Morning Shenanigans

Ed has replaced the dutch doors on the outside of the barn (from the horses' stalls to the paddock) with sliding doors. As much as I like the look of the dutch doors, last winter taught me that they just weren't practical in Canada. So I had to either build out a roof (too expensive) or replace the doors.

I think he did a good job making them look like dutch doors:

the new one on the left. the one on the right to Steele's stall has not been replaced
at the time of this photo. 

What I hadn't appreciated is how easy it makes opening and closing them. I think this winter will be much easier. Since this photo was taken I have cleaned out the weeds from the wall and there are two doors.

In the morning I pretty much stick to the same routine. I feed the horses and pick out Steele's stall first. I do this because he's focussed on his breakfast and I can clean around him without him making himself a pain by asking for scratches, playing with my muck bucket, wanting to leave the stall. After I finish Steele's stall both boys are done eating so I let them out and clean up Irish's. This morning I opened the outside doors. When I went to come into Irish's stall he was standing at the exit and blocking Steele from coming in. I shooed him out and then slid the door closed, leaving it open just a few inches. This was so I could keep my eye on the water trough that I was filling.

As I went to work picking out the stall I felt like I was being watched. There was Steele's nose crammed in the opening.

Hey, let me in!
No. 
C'mon! I'll be good. 
No you won't. You just want to see if Irish left any food behind. 
I'll stay out of your way. 
No. 
I just want to help. Ed let me help while you were away. 
Look I just want to get this done. Go eat the grass. 
Don't you love me? 
Yes I love you. 
Then let me in. 
You will get in my way. Just give me time to finish and then you can come in. 
Pleeeease... I'll be good. You'll see. 

So when I was pretty much done I opened the door and in he popped. He amused himself checking out what was in the bucket, looking for dropped grain and demanding a scratch. He then tried to grab Irish grain bucket. But since I was done I just left the stall to let him look around.

As soon as I left so did he. I guess it's not as much fun if I'm not there.