Fair Weather Day

Today was the first clear nearly cloudless day we've had since I don't remember when. Absolutely no threat of rain! Look how blue the sky was:

Because Melody has a small hoof abscess, she had been wearing her big blue Davis boot for over a week (with a bandage change mid-way). Now, with the pasture drying, she could up-grade to a bandage made of a diaper, Vet Wrap, and duct tape.

 First I shaped the duct tape and assembled the other materials so they'd be easy to reach.

After removing the boot, my husband held up Melody's hoof while I diapered it (newborn size makes a nice hoof bandage) and wrapped it in purple Vet Wrap.

The I slapped on my duct-tape bandage, pulled the edges up, and added a few more strips of tape to secure it. The duct-tape will help protect the underlying layers.

When we opened the gate, Melody fairly pranced into the pasture where she grazed under a clear blue sky.

Because we're due for several days of clear weather, it was a good day to cut hay on Polecat Creek Farm. This is our point field—and the hay is down. 

Here's another view, taken from the edge of our top field.

Here's the hay being cut in the top field.

. . . and here's hay on the ground.

This evening, we rode by the farm to check on things, and the smell of curing hay was wonderful. My husband will rake it in a day or two.

"Make hay while the sun shines," the old saying goes.  

"And change a horse's hoof bandage," I might add.

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