Thanks Brendasue! Good to meet ya. Great ideas, and you sure are right concerning the age factor. Luckily I have 6 months to do it all. Advice on house and barn/pasture is welcome! Imagine a perfectly square 40 acres. Then carve out a long rectangle,a strip that is the 1/4th on the left (South) side. That's the 10 acres in timber around the house saved for wildlife. The remaining 30 acres is in grass for the horses, just a few trees for shade. I am considering a 14 ga steel barn through Bargainbarnsusa.com as their OKla. location is not far from the ranch and prices include installation. I need a carport and horse shelter both, so I hope I can get a discount. Steel buildings have inground anchors set 3 feet deep. But I am not sure on what kind of shelter. I was thinking of a 24' x 12' loafing shed, but I'll be asking the mfg. what would be most wind resistant. The carport will be next to the house, and in the trees, so wind won't be as big a factor. I'm planning on putting the barn/shelter within sight of the kitchen window of the house, as being able to see the horses feeding on a large round bale during a storm is the best! I'll put the barn/shelter @ 175 ft. North of the northside kitchen window, with a paddock area in between, where a grass round bale will be located 90% of the year. (I've done this system for 4 years at my current place in Colo. and the horses are fat & happy, while my husband can help keep an eye on them during bad weather.) I pen the horses into the paddock before the storm and let them out after, locating heated water tanks in the paddock area, right next to the fence for easy filling. The barn/shelter will block the North wind and with the shelter floor on the Southern exposure, lets the sun dry it out. There's a slight slope, so drainage will be good and the soil is pretty sandy. You make a good point, so I think I'll divide the pasture into 3 areas, like a half-wagon wheel, or using a runway, with all three leading to gates reaching the barn/paddock area, which is the hub. With 30 acres, that will make @ 3 ten acre pastures. (There is also a small 2 acre pasture on the SW corner of the ten acres surrounding the house for quarantine/roundpen/colic/new mare & foal use.) I'm looking at getting a hay bale buggy (Tumble bug variety, no spear) to trailer round bales into the paddock with the ATV in the future. (Right now, I have a great hay man who delivers one within 24 hours of a call and puts it right where I want. I'll sure miss that!) I've already made note of neighbors that have grass round bales left in the field from last year, so I might buy their bales this next season, depending on hay quality. Don't want to introduce any noxious weeds into my scarce pasture. On that note, any ideas on overseeding? That's probably my first improvement, as I hope to let the seedlings grow strong til July when I plan on moving the horses. Looking at brome pasture mix to add to the drilled-but-patchy bermuda early enough to get the Spring rains. Let me know what you all suggest! Mustang

I understand your concerns. There is more too it I just didn't want to make my story any longer. He is with us as much as possible but at night, when we are eating meals, or when we are not home he must be somewhat contained. When we eat he cries and barks so he must be in a different room. He is totally food obsessed and will eat anything until he makes himself sick. He needs to lose about 6 lbs. He was the runt of the litter. Besides eating anything that even smells like food, he goes up and down stairs, usually running. As he gets older we worry about his hips. He has fallen a few times going up or down stairs. Just did last week. The vet says he is fine maybe just starting with some arthritis. He has started waking up in the middle of the night to go up and down the stairs in complete darkness. Apparenty doesn't need as much sleep as he ages. We are now blocking the stairs with a chair at night. Over all he has lots of freedom where we live. Big yard with no fences. This weekend he is going camping with us. All we have to say is "cabin" and he just jumps in the car.

Robo, that's hilarious. And how did the screen hold up? Not sold on a purple door in my future. I now look at every front door of every house I pass, which means I drive down some neighborhood streets like a little old lady who wears nothing but purple. :) The older neighborhoods with the cute cottages and bungalows are just a treasure trove of fantastic doors. I want black hardware. Is that so wrong?

What Is the Ideal House Temperature for Dogs and Cats? https://www.minisplitairconditioningsystem.org/ You love pampering your pet with gourmet treats, designer toys, and automatic pet doors. But are you confident your dog or cat is happy with the thermostat setting? The best temperature for your pet depends on various factors including breed, health conditions, and other circumstances. Consider the factors that affect your pet’s ideal temperature and how to choose the perfect thermostat setting to balance comfort and energy efficiency. Factors that Affect the Ideal Temperature for Pets There isn’t one perfect temperature setting to accommodate the needs of all pets in every season. Consider the following factors to help you determine whether your pet prefers a warm or cool home: Coat type: Dogs and cats with thick, long coats tend to be more cold-tolerant. In fact, they often overheat faster than humans. On the other hand, pets with thin, short fur (and hairless varieties) aren’t able to retain body heat as well and therefore prefer warmer temperatures. Size: Smaller pets have a higher surface-area-to-volume ratio. This means they have more skin through which to lose body heat relative to their size than larger animals. That’s why small dogs tend to get cold faster than large breeds. Weight: Body fat is also a contributing factor. Overweight pets have a thicker insulating layer to protect against the cold. However, the health risks associated with obesity greatly outweigh the added warmth in the winter, so strive to keep your pet lean and fit. Age and health: Young puppies and kittens, as well as elderly pets, tend to require warmer house temperatures. Animals with acute infections or chronic joint conditions benefit from higher temperatures and heated sleeping areas as well. Choosing the Best Temperature for Pets With the above information, you can set the house temperature to the ideal setting for you and your pet. Here are our recommendations: Summer Temperature In general, you should set the thermostat between 75 and 78 degrees F when you’re at home in the summer. If you have a large, long-haired dog, such as a Husky or Samoyed, around 75 degrees may be best. If you have an elderly short-haired cat, 78 degrees could be preferable. When you’re gone at work all day or on vacation, don’t set the temperature any higher than 80 to 82 degrees. To ensure your pet stays comfortable, provide fresh water and an area to cool off, such as the basement or a room with tiled flooring. Winter Temperature Plan to set the thermostat between 69 and 72 degrees when you’re at home in the winter. Large, animals with thick coats tend to prefer temperatures on the lower end of this spectrum, while you may want to set the thermostat higher for your hairless cat or new puppy. When you’re away, set the thermostat no lower than 60 degrees. Keep the temperature a little higher for small, young, or sick animals. Always provide your pet with a soft, warm bed, and open the curtains so the sun shines in, giving the animal a place a sunbathe.