livin' on the funny farm- SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[the funny farm6]

Been thinking of doing this for a few months now so without further ado...

I will start with this:

1. What state/provence/country are you in and what is your climate like?
I am in iowa. Hot in the summer, cold in the winter.

2. How many people are in your family?
My husband and myself and I have 4 daughters, but only 2 live at home now.

3. How would you define self sufficient?
Not relying on the stores and other people.

4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources needed?
Hmmm... fix up my farm better. Ride more.

5. Have you ever built a house or other types of building?
Nothing big, rabbit cages, dog houses, and a small goat shed.

6. Can you weld?
No hubby can somewhat.

7. What or who inspired you to be more SS?
I grew up in the country, and with prices going up and wages going down, well...

8. Cloth or paper?
Paper

9. In what was are you SS now and and in what ways would you like to learn more?
We do raise some of our meat. And all but last year we have had a garden. Would like to produce 100% of our meat and vegies.

10. In what ways will you never choose to become SS?
Toilet paper!

11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
Yes. But limited on space and cash for the moment.

12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself away from the outside world?
Out with my animals.

13. Can you drive a farm tractor or semi?
No. Hubby can though.

14. Do you make crafts or usefull items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
Yes. I do laundry soap, lip balm, and fabric softener. I have made baskets and such in the past and I do drawings, mostly animals. Here lately I have drawn a lot of tattoos for people. I wouldn't teach others as I am fairly shy and have a HUGE fear of talking to people!

15. Can you leagaly have livestock where you are at? Do you have any?
Yea and yes. I have 3 goats, 4 horses, rabbits, quail, and chickens.

16. Can you operate a lathe?
No.

17. Do you like to garden? What do you grow?
Yes. Vegies herbs and flowers.

18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Yes. I plead the 5th as it is illeagle to use explosives.

19. How much space do you have?
5 acres

20. Are you. A novice, technician, general, advanced, ARRL?
No

21. What is your SS specialty? Or what would you like to learn?
I love my animals! I started to become a vet tech but hated the economics of the field. I am finding more herbal ways to treat my animals.

22. If you could create a degree and cirriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
I would be an herbal / organic vet. Would like to learn more about herbal medicine.

23. Do you do wood work?
No

24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
Yes.

25. If you could live any place you choose where would it be?
I would like to be more remote.

26. Do you use a wood stove for heat or cooking?
Yes. We have an outside wood heater.

27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
Villain...obama

28. Are your family/friends also interested in SS?
Not family...I do have SS friends.

29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? Raw milk? And fresh farm eggs?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Are there any other kind of eggs?

30. What was your MOS?
N/a

31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
Yes. We gather mushrooms, and berries. And hubby hunts deer, squirrl, rabbit, and some times racoon.

32. What skills do you have that help you be more SS?
I know a lot about animals. I also know how to can and butcher. I can process a large deer by myself.

33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
I love the stories of eragon, avitar, and such. Would be fun to be an avitar. And be a dragon rider.

34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
No. Eventualy we will have.

35. What is the mass wheight of a eropean swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to england?
Why is a eropean swllow in the tropics anyway?

36. Have you ever lived completly off the grid, would you want to?
We went without electric for 3 mos last summer. I didn't mind but the kids did! Lol

37. In what do you trust?
Cash money. Not saying I don't belive in god (I do) but my way is not the norm.

38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
YES!

39. Has trying to be more SS changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
Yes. I would rather buy a good meat rabbit or goat than dinner out.

Wow that is a long list!
Any questions?

 

[Avalon1984]

So glad to see you started a journal funny farm! What type of hores do you have? And how do you keep them on 5 acres? I find myself going nuts over rotational grazing, overseeding and fertilizing pasture, rotating manure piles, dirt paddocks, etc. Can you tell us more about how you handle all the chores? Where do you see your farm/ self sufficiency in 5 or 10 years?

 

[the funny farm6]

We have a 4 yr old reg. QH filly she is a grulla. We have a POA pony (he is blind but the best ride on the property!) And a shetlandXwelsh (both ponys are geldings) and my ride... a standard donkey. Looking for a new horse for my husband.

We keep them on a "dry lot" so we have to feed hay year-round poop is scooped and thrown into the end of the gully to start filling it in some. I do let them out to mow the yard but they stay in their lot for the most part. We wish we had more ground but...

 

[Avalon1984]

We have a 4 yr old reg. QH filly she is a grulla. We have a POA pony (he is blind but the best ride on the property!) And a shetlandXwelsh (both ponys are geldings) and my ride... a standard donkey. Looking for a new horse for my husband.

We keep them on a "dry lot" so we have to feed hay year-round poop is scooped and thrown into the end of the gully to start filling it in some. I do let them out to mow the yard but they stay in their lot for the most part. We wish we had more ground but...

Sounds exciting! Thank you for sharing your story. Land is expensive and everything is a process, dont feel bad. We have been eyeballing the neighbors 40acre lot for a while too but couldnt afford it right now so our horses have to share what is there. This year we will begin replanting all pastures. It seems that their hooves have made the ground so hard that grass isnt growing properly despite weed maintenance and fertilizing. So well till it up completely and replant.

What got you into horses originally? Did you get them just for riding or are you thinking about driving down the road? How is life with a blind pony? My 25 year old Clyde mare is half blind and has gotten quite spooky, I dont think it is safe to ride her anymore. Any tips?

We feed hay year around as well despite pastures

 

[the funny farm6]

Funny story behind the poa pony "freckles"

We origanaly got my youngest daughter a mini. She has always been very small for her age, at age 11 she wore a size 6X. So when she finaly got a little big for him we talked with her and decided to sell him and get her another. Well I put up a few ads for him and priced him very high-so I thought! $1000 for a mini- grade, gelding 8 yrs old broke to ride. And he had heaves. And that was on his ad. Well in 2 days he was sold! She was heart broke. So with out saying anything to her we went to the big horse sale up north. And as we walked around we saw a lot of sorral ponies- which is what cupcake was (brown with a white mane and tail so he couldn't be a brownie- he was like a cake with frosting but little so he was a cupcake!) Anyway, and she wanted a different color. And all other colors were either not broke or when they sold they were to expencive. Well I saw this poa from a distance and went to look at him and when he turned his head to us I saw he was blind. Well he got marked off in a hurry. Well as the sale was going on as I said any that we were interested sold higher than we were going to give. Well the auctionere announced " a beautiful poa pony coming in, ohh to bad he is blind" and the girl rode him into the ring and as she did an amish guy slapped him on the ass. Well he spooked pritty good. So the sale on him started at 500, 400, 300, 250, 200, 100, 50 finaly the auctionere said will anyone give me 20.00 for this pony? Well my hand went in the air and my husband looked at me like I had turned green and had grown a third are! And he said " WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?" To which I said " well I can't get one of those cement lawn horses that cheap" he said let's go...now!

We payed and went and got him. And walked him out to the trailer and he walked up to the trailer and bumped his leg aginst it. And walked right in!

We got him home (we got him in december) and she spent the next 4 mos walking then riding him around the yard and when she went to go down a hill she would stop him at the top and say now easy, easy and he learned that was a clue to ease down a hill or go over something like a log or railroad tie. And to go up a hill she told him now dig, dig, dig. And up he goes. She also taught him step, step, step when there is an obsticle or to get in a trailer. He will go anywhere for her. She trail rides, and has been in parades and the grand entry once at rodeo!
He will also gallup for her. I can put any kid-any age on him and turn them loose! Now put any other kid on him than her and he won't go past a walk.

I think he knows that she saved him and he has a trust in her I have never seen anyone else have. Even me and I dream horses! And I have had horses since I was 8.

I he is in the yard or pasture and you yell whoa pony he will stop and stand. And if you repeatedly say comon pony he will fallow your voice and come to you. I think he was a very trusting pony to begin with and with someone he can trust well... he is better.

 

[pinkfox]

beautfiul story on the POA, what a LUCKY pony to have found you and im glad something special forced your hand in the air...souds like hes certainly proven his worth and then some!

 

[the funny farm6]

We have turned down 500.00 offers for him and everyone wants us to let them know if we sell him. But with his and her size she will be able to ride him forever! He is a gem! (I wish he were bigger so I could ride him!)

 

[SSDreamin]

Awww... Freckles sounds wonderful!

Seems he is an excellent match for your daughter too - she patiently worked with him, and he rewarded her with complete trust and love.

Stories like these are great, thanks for telling it Funny Farm! It made my day!

 

[the funny farm6]

As soon as I can I will post a pic of him.

 

[Denim Deb]

We have a 4 yr old reg. QH filly she is a grulla. We have a POA pony (he is blind but the best ride on the property!) And a shetlandXwelsh (both ponys are geldings) and my ride... a standard donkey. Looking for a new horse for my husband.

We keep them on a "dry lot" so we have to feed hay year-round poop is scooped and thrown into the end of the gully to start filling it in some. I do let them out to mow the yard but they stay in their lot for the most part. We wish we had more ground but...

Sounds exciting! Thank you for sharing your story. Land is expensive and everything is a process, dont feel bad. We have been eyeballing the neighbors 40acre lot for a while too but couldnt afford it right now so our horses have to share what is there. This year we will begin replanting all pastures. It seems that their hooves have made the ground so hard that grass isnt growing properly despite weed maintenance and fertilizing. So well till it up completely and replant.

What got you into horses originally? Did you get them just for riding or are you thinking about driving down the road? How is life with a blind pony? My 25 year old Clyde mare is half blind and has gotten quite spooky, I dont think it is safe to ride her anymore. Any tips?

We feed hay year around as well despite pastures

I've never worked w/a blind horse, but what you really need to do is to build her trust in you. You need to become her eyes. I've heard of people putting a blind horse in a field w/grass in the middle, then plowed ground along the fence. That way, when they get to the plowed ground, they know they're at the fence. I've heard of people putting another horse in the field w/them and the other horse has a bell so the blind horse always knows where they are. What Funny Farm's daughter did w/her POA is the best way to go about it.