More darkness, more gross water, and feed stuff

Mr. Bohemian is a funny boy. So handsome and so quirky, but luckily very easygoing and social. Last night I went out after work and it was the first official day of fall weather. We had rain earlier in the day, so we cancelled my lesson. I thought I'd at least visit and groom him since I had a stressful day at work. But when I showed up the sun was setting (couldn't even finish my longe before needing to turn on the flood lights), the air was crisp (read: freezing. Had to put on a sweatshirt over a sweater), and the footing was...great! Enough time and wind had passed after the rains to make the arena look quite lovely. I stomped in it and longed first just to make sure, but it was good to go.

We rode around for a bit and both just had fun and took it easy. We popped over a little cross-rail just as treat for Bohemian being so light and lovely. For some reason the cross-ties had disappeared (these are giant wooden posts cemented into the ground...all gone without a trace) so we leisurely untacked in his stall while he ate some dinner.

But then an unpleasant smell wafted across my nose. The water bucket. It was quite full, with a hay layer floating on top, and boy did it smell like grossness. Uhg, it took me a good several minutes to use a smaller bucket to haul the water to an okay dumping area, but I just didn't have the energy to scrub it, so its upside-down outside of his stall.

Speaking of, this past Saturday a gal at the barn was telling me how she saw Hemie stick his foot in his water. I told her I already knew of this and found it funny and how I've been cleaning the tub out regularly. She said - no - he's been sticking his foot in his automatic waterer at the back of his stall.
0_o

Right. His waterer was replaced last week. The new one had been leaking and was repaired, and now apparently again it needed repairs. And he was spotted with his horsey foot inside his waterer. It's hanging several feet high on his pipe corral fence - normal waterer level. This is no longer cute. I heard our ranch hand mumble "loco" as he walked passed my horse...

Another not-so-cute development: he's no longer taken with his feed. He used to gobble down his beet pulp and oat pellets with a ravenous passion, but now he's not as interested and will even leave some pellets behind in his feeder. I'm now soaking his pellets in with his beet pulp and adding more canola oil to make it a tasty oily mash, but I'm considering getting some senior feed or O&M or something else to be a delicious top dressing. He still needs to gain weight and winter is coming.

Hopefully trail ride and/or lesson tonight, lesson tomorrow, and if I'm not feeling too poor, a small hunter show next weekend!