Black Hills Horse Expo, March 8-9

We missed the BHHE in ’06 and ’07 so it was fun to go back this year and see old friends and make some new ones.  Amber Leigh Hoots did a wonderful job riding Alex, as she always does, and we are very grateful for her help.  She and Alex have a special bond that is evident whenever she is on his back. 

Upcoming plans

We are still busy rehabilitating the old farm that we moved to in 2007.  Steve finished the permanent round corral in February and has been trimming trees and landscaping.  Last fall we had installed a new water line to Alex’s paddock to supply an automatic waterer so in late March we were busy planting grass over that area. In early July the front driveway gates were installed.  Projects for the immediate future include installing vinyl fence, corrals north of the barn, building a front porch on the apartment and erecting a hay storage/shelter building in the mare’s pasture.  

The big news in 2007 was the completion of our new barn and living quarters at the new ranch NE of Belle Fourche.  We now have everything under one roof:

• Mare stalls and attached corrals

• Heated foaling stall with a barn cam so we can watch from the house

• Custom designed stallion stall for Alex

• Heated wash rack

• Indoor riding area for those windy days

• Heated tack room

• Living quarters w/indoor patio

As you can probably imagine from the above list, we made use of every bit of space in that barn, and we couldn’t be happier with the result.  The convenience alone is priceless, but we also love the ability to keep an eye on all the horses from the apartment.  We had an Open House/Birthday party for Alex on June 9, 2007 and had a great time visiting with Alex’s party guests.  Alex enjoyed the attention (and the extra treats his young fans slipped to him during the day)!