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Fencing Project continued..........

Sat, 06 Nov 2021 23:01:46 GMT

North-farm fencing project underway!

One year after we finished the fencing on the south end of the farm, we are at the starting stages of the north end of the farm. All rails and posts are out, now its Paula's job to measure and mark out the paddocks, gateways and hydrants. The farm is going to look amazing when we are finished!

New tack room finished!

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 02:47:23 GMT

Tack room in barn 3 finished :-)

Unfortunately the tack room in barn 3 is not big enough to make enough individual lockers, but we've still managed to make a good tack room! The flooring is a vinyl (believe it or not!) with an insulated underlay to ensure we keep out as much of the cold/hot weather as possible. We will see how it fairs in the winter and summer and maybe add a dehumidifier.

Obstacle building

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 03:27:12 GMT

Feeling accomplished, building obstacles!

There's something very satisfy about building obstacles. You have a design in your head, you make the sketch with measurements, think of how it would work in real life with a horse's dimensions put into play, then you build it! When it comes out great and works perfectly, its so satisfying :-)

South-end of the farm is open!!

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 01:49:25 GMT

Our new paddocks are open!

We are very happy to have the south-end of the farm ready for grazing before the summer arrives. The girls were super excited to be out in the new paddocks and the fencing is looking very clean, smart and most importantly safe! Now to start on the north-end of the farm!

2021 Hay has Arrived!

Sat, 05 Jun 2021 18:14:03 GMT

We're hayed-up for 2021!

The first hay growth and cut this year was perfect. Warm weather and little rain showers to keep it growing nice, the the farmer decided to cut at the perfect time, just before some extremely hot and dry weather came. Last year our hay man lost ALL his 2nd and 3rd cut to dry hot weather, which burnt the hay. So this year because we've had such a perfect 1st cut I didnt want to risk again what happened last year. So we bought 42 1st cut orchard grass round bales and 400 Orchard grass (with a little Timothy) squares. Now the barn smells beautiful and we are set for the next year :-)

More Work on the South-Farm Paddocks

Sun, 09 May 2021 17:53:46 GMT

Work Continues on the Paddocks

Finally we got the gate way end of the paddocks finished in post and rail, so all they need to become usable are the gate to be hung.

If you're not familiar with high tensile fencing, each end to the fencing is a lot of work, materials and time to construct as you have to build a frame out of 3 fence posts which pushed against the pull of the fence wire. So to avoid having so many breaks in the fencing we decided to have the gate end of the paddocks as post and rail. We can still install electric along the rails to stop little munchers poking their heads through the fence!

New Home for the Chickens

Sun, 02 May 2021 17:12:42 GMT

New Home for the Girls

When it comes to the comfort of our animals, Mark always goes the extra mile! Another chicken coop he's built which could probably get an Occupancy Permit! This time hes made a few adjustments to the design: the walls are insulated, the nesting box is accessed from inside not outside, there are windows from the nesting room through to the "stretch your legs" room and the "stretch your legs" room is not completely mesh on the walls. By having a half-wall this gives the chickens lots of shade from the sun and stops it getting so hot in there. Happy birds = yummy eggs!

New extended feed room

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 16:25:43 GMT

The new extended feed room

There's nothing worse that a tiny feed room when you have 12 feeds to make up. Drives me crazy tripping over empty feed buckets and my own feet! So I decided to take down the wall between my personal tack room and the feed room to make it double wide, and Mark built me a new tack room in the other barn. I'm very pleased with my newly extended feed room, and I can now add "demolition" to my skills :-)

Our first events are a success!

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 02:53:20 GMT

April dressage fun!

In April 2021 we held our first ever dressage Fix-a-Test and Dressage schooling show. They were both a success and were well attended. The weather angels were very kind to us, and everything ran like clockwork. We can't wait for the rest of the season to unfold :-)

One year on......

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 16:18:16 GMT

One year on.....

A year ago we moved into our new farm. What a year its been! Starting a new business in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic is not easy, but we've made it through the other side :-)

A year ago we made a list of "things to do" which became an ever-growing list! At the time, we weren't sure what were our priorities and what really needed doing. I've taken a look at that original list and realized there aren't many things checked off on it yet, but we have got a lot achieved over the past 1 year. Here is a list and some pictures as proof!:

Remove and replace fencing on south of farm
Trench waterlines to every paddock on south of farm
Repaint center aisle barn
Build feed room
Then extend feed room
Build / refurbish boarders tack room
Build my own tack room
Build 60ft round pen
Make jump pole rack
Build judges hut
Buy and make farm signs
Make gate for house entrance walkway
Remove privet bushes (50% completed)
Build new chicken coop
Replace railroad ties on dressage arena
Remove old dog kennels
Tidy up barn 3 - clear out stalls and rubber mat 3 stalls
Barn 3: Paint feed room and dismantle old tack room and redesign

The Judges Hut aka the Tea Hut

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 15:48:12 GMT

A nice place to sit!

The task of a show judge is generally under estimated: get up for an early start to the day in possibly freezing or tropical temperatures (lets not mention the Virginian humidity!). Arrive the at show venue and sit at a table/in their car for hours and hours on end judging peoples' riding skills and talent (or lack of!), only to have 'said' rider get annoyed at the lack of score they may have received.

So, when building our judges hut, we planned not to contribute to the potential stress of the day by building a comfortable place to work, and hopefully be best show-venue they have ever judged! Our hut has insulated walls to help keep the cold/heat out. A refrigerator loaded with bottles of water, a wall mounted fan, comfortable chairs and desk with USB and power outlets. It took 2 weeks to build, in between looking after the farm and horses, but we are pleased to say, it is finished!

Getting ready for our first events

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 01:12:04 GMT

Getting the farm ready for events

Holding an event is not a small task! There is so much to plan and think of: where will the judge sit?! what judge should we schedule? What type of event should we hold? What if no one enters?! What bathroom facilities can we offer!! The list goes on and on and on.............. but its such a dream come true to be living here and starting a boarding facility in the first place, but to have a farm which is capable of holding events is amazing! We are kicking off 2021 with some dressage events, but there are other events to come, including a "Trail Obstacle Challenge Series" which will have 3 levels of competition and an end-of-year cash prize!! We have so many ideas for fun events to hold, there's not enough hours in the day to get the farm ready!

The big freeze....

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 21:48:12 GMT

The snow and ice storms of February 2021

This was by far the harshest winter we've had in the US so far. We arrived in the US March 2016, just after the huge snow storm, so we missed that one! Since then we've had quite mild winters, but 2021 new year brought snow, ice and freezing rain. The horses stayed in for 4 days straight, then daytime turnout for 4 days, then back in for another 2 days. The fields were sodden when the snow and ice finally melted. In the extreme heat of summer 2020 I promised not to moan when winter arrived! But this is taking the biscuit! that's an English saying, you'll have to google it ;-) ROLL ON SPRINGTIME!!

Fall arrives

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 23:53:17 GMT

Finally, the 100 degree heat cools down!

Its been an almost unbearable summer this year, heat index of 115 degrees for far too many days this summer. So when Fall arrived, everyone in VA was breathing a sign of relief. We're getting into this "decorate the season" thang! So pumpkin-Pete and haybale-Harriet were on display and welcoming the Fall season!

450 fence posts in 2.5 days

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 22:02:37 GMT

Thats a lot of posts!

When you've got 450 posts to put in the ground, you want a machine that's fast, easy to use and works! We hired a post driver from Madison Wood Preservers and what a great piece of equipment. Mark managed to drive 450 posts in just 2 and a half days, which enabled us to save quite a bit of money. Now to get the coated wire on............

Round pen going in!

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 00:38:50 GMT

60ft round pen on its way :-)

So impressed with our ABI Equine arena groomer. If you set the bits and pieces at the right height, you can take up the "sod" and leave a level-ish, smooth surface underneath. After Mark had removed 10+ loads of grass and dirt with the tractor and bucket, we were left with a surface which could then be "crowned" to ensure the round pen drains well of water. A week later during one of our 7 storms that week, (yes, one per day!) I took my umbrella and walked out to the round pen during a storm. I was very impressed with the drainage of the rain water and only saw 1 low spot which Mark had already pointed out to me before it rained. Fabulous! Now to let it settle and then bring in some stonedust and sand......fast forward to October and we brought in 1 load of stonedust and 1 load of sand. Mark used the UBI grommer again to mix and spread and level the surface, and "voila!", we have a finished round pen with a great surface!

All the fencing is now here!

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 00:30:03 GMT

We're ready to fence!

Covid has brought its challenges, and sourcing treated lumber has been one of the biggest problems. I have no clue why the country would suddenly stop producing something as basic as treated lumber, but it did, and its been a struggle to get the 800 4" to 5" posts and 300 5" to 6" corner posts we need to re-do the whole farm's fencing. But with a little help from our Mechanicsville Tractor Supply, over a 3 week period, we managed to get all the lumber we needed. Prices have gone up considerably and this has cost us a pretty penny, but it will be worth it in the long run, when the farm has 100% new fencing and its easier to maintain.

There'll be no hay shortage at KBF this year!

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 01:08:35 GMT

There'll be no hay shortage at KBF this year!

There's nothing more worrying than getting deep into winter and running out of hay. Then you either can't find any hay to buy, or the price is just ridiculous! We had reserved 500 bales of second cutting orchard grass from our shavings and hay guy to ensure we have hay for the next year. Unfortunately he lost all his second cutting-5000 bales of it! Lucky for us though, he had a good cut of Timothy hay, very soft and smelling lush, so we took 432 bales of that instead. The horses love it!

Every day is over 100° real-feel temperature and there's never a "good time" to unload hay. So this morning at 7:30am, like true farm people, we were up and unloading the hay! So glad we have the security of knowing we have enough hay for however many boarders we might take over the next 12 months, and if we don't need all of it, we can always sell some when everyone else is struggling for hay come February, win win!

A little visitor....

Sat, 25 Jul 2020 23:56:06 GMT

When Tiggy met Turtle..............

Today I found a little turtle resting at the shavings fork and then Tiggs spotted me and came over. His eyes grew wider as he approached, and he was completely freaked out by the turtle. I think its the first time hes ever seen one! Mark said he had moved the turtle out of the workshop several times that week. Maybe hes looking for a new home?

1000 foot of trenching, and counting......

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 00:13:39 GMT

1000ft in one day!

Now all the fencing is removed from the bottom paddocks, Mark is really starting to move forward. We hired a trencher for 1 week to get all the trenching done in the bottom part of the farm which was measured at 1000 feet. So we hired it for a week. But, Mark being Mark finished it in 1 day! It was 105° heat index and full sunshine, but he championed through like always and got the job done, saving us a ton of money in hiring fees :-)

The bottom half of the farm will have 10 paddocks and each of them now has a hydrant shared between two paddocks. The pipework was laid at a 2.5 feet depth, so no pipes freezing in the winter, and its easy enough to break the ice in the troughs through the winter. This is going to be one well equipped farm!

Family of deer for dinner

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 17:07:42 GMT

All the animals love the pears...........

We have a few fruit trees near the house, and every day, at all times of the day, several different families of deer visit the pear tree to take a snack. Today I caught a family of 4 picking at the fallen pears, and in between them, a squirrel would run up the tree, grab a pear, and run back down and across the grass. The pear is twice the size of his head! We have lots of different animals around the house: turtles, lots of toads, tree frogs, black rat snakes, turkey, and deer. Maybe we should open as a petting zoo.....

What a great purchase!

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:30:22 GMT

Independence!

After the fiasco of loading and hauling 100 bales of hay at a time with the horse trailer and truck, we decided to invest in a 25ft flatbed trailer. I know Rice to be a reliable, well-known brand that holds its value and their equipment is very well built. So when Mark stumbled across this one in Blue Ridge Trailers whilst he was getting the truck fitted with a goose neck fitting, it was a no-brainer! Within a week it has already been put to work. Over 200 bales of hay collected and 500 fence posts, next week its taking the tractor to the shop to have the hydraulics changed so as we can use our fence post driver. Then it needs to collect the remaining hay, and after that it can have a little rest!

Its certainly nice not having to worry about how to collect hay, or move equipment. Also when the winter comes, there will be no worries of getting round bales delivered :-)

We're in business!

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 00:19:52 GMT

Our first arena hire

Today we had a trainer come with 3 of her students who had been working all summer on their Western Dressage tests and needed a full-size arena with letters, to film their tests. Covid has brought us into a new way of competing and these kids will not be beat by it! All their families came with chairs and cameras and they stayed for 2 hours, with each of the 3 kids practicing their test, then having their test videoed. This is a picture of one of the moms videoing her kid practicing. Our first arena hire customers were very happy with their surroundings and how peaceful and pretty the farm is!

Testing out the new toys!

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Testing the ABI TR3 - E arena drag - nice bit of kit!

So we decided to invest in an ABI TR3-E arena drag after watching tons of videos on what it can do, and reading the reviews. The jump arena doesn't get much use right now and was quite compacted from all the rain/sun/rain/sun we get. After a couple of adjustments to the height of the scraper blade we got it going nicely! Very impressed with how it left the footing: nice and soft and fluffy.

We have a 3rd arena which is down at barn 3 at the bottom end of the property, but it has been re-claimed by the land! So we plan to take it back from the land with the help of the TR3. But first, we still have tons of boards and posts to pick up off the fields, so that will have to wait for another day :-(

Fencing project

Sat, 06 Jun 2020 14:15:31 GMT

11,000ft of fencing...................

Mark's been working super hard in 90 degree heat pulling the fencing up in the bottom half of the farm. The fencing was old and in need of too much TLC to be able to recover, so we have the huge task of changing ALL the fencing on the farm. Currently there is 11,000ft of fencing, but we will be turning the bottom hay field into paddocks, so the total is now 14,000ft! Stupidly, Mark calculated it in miles.......lets just say you would want a car to drive the distance.

As the farm is split in two halves, we've started on the bottom half of the farm first. We don't have any horses grazing down there, so its easier to just crack-on!

The main problem we came across was, how do you get rid of 650 old posts, and 950 boards?!?! We looked at getting in a wood dumpster, but the closest companies said we were too far away from them ! Next we thought about burning them, but being next to a state forest, I was concerned that Mark would start the biggest forest-fire in Virginian history. So I turned to the best place for advice (lol) .......... facebook! After 1 week of being on there, we have half the wood collected by people needing it for their alpaca fencing and random projects. Great! But we still had half left. So Mark put an advert on Craigslist and within a couple of days, the lot was gone. I really don't know what we previously did without the power of the internet!

Our first delivery of hay :-)

Sat, 30 May 2020 18:09:07 GMT

Stacking 200 bales of hay in 90 degree heat and 100% humidity is not nice :-(

Today we finally got our first batch of hay. Hay has been in very short supply until this first cut of the year was done. We were paying $14/bale for orchard/alfalfa mix from a local feed store just to get something for the horses! Can't pay those prices for long. Even though my experience of 1st cutting is that the horses aren't partial to it - TOUGH!!! We have a couple of months until second cut is done, then we have 500 bales coming! Until then, they will have to make do.

We collected it in 2 runs, as we managed to fit 100 bales in the horse trailer and on the back of the truck. The previous owners of the farm left us a hay elevator that needed some TLC, but it did the job great! Very happy with how it performed, and it managed to get all 200 bales up in the farm loft with the chain coming off only 5 times :-) So appreciative of them giving us the elevator, there's no way we could have used the hay loft without one. Funny thing is, it actually feels like a proper horse farm having hay in the hay loft :-)

Everything's changed!

Sun, 03 May 2020 23:32:30 GMT

Back to work during covid-19

Back to work tomorrow morning, but not driving the 1 hour 10 minutes to the office as we are completely working for home right now due to being 5 weeks into our Virginia "stay at home order". I have my office set up very nice and looking very homely already and we've only been here a week! We've had a crazy busy 1st week, lots of chores done and so much more to do. But it will all be worth it in the end. We have so many plans for the farm and the future, I just hope Mark doesn't run out of energy!

Enough jobs for the next 10 years!

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 18:00:10 GMT

Planning ahead - April 2020

Waking up from the first night in our new home, realizing this is our farm is amazing! But boy, have we got a lot of work ahead of us! I am really looking forward to getting stuck in, even though I may not be so enthusiastic later this year!!

Here's a list of what we've got planned for the farm over the coming months, and probably years!

Spray, cut and lime all pastures (currently 11!)

11,000ft of fencing to replace, a further 2,500ft of additional fencing for new paddocks, totaling 16 paddocks

Build 16 run-in sheds (yes, that's right, 16!)

Build 12 hay feeders

Repair corner of roof on barn 3

Slight redesign of barn 3 (10ft stalls to become 12ft)

3 external covered wash bays to be constructed

Build an obstacle grass paddock

Build small XC schooling course

Reclaim the third arena which has been "taken back by the land"

Add more sand footing to jump arena

Building full set of jumps

And so the journey begins................

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 17:44:44 GMT

Moving into the new farm - April 2020

They say that moving house is one of the most stressful events in your life, I would disagree with that. Moving the HORSES is the most stressful!! We had 7 horses, 6 chickens and 1 barn cat to move. No trouble I thought!

The cat escaped 3 times, and the chickens are too clever for their own good. The 3 geldings were angels (that's why I love geldings!) and the mares and babies were as well behaved as I could have asked for, but it doesn't take the stress and worry out of transporting them.

Closing day on the new farm

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 18:49:49 GMT

The Next Chapter....

Dreams really do come true! Today is our closing day on our new farm. As much as we have loved our farm at New Chapel Rd, our new place will open some many doors of opportunity and possibility for business ventures.

Closing on a property in the US is so quick, our equestrian property back in the UK took 9 months to close on. We had delays when we realized the stable block didn't have planning permission (county permission to be built!) and it completely slowed down the whole purchase process. But it was worth it in the end. We loved our little cottage and 2 acres! But onwards and upwards as they say!