Blessed be the Animal Sitters ...

Only one problem. This lovely summer afternoon I’m enjoying is in Hunt Valley, Maryland, a few hundred miles from home. I’m taking advantage of the time I have before our ride to the airport comes to write my column.

As I prepare to head home after a long weekend at the American Horse Publications Annual Seminar, I’ve been thinking about how everything is back at home. Are Chris and Kevin having fun on their Boy Scout whitewater rafting trip? Was Justin a good boy for Grandma and Grandpa? And of course, how are the animals?

Our family was split in three different directions with no one home this weekend, so it was necessary to have someone come in to take care of the horses, dogs, cat and bunny. I’m extremely fortunate to have a next door neighbor who is experienced with horses (and all the animals as well) who is willing o take on the job for me. She knows my animals - each with their own unique personalities - and gets along with them well. What a Godsend!

She knows that Jack, the Australian Shepherd who lives in the garage, likes to climb up on the picnic table for his daily hug, and that Roxy, the German Shepherd, sounds mean when she plays with him, but really means no harm. She helps Sparky, the partially blind Appaloosa gelding, in and out of his stall at turnout and feeding time, and makes sure Dolly, the ancient black pony, gets her extra handful of grain. She picks and cleans the stalls better than I do, and leaves the barn tidy and in order. She does a great job!

As anyone who surrounds themselves with kritters of any variety knows, animals enrich our lives in countless ways. They’re wonderful companions and faithful friends, that are totally honest?all the time. In return for all they give us, we provide for their health, shelter and safety. This is a full time commitment; skipping a meal or neglecting care now and then isn’t an option.

Face it. Owning animals, especially horses, can really tie you down. So what do you do when you need to be away from home for a day or more. If you deny yourself from ever taking time to get away, you may grow to resent your responsibilities. Your options:

1) Take your animals along. 2) Find a competent animals sitter. 3) Take your animals somewhere else and board them.

Obviously, number one is rarely (if ever) a viable option, so consider the choices you have for option two.

The most stress-free situation for your animals is to have someone stop in regularly or live at your farm while you’re gone. This way you can maintain your animal’s normal schedule, including the same feed and turn-out times. Plus, if someone is staying right at your place (or if it’s a close neighbor) they’ll be on hand to spot trouble early too.

If a live-in or close neighbor situation isn’t available to you, another sensible option is to hire a friend who’s experienced with horses or a professional animal caregiver. Animals can’t talk and it’s especially important with horses to be able to spot trouble early. An untrained eye might think a horse that stomps and bites at its side is just irritated by bugs, but experience would tell you that it may be an early warning sign for colic.

Taking your animals somewhere else to board could be an option if you only have a couple of them, but if you’re like most small farm horse owners, even one horse will find itself accompanied by any combination of cats, dogs, rabbits, goats, pigs and more. If you have the space and love animals, why not! Plus, the stress factor is much higher when you take your pets out of their familiar surroundings and toss them into a new situation.

If at all possible, try to avoid enlisting the aid of a well-intentioned friend or family member who has little or no horse experience. Although they may be sincere in their offer, things could quickly go south if they encounter any of the usual tricks that horses like to play. Do they know how to catch a loose horse, rescue a horse cast in a stall, or identify the early signs of colic? What if they figure that since they missed the morning feeding time, they’ll just give the horse double at night. Don’t laugh. It’s happened!

I once had my brother-in-law stay at our house for a week while we were on vacation. I laid out stacks of hay for each horse for each day of the week. A no-brainer, right? On my return I found at least a day’s supply of hay stacks that hadn’t been fed and a couple of empty water buckets. Not a big deal, but with the delicate digestive system of the horse, it could have spelled trouble. His heart was in the right place, but ... never again.

After a couple of interruptions, I’m finishing my column on board the plane heading to Chicago. It’s going to be late - around 11 p.m., when we finally get home I probably won’t be able to resist taking a quick peek in the barn to pat all the noses and see everyone for myself. I’m confident that everything will be fine, but I’ll be relieved to see for myself and thankful knowing that I left my animals in good hands.

Uh oh! I just remembered something. My husband and sons left a day after I did. What kind of condition is the house going to be in?

Libertyville Saddle Shop