Happy Horsies!
We finally got the temporary stall for PoohBear and Dirk finished today. It took a fair bit of doing, even though there wasn't that much to do. All we had to do, was to fasten the plywood panels to the corral panels, and cut the opening for their doorway. Sounds simple, but it was a lot harder to do that it sounds. The biggest problem was the extreme cold; Even dressed for the weather, Trixstir and I could only stay outside for an hour or two at a time. We couldn't use the plastic tie-wraps to secure the panels as they just shattered in the cold, and I had no baling-wire available, so we wound up using a spool of electric-fence wire. It's not a perfect solution, and later this week I'll get some baling wire and do the job properly. Cutting the hole in the side of the garage was pretty easy - the reciprocating saw (a powerful 10-Amp beastie) and the "demolition" blade made short work of that part of the project! It was nearly 5pm by the time we got the stall finished, and filled with fresh shavings. We fed PoohBear and Dirk inside this evening, though they still seem rather unsure of this new place. They're free to come and go as they please, but I'm pretty sure they'll be spending more time inside once they get used to it.
I hope to get Bonnie and Charles' stall finished in the next couple of days. They're taking to the cold weather a lot better than PoohBear and Dirk, as they're used to living in this area. Plus, their outdoor shelter is better enclosed, and offers better protection than PoohBear and Dirk's did. In any case, all of this is temporary as we hope to get a proper "barn" made out of some of the other buildings here next spring. In the meantime, I can rest a lot easier at night not having to worry about the boys being out in the cold.
PoohBear seems a lot happier in his new stall.
PoohBear and Dirk enjoying their hay in the comfort of their
new stall.