterproof breathable rain sheet on her she can go out and move around yet not get soaked to the skin. That scenario happens all the time here so I use waterproof breathable sheets, not blankets.


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## harvestmoon1964 (Apr 24, 2014)

I also love the folks who don't understand about LGD's not being brought in to sleep by the fire. They are dogs so must be brought in, in their minds. No understanding of these dogs at all. Mine hate the house, have barns and dog houses and still sleep in the snow.


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## harvestmoon1964 (Apr 24, 2014)

Irish Pixie said:


> No thanks. I've learned that generalizations like "horses should not be blanketed" are never correct for every situation. Like, it's cold (just above freezing) pouring rain, and the older TB mare stiffens up something awful if she's left in the stall for too long BUT if I put a waterproof breathable rain sheet on her she can go out and move around yet not get soaked to the skin. That scenario happens all the time here so I use waterproof breathable sheets, not blankets.


Elderly horses, horses that just can't grow a sufficient hair coat for whatever reason, horses that can't keep weight on, sick horses, etc are all good candidates for blanketing. Any time an article starts down the path of this is good for all horses, I discount it as an unreliable source.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

harvestmoon1964 said:


> I also love the folks who don't understand about LGD's not being brought in to sleep by the fire. They are dogs so must be brought in, in their minds. No understanding of these dogs at all. Mine hate the house, have barns and dog houses and still sleep in the snow.


Mine two are pet dogs- they fight over who gets closer to the wood stove and have never properly guarded anything except their food dishes.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

We've had a thousand threads on blankets or no blankets and after all these years, I've learned a great deal. 

While my area gets extremely cold, it's a dry cold so my horses are fine without blankets, with the odd exception that may arise. 

Ugly wet snow that some experience cause problems with loft and those horses do need additional protection. 

My nemesis is wind and in order for my horses to not blanketed, we must provide windbreak or shelter from the wind and must feed accordingly but I've noticed that other breeds just don't do as well in the cold. 

It's best that individual owners decide what's best for individual horses than trying to make an across the board rule on blankets.


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

Jeepers - my sympathies. I'd never even considered the possibility of idiot do-gooders interfering with my brand of horse care. I'd be livid.

Guess it is a good thing that my horses are not in general view of drive-bys. As has everyone who's kept horses for any length of time, over the years, had my share of thin horses, old horses, lame horses, wet horses, and just "talented at looking needy" horses. Blankets are there for them, stalls and shelters are there for them, and more hay, pasture and feed than they could ever eat plus fresh water enough to float are always there for them. They get visited by the vet and farrier a lot more often than the humans on the farm get health care, so I guess I'd point the do-gooders to my horses' professional resources and let them explain. 

OTOH, might just tell them to get off my porch and come back and talk to me after they have been caring for horses for 50 years like I have. 

Again - Jeepers.


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## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

What a pain. A few years ago some busy-body was driving around my rural town in the winter, looking for any dogs outside, and reporting it to the authorities, who no doubt said, "thank you very much, we'll look into it," while rolling their eyes. Occasionally the boarding barn in town has gotten someone (probably a summer person who came back for skiing or something) complaining that horses are seen outside "with snow on their backs! They must be so cold!" 

In NH, horses are required to have shelter "available" from November 1 to April 1. It doesn't say the horses need to be IN the shelter, just that it has to be available. Mine generally prefer to stand outside in all sorts of weather, rather than use their large comfy dry run-in. On nasty cold rain/freezing rain type days, I usually put their hay inside just so they will actually go in and not be outside, which makes me feel better, but I think they couldn't care less. Both of them get quite furry, especially the Icelandic.


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

Ah yes, I got a few visits from AC when I lived in the burbs of Indianapolis. Got so I kept all health records and feed bills in a folder handy to show them. And I didn't even have a skinny horse but he was on a dry lot so I guess people thought no grass = no food. Then there were the numerous people that took it upon themselves to stop by and tell me he was dead. Ummm...no, he's just sleeping. If I was lucky he'd be snoring like a chainsaw and they could hear it, if not I'd have to go wake him up before they'd shut up. He'd give them such an unmistakable stink eye when I did that even the clueless got his message. More than one person commented on him not liking to be woke up. LOL

Thankfully we don't get very many if any city slickers driving by where we live now. At least none dumb enough to stop and tell me I'm doing something wrong.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

We had a lot of these kinds of people moving in to the area where I lived 'out west' ... some of the old ranches close to town were being sold to developers, subdivided and sold to city people retiring and moving to their 'ranch' in the western mountains they had always dreamed of.

Culture clash, big time. Old ranchers vs. city people and it sometimes got a bit ugly. My farrier at the time finally quit training horses because of his new neighbor, who called the sheriff's office every time he saddled a horse and it bucked ... or he tied the horse to the fence while he did something else ... or it was in the pasture when it was snowing.

I'm fortunate here in KY ... we're back off all the roads so there's no way someone can actually see our horses without coming up our private drive.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

Yesterday we had rain most of the day, and at times, it mixed w/sleet and snow, so I put blankets on my horses. And even though they had their hay in the run in, at times they were coming outside and just standing there.


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

Ugh how annoying. We are in NY also and got 8" or snow throughout the day, with drizzle before and drizzle after. Most of my horses stood outside in it. They have open stalls to go into but they didn't use them all day long. My horses really LOVE the snow, especially my 20 year old TB because she likes to roll in it. Bringing them in when it's 30F and snowing? Heck no! They waited all summer long for this! 

At dinner time, my TB mare was shivering a bit, so we blanketed her and the one that is also usually *cold* even though she seemed ok. The other three were practically steaming...no blankets for them until -25F or so.


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## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

Great Thread! I've always wondered abut the weather and my 2 horses. My Sassy, a Welsh Hackney pony has 2"+++ hair. She will never go inside. I have enough room for 4 horses, she likes the outside.
My Arab is experiencing his first Illinois winter w/out a blanket. He's doing GREAT. Last year I had a blanket on him, as he was very short haired when I got him in late Oct.
He does like to be under cover with his head out, in his lean-to. his choice to come or go.

As for the VISITORS! I'm close to a highway. Haven't experienced any "KNOW IT ALLS" yet. But now will be more prepared. Thanks for the heads up! I still can't believe that come to the house, WOW!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
TerryR


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Several years ago, I bought a pretty black gelding that was seriously starved and in order to not kill him with kindness, I put him in my calving pasture, which is always grazed down to nothing at that time of year. He was so thin that he was under vet care and his diet was carefully controlled, in full view of a main road. 

I got so tired of people banging on my door to let me know I had a 'sick horse' or calling the SPCA that I finally put a big sign on the fence that said, 'Thank you very much for taking the time to notice that our horse is emaciated. He came to us in much worse condition and is under strict vet care. No additional help is needed at this time and please do not feed him because your kindness may kill him.'


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

offthegrid said:


> Ugh how annoying. We are in NY also and got 8" or snow throughout the day, with drizzle before and drizzle after. Most of my horses stood outside in it. They have open stalls to go into but they didn't use them all day long. My horses really LOVE the snow, especially my 20 year old TB because she likes to roll in it. Bringing them in when it's 30F and snowing? Heck no! They waited all summer long for this!
> 
> At dinner time, my TB mare was shivering a bit, so we blanketed her and the one that is also usually *cold* even though she seemed ok. The other three were practically steaming...no blankets for them until -25F or so.


My TB mare is 21 (22 in March) and also loves to roll in snow. I attribute it to her living in Florida for the first 5 years of her life, the other mare grew up in the south too but she's not a fan of the snow.


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## mulemom (Feb 17, 2013)

Have friends who many years ago had a 'new' neighbor who thought it was terrible that their twenty or so broodmares were standing in the lee of trees during a cold wet rain. They showed her the open door to the indoor arena but she was determined that they should bring the horses in. They said 'ok' if she'd help which she was eager to do. An hour and a half later everybody was soaking wet and muddy but the horses were in the arena cleaning up the grain they used to bring them in. The lady was real smug right up to the point when the horses all turned and walked back out and up to their favorite spot by the trees. Last time she ever complained about their horsekeeping.


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## mulemom (Feb 17, 2013)

Irish Pixie-we have had the same problem with atv's around here. City transplant parents buy kids one cause they're bored and they go wherever they feel like. They're favorite saying is that they're lost. The last two made the mistake of pointing across the fence and saying that's their grandfather's place. I was bloody from running through the brambles and told them they were lucky it was me that caught them 'cause my husband carries a gun. Thoroughly enjoyed watching them squeeze those atv's through an old barb wire fence into a bramble patch-particularly since 30' east there was no fence or brambles.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

A good friend of ours had all kinds of trouble with atvs and motorcycles when they built a nice subdivision next to his house. The kids tore up most of an oat field. He talked to them and the parents repeatedly, and was told they had to practice, they were going to be racing them. Early one morning our friend went over to the subdivision on his biggest tractor and pulled onto their lawn. He revved up the engine, and "practiced"taking off fast. When the kids parents came out and had a fit, he told them he had to practice of the tractor pull at the fair and he needed smooth grass to practice on. They called the cops, his brother was the cop, so they called the sherif, a neighboring farmers son. Both told the people they were responsible for their kids trespassing and a lot more damage than the tractor caused. They kept their kids home after that.


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## Jokarva (Jan 17, 2010)

I'd rather have someone be concerned enough to ask, and be able to educate them, than for people to ignore animals that truly are being abused or neglected.


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## TxHorseMom (Feb 21, 2011)

Many years ago, my daughter worked at a breeding ranch. There was one particular mare who Loooovvvved to take a nap up by the fence where there was traffic. Of course there would get people stopping by all the time to tell them about the "dead" horse in the pasture. Well one day, about the 3rd time that week, someone came flying down the driveway all excited about the dead horse. "Hurry, hurry!!! you've got to go see to it!!" My daughter asked her, "Is it a brown horse with a black mane and tail?" "Yes YES! You've got to HURRY!! She's DEAD!" She looked at her and said "Ma'am, I know that this horse likes to take naps, and when we go out there, she's only going to get mad that we wake her up." "But what if she's DEAD!?!??" "Ma'am, if she's dead, hurrying out there won't change a thing."


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Jokarva said:


> I'd rather have someone be concerned enough to ask, and be able to educate them, than for people to ignore animals that truly are being abused or neglected.


If an animal is being neglected or abused the first thing done should be a call to animal control, after all they're specifically trained for that sort of thing. 

He interrupted my day, berated me for not caring for my stock, and threatened me with animal control. I just really didn't feel like educating someone that very obviously didn't have a clue.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

I have found it's not possible to educate anyone who is so sure he's right that he will correct a perfect stranger. All you are going to do is waste more time and aggravate yourself even more.


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

Let me guess. You're maybe up the road from hippie Ithaca somewhere?? lol


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Use Less said:


> Let me guess. You're maybe up the road from hippie Ithaca somewhere?? lol


Kinda/sorta. We get more New York City people (the kind that say I know all about horses because I petted a cop's horse in Central Park when I was a kid) than Ithaca hippies. I can only take Ithaca for very short periods of time, I loathe the smell of patchouli. 

There is an excellent Thai place on the main drag tho.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

Wow, how insane! Pretty gutsy of them to do that. You had every right to threaten calling the police.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

That's amazing. And whacked. As you say if it was a question that's one thing but the accusation is beyond the realm of normal. May he go far far away.


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## Crikket (Sep 17, 2012)

Years ago while moving onto our property the sheriff showed up our door because someone called and complained that our horse had no shelter and no one lived here to take care of the horse... we didn't have occupancy yet, but spent the majority of every day here working on the place... So I offered to show the sheriff the horse. Took him out back where the horse was happily eating hay and had plenty of water -with a heater.. it was Nov- and low and behold there was horse trailer in the pasture in case she wanted to go in and get out of the snow.. which she did on a few occasions.. the sheriff said "I don't see a problem, horses generally just like a wind break, which she has, and her water isn't frozen, she has plenty of hay, people just don't know anything about horses, most of them will choose the elements over a barn." Once we got moved in we put up an overhang off our shed where we keep hay. People just aren't educated, all they need to do is do a quick google search and a few minutes of reading would go a long ways! 

When I was growing up I bought a horse from TX and my brother built a simple little one room "barn" maybe 15'x20' and that horse never would go in it! My brother never let me forget that he built a shelter for my horse and what a waste it was..lol!


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