Behind the scenes.........

The people who keep things going around Blue Fountain Farm

As they say - "It takes a village", and that's what it's like around here at the ranch.  I sometimes wonder if people really realize what it takes to keep a boarding, lesson, training stable with 40 (plus or minus) horses running as smoothly as possible.  The horses need feeding and the stalls need cleaning, the arenas and pastures need to be dragged, the water troughs cleaned, the fences mended, and the aisles raked.  The equipment - tractor, mower, Bobcat (utility vehicle), as well as smaller machines, all need maintenance and repair (constant repair!).  The landscaping needs tending, the weeds need whacking ( more like a jungle this year - help!), the irrigation needs repairing, the tack rooms need sweeping, the bathroom needs cleaning and re-stocking, and the med cabinet needs replenishing.  The hay and grain need to be ordered, the tack needs to be cleaned, the horses groomed, bathed, trimmed, shod, vetted..............I'll stop there.

 

And, on top of that, all these things have to happen no matter the weather - snow, mud, wind, heat, dust, flies, whatever - the horses need our tending, and they are just as good at breaking something on a miserable, rainy day as on a beautiful, spring day.  Horses don't take days off, or vacations- for some reason they want to be feed and taken care of every single day - so that means we don't get days off like normal people do.  The horses, the people,  and the facilities need care daily, weekly, monthly - in other words - always.

Obviously, I can't do this all by myself.  My job is to over-see all the above, but my main job is the training of the horses, and the lessons for the humans.  So, what I'm really getting at here is that I want to thank all those people who have, and do make a special place like BFF able to keep going for the last 17+ years.  My current helpers are the best, and I want to acknowledge them and all the work they do behind the scenes.  So, to my sister Becca and her husband John..........

and Elaine........

and Sue..........

and Tim.........

and Bob.........

and Eric

and all of those of you who have taken time to help at "Work Parties", or have just given your time to help out in whatever way is needed........

THANKS!!