Lester your doing a tremendous job giving ALL the babies a forever home. Live and learn it never ends.

Love how you are not afraid to ask for advice. That gets you lots of real man points in my book. 🤓 🌺🌸

I can’t tell you how much I love your concern and willingness to learn. Xoxo to all of you

All the people that complain I say walk a mile in Lester’s shoes. I sure could’nt work a full time job , drive a bus and take care of 70+ animals. Wow I’m tired just thinking of it. .

Lester , horses are browsers and so they naturally want to eat all the time and it is better for them. They actually need to more roughage (hay) rather than the grain feed. When they get used to having the hay nets they will be fine. You do an awesome job taking care of everyone.

I love Ivy and seeing her with the horses. Beautiful family.

I know absolutely nothing about horses,but I admire you for seeking advice.

Words definitely leave unseen scars. I also try never to say “do this” with your horses because I’m in a constant state of learning. So I’m only going to tell you what I have learned and what I’m doing with my horses. I have 3 horses and a goat. I do not feed grain (I’m going to share a link in my comment of a veterinarians advice about feeding) I feed 1 pound of Timothy pellets to each horse daily and then I give them free choice to mixed grass hay all day. Horses create stomach acid continuously, unlike ours, we make acid when we eat but because horses do not have gallbladders so their acids always flow into their stomachs, that’s why they always need to have something to eat or they can start to get stomach ulcers, hence why they are always want to munch on hay. I would love to feed Timothy hay to my horses but I can’t find it locally and it’s expensive to have shipped in. Anyway that’s what I do for feeding. Here’s the link kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jJ6ZlZp0z7a8lqs.html I love your donkey 😊

You have so many different types of animals I am always asking myself how does he manage to run this santuary because he has to be an expert on all these different species, most farmes have only two or three different kinds of animals and its amazing how much efforts you make to provide the best environment for them and how lovely you care for all of them

Lester I love that you admit you don’t know everything and ask for advice. You do love your animals totally.

Hi Lester & Jami - the bucket goes with the flat end towards the horse - allows room for the bottom lip and head to drink properly and not to overarch the neck into the bucket. Some buckets have a really wide and stuck out spout bit - depends on the size of the animals head. You can buy over the fence/stall bucket holders so the bucket is easily removed for cleaning. I hope these aren't hurtful words, I can only say what I know and do myself. I use slow feeder knotless hay nets - good for horses who are on a diet, or are gorgers, and great for good digestion as little bits of feed are better than clumps, and keeps them thinking while they're eating. Smaller holes in the net are good for not getting their hooves through the net if they paw at them or the net drops to the ground. No knots are better for teeth and gums. Nets should be placed at a correct height for each horses - neck should bend down towards the ground a bit - this helps with stimulating saliva and avoids choking, and the horses neck is designed to eat that way. Horses love to throw the nets around to get to hay out - that's natural - so a strong ring holder bolted in is good and wrap the tail end of the net close to where its secured. Don't leave too much of a gap with the rope between the net and the secure spot - that they could get their head through it - that's why I don't hang them from the roof - secure them. If the vet is saying horsey needs to diet because of size and feet, this is good to catch before horsey gets overweight and goes into Founder/Laminitis - and that is really painful for them. Any changes in their feed should be introduced slowly over a couple of weeks. Check the sugar content of the Timothy grass/ Lucerne. I feed Teff hay because there is hardly any sugar in it. He gets supplements to aid in nutrition. He cannot overeat on Teff. Paddock Grass produces more sugar in light (day) and holds it in the grass stem - at night the sugar goes down to the roots of the plant. Night grazing is sometimes better than day grazing. Sugar peaks in the stem at the hottest (brightest) time of the day. In frost and freezing temps the grass stem hold the sugar and it doesn't go to the root. Short grass and roots can be sugary and sweeter than long grass - all this is about how horses put on weight. Reducing their sugar intake helps them diet without stopping them munching. They've got to keep munching constantly otherwise they get ulcers and other problems. I use a beet pulp (SpeediBeet) and make a mash for hard feed and to add supplements to. No grains and no carrots or sweet treats (OK maybe one sliced carrot every couple of weeks). Maybe ask your vet and farrier what a good plan would be - otherwise this post will be too long. Please double check anything I've said with others - Hope this has helped at bit.

Hey Lester! You are doing such a great job with all your animalitos! You put so much thought and care into all the details! Please remember to use your own instincts when applying some of these great ideas coming your way. As my Dad would say, "it may be the right tool for the wrong job'...trust your gut, Lester

Rig up the zip ties to clip on your carabiner for hanging the buckets.

Lester, You ARE doing a fantastic job as a horse dad! Pat yourself on the back.

Those animals have it made. Such a awesome life. Attention, food, shelter, love. They don’t know how much they are loved. I’ve seen animals in much worse condition and it’s heart breaking. Lester isn’t horse whisperer but he’s doing a damn good job

Lester, you know much more than you think. Timothy hay is irresistible much like candy for us. The water buckets are perfect if they don't spend the night in the stalls. No way Voodoo is overweight. The burned wood rocks. When/is Ivan coming back?

Just a suggestion...they make thick rubber 5 gallon corner buckets for horse stalls and it might better to hang the water on another wall or corner so it stays cleaner and hay isn't falling into it. We used the large eye (hook and eye) screwed into the wood and hung the buckets on those with the big double snaps. They last forever and are easy to remove and clean. Also the hay is fine to hang. They are not hungry after feeding. Horses are natural grazers , as you know and the hay is not a problem unless they are too fat. They need it for proper digestion. If they are overweight, just give those "fatties" less hay in their nets. You are doing a fantastic job with these animals and they are so lucky. I love how much you care for them. I raised horses for many years and understand how you worry for them. Just keep doing what you are doing and they will all be fine and so will you.

Lester please don’t let people keep knocking you down. You and Jamie and the boys are doing your best. Everything is a learning experience because every animal is different because of their past. Give yourselves some credit for doing your best. The Timothy hay might be a little to much I believe that it is sweet tasting to horses . The small buckets can be hung up for the littles if you don’t use them for the horses , you could always put a couple of pails for the horses until you can find another idea. Don’t worry your babies are happy and content you all are wonderful XXOO ❤️

At the end of the video Lester, you look good in that beautiful new barn. Look how far you guys have come. Yay!

Lester thank you for efforts to make things better for the horses. My only feedback is that my friends you have horses always have the horses feed container also hanging on the wall like your water bucket. It keeps all things away from their feet. Stalls look great!

Lester, y'all do so much for all of your babies, human and animal. We know how hard y'all work and there are few who could do that. So so proud and honored to get to watch. I want you to remember this: 1) These horses survived perfectly wo the stalls 2) The horses survived and thrived before the buckets 3) the horses survived wo the barns ANYTHING you do, is just improving what was already a HUGE improvement from what they were in before they came to you. Don't let people mess with your head. Y'all are AMAZING 💖☺️

You 've got everything pretty much covered and this is starting to work well. If Voodoo is getting too chunky, it is the grains, not the hay that you need to minimize. This will take care of itself. By separating him, he won't be eating other animals' grains. The hay nets are wonderful! They help with cleanliness and relieve boredom. It's a challenge for them to try and get the hay out. Donkeys usually love them . Surprised Ivy didn't go in...probably her weaker jaw muscles?

When they are overweight you give them less feed and more hay. There are less nutrition in hay and horses do need to chew so that the generate spit and that's important because if they don't chew enough they can develop ulcer.

Hi Lester, hanging the buckets will help in them destroying the buckets. They sell brackets for buckets you can attach to the wall. BTW hanging buckets doesn’t guarantee they won’t poop in them (gross). Also you may consider salt licks in the stall or a jolly ball to help with boredom ( if you feel that may be an issue). I would recommend shavings in the stalls ASAP. Some horses won’t pee cause they don’t like getting splashed, which can lead to other issues. I think you guys do a great job! Keep up the good work.

I had a one eye Aussie stock horse, not sure how he lost his eye, he was also picked on by other horses. He was my rescue, he went from being a bit ribby to fat and shiny, I found his forever home with a young fellow. they are great mates now.

Timothy hay is fine for them. It's actually the easiest hay for them to digest. It also helps to make their coat shine, helps promote good digestion, bowel regularity and keep a healthy weight. Its also excellent for horse prone to colic. Its great for obese and protein sensitive horses.

Lester, for someone who has a full time job teaching and caring for children, driving the bus, then coming home to care for all the animals, you're doing an amazing job. Jamie, LE and everyone there at ImaSurvivorSanctuary are all doing amazing jobs keeping those animals fed, healthy and happy. You know more than most Lester, and nobody has the right to complain that you're doing this or that wrong. You do the best you can, and nobody knows everything about everything! It's awesome that you reach out for help when you run across something that you need help with. I truly believe that you should remove the bars from the doors on the stalls, like the doors and walls where the horses come into the hay barn. Maybe they'd be less bored, and would eat less of the timothy grass, if they're able to put their heads out and socialize.

Ohhh k I think your questions are valid...how ever I would not put water by the hay..I also advise getting the 5 gallon buckets...horses do drink 10 gallons at least...they will eat the hay cause it is good. Horses digestive systems were meant to graze 24/7...so heck yeah that is good hay they will be there till every blade is eaten...there is what is called a body weight tape measure for your horse. You can use it to help you determine what their body weight index score is. I think a little extra weight on is fine so they have fat to burn off in the winter...just follow the feed recommendations on backnof the bags. I love the Tribute products!! Good stuff! Your doing a great job Lester. Just think of all the people who aren't horse people become educated each day by watching you! Hang in there! April

You need buckets with a bigger flat-sided surface so they don’t rock against the wall. Our horses’ buckets have a wire frame that they sit in which is screwed to the wall, and the buckets slide out so they can be emptied. Think of Timothy grass like a human dessert. When you’re full of your dinner, you always have enough room for dessert, like you have an extra stomach. It’s pretty much the same for horses. If you give them a lot, they will eat the lot. I can’t speak for Voo Doo’s physical body condition because I don’t really know horses that aren’t in eventing pique athletic condition.

I used to screw milk crates in the corner of the stall(chest height) and put a clean 5 gallon pail in it. Works Great. Got the pails at home depot and I think they also sell the milk crates too. I really liked the plastic corner feeders they sell in most feed stores and online at Jefers horse and livestock supplies. I always threw their hay on the floor. My Vet told me putting their hay high up increased dust intake in their lungs. You lost a percentage of the hay but avoided lung issues. Horses and ponies can become entangled in hay nets making them dangerous. I raised horses and ponies for 40 years and I never lost one.

Horses are grazers, they need food in their gut. They're not gorgeing they're nibbling. Better hay than more grain.

Honestly Lester, do what your comfortable doing. We all know you won't be leaving the horses in the stalls 24/7/365. If you want to have them in the stalls at night, then have them in the stalls at night. Your doing a great job stumbling through managing so many different animals and their needs. D rings Lester, they are called D rings 😂

I have no amazing ideas because I know little to nothing about horses. I did want to tell you that you’re doing a great job with the horses and their new homes are beautiful. Thank you for sharing!!

Lester, their are things called bucket hangers and they are available at tractor supply. There are different styles and most of them are made out of nylon or rope. They all work well for hanging the buckets against stall walls or fences. The horses need a minimum of 5 gallons of water for a night in the stall. Tractor supply has buckets made by Fortiflex and other companies that look like your metal bucket in that they have a flat side but they are made out of a really heavy-duty plastic and hold 5 gallons of water. They are made for how destructive horses can be. You also should but their water on a different wall away from the hay because the water ends up with too much hay in it and it gets wasted. Your horses need that Timothy or alfalfa hay that you are putting in the stalls. Horses will get bored being in stalls and develop bad habits like weaving or cribbing. Giving them the hay gives them something to occupy their time. Most horses won't gorge themselves on the hay bur will normally eat less during the day. Its hard to guage how much to give them but I would do it by size. Dixie doesn't need as much hay as Voodoo and Buckee. From your video I believe all of your horses are at a good weight. I don't know if this summer you can find someone that grows hay (like Timothy, alfalfa, or even your coastal hay) in rectangular bales. These are much easier and probably cheaper to feed in the stalls. They break off in flakes (what you call bricks) and they are much easier to guage how much you are feeding each horse. In other words it is a more consistent way of feeding each of your horses. I hope this helps and keep up the good work!

Lester, remember when you were a little boy there was an old saying “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!”. ❤️

The clips are called Carabiners. We keep our horses in the stalls to feed are Doctoring them. i keep them in the stall overnight only if we have a really bad storm and then turn them out in the morning. Love your videos

From all the videos I’ve watched of Rick’s (I started watching him from his video’s critiquing yours), what I gather is horses in stalls are probably nibbling because there isn’t anything else to do in there. When Rick feeds hay to his horses, he puts some in two different areas out in the pasture so they are walking around to eat, and that is what they would do in the wild. I don’t have any horse experience, just watching lots and lots of videos Rick has done. It’s funny, I started watching him because I was mad at how critical he was of you, but realized I was judging him off of just one video. So now I have watched dozens and dozens. I think he has a great sense of horse care.

Lester you are doing fine. Everyone learns new things all the time. My cousins horses always lived in a stall, they had a paddock outside they could walk around in and they used a thick layer of saw dust for the floor. As for the water bucket if I remember right they were the heavy rubber type but they held more then a gallon. If I had to guess it was a 2 gallon bucket and it was hung on the slide of the wall for them. They got breakfast, lunch and dinner. When feeding each meal they got a leaf of hay or alfalfa and a little grain. We always shook the hay out for them and put it on the ground. In the spot they always ate at. They didn’t poop or pee on that spot. Sometimes they were let out to roam in the field for a few hours. Those horses were well loved and taken care of. They were happy, healthy and lived a nice long life. You also have to think that what may be right for someone else’s horse might not be what actually works for yours. I think it’s wonderful that you are asking for advise. There is a world of knowledge out there. Just listen to your heart and do what your gut tells you is right. You just get that feeling as to what is right and what is wrong. Just follow it and you will do great. Thank you for everything you do for those sweet babies.

I have two horses. Some people say my horses are overweight some people say they are just right. I’ve gotten where I just don’t pay attention to what other people say. My horses are happy and well taken care of and that is what matters. About people being hurtful. You will see a lot of that in the horse community. I don’t know why that is. I also don’t know why people seem to take out things out on other people. I personally would block those people because no one needs that in their lives. Y’all are doing a wonderful job with your animals and I can tell y’all really love each and every one.

Pony Ivy is looking so much better. She has such a strong will to live and be healthy. The Morrows have so much love and so much TLC for every single baby, of course Ivy is going to thrive and I can't wait to see the reunion of mother and son.🥰🥰

My advice is keep doing what your doing. I absolutely love your videos. It's very apparent how much those animals are loved.

Love the horses they are beautiful scar's and all, that was funny when you let them in for dinner and they forgot what stalls they need to be in,they were like the 3 stooges 😂😂

Lester if you have a veterinarian for your horse you might want to ask them how much you feed them. When I used to work at the horse farm we would usually feed the horses two flakes of hay in the morning and two flakes at night. Not saying I'm a vet or anything but that was our that was usually our feeding routine with our horses. And it's so good to see ivy looking so much better keep up the good work I'm putting weight on her she looks really good 😊😊

I use a larger plastic flat backed bucket with either a mounted bucket holder or a bucket strap. Local farm store will have them. My bucket is an 8 gallon

We've always used big ol blue 55 gallon buckets for water, all we needed was 1... Cut it in half, file any sharp edges. One half top barn one half bottom. They're sturdy enough and tough enough to be tossed around, rubbed on, kicked ...heck even use them as a quick stool if needed lol just what works for us. My papa rigged the one in main barn with a pressure valve, when water got half full it kicked in. Always kept in corner near door but not in direct sunlight. 👍 Keep it up do what works best for u and your critters

That hook thing is a carabiner, they might not work for the reason you bought them but they are so multi purpose you will find a use for them anyway. You are doing a great job. It is great that people saw you needed hay nets so they sent you some.

I love your honesty Lester and you openness to learn ❤❤ I WOULDN'T PUT THE HORSES IN THE STALLS OUTSIDE OF FEEDING X IF YOU DON'T HAVE TOO. It's just making extra work for you and they can just drink from a water trough when they want too, unless you just really want to leave them in. Hay nets are great so they don't eat too fast. YOU ARE FEEDING THEM ENOUGH PELLETS. 2 SCOOPS A DAY IS PLENTY UNLESS IVY ISN'T GAINING WT. KEEP THE TIMOTHY GRASS AVAILABLE IN THE NETS. THEY ARE EATING THE TIMOTHY GRASS JUST LIKE THEY WOULD GRAZE IN THE GRASS. SO ITS ALL 👍 Hope that helps🥰❤

What I've learned working at horse farms if you put two of those metal buckets in the stalls. If they're only going to be in the stall for the night those work pretty good for the horses. Good luck with the watering system for the for your horses. Hope it works out good for you guys 😊😊and if you don't have horses that crib too much the plastic ones like those work really well too.

I would use those hanging buckets for their grain as well so the floor will be free for them to lay or move. Hang the nets from the top rail of the stall in opposite corners. You're doing a great job.

There is a one eyed horse here. And he is the herd leader. He has adapted very well to the loss of sight in one eye.

The buckets look like grain buckets. We never fed from the floor. The hay nets can be hung from more than one strand of netting. We used 2 hooks and hung them by two strands to keep them up high. We didn't just pull the one up and hang it from that long piece. We also never feed anything other than a scoop of grain in a.m. and one slice of hay each and then at night again grain along with one slice of hay. They don't need the Timothy grass with the nutrients that they get from the grains. Maybe occasionally out in the paddock for a treat. We also have them treats like corn cobs when we had corn on the cob, apples and carrots. Better than all those pellet things that are high calorie and have chemicals in them. Watermelon too. The one other thing with those mats. The floor should be as dry as possible when you put them down. Mildew and mold build up really quick down South. I live in South Florida so I know how quickly it can happen. Watch your barbed hay in the summer for the same thing. Not as much circulation as being outside was. You guys are doing a wonderful job!

We only fed one slice of hay twice a day and one scoop of grain twice a day.

You are doing a Great job Lester... Love seing all the babies.

Hey..😀.so, your hay nets can be adjusted to not hang low. Not sure if I can clearly explain but will try. Just pull the string between the loops of the net...you can pull the strings 6 or 8 times this way and it will shorten the length of the net. You can use eye bolts to screwed in side walls and then clip to those. That way the nets are secure ( won't drop ot be pulled down and tangle legs) Also, the buckets can be hung on bucket hooks attached to stall wall as opposed to using zip ties. An average of two flakes per horse a couple times a day...no, you can't overfeed hay...remember round bales(?)...free eating. Also. if you are feeding the feed do adjust amount according to horses weight and activity level...gives info on bag. The hay nets help relieve some boredom, and slow down the eating because of the netting. Hope some of this helps...you all do such wonderful caring things.

Could they be eating the Timothy grass just because it’s there and they are bored. Kinda like, I’m not hungry but if there is a bowl of peanuts sitting there I’ll eat them cause they are good.😄

Words can wound and words can heal😉

BTW, owned and around lots of horses most of my life, didn't just own them...lived them, and kept learning! Now older and with arthritis, couldn't give the care they need...but still love them!

My grandfather had race horses and they did use the buckets for water and for food and they did leave the horses in their stalls overnight. They did have paddocks to be outside during the day. They had their food and water buckets hanging. That is what I remember.

I dig how honest you are about not knowing and asking for help Lester. I also can't believe how many people in the comments are so soft that they get all wounded by words. One question tho. "If" a horse daily drinks many gallons of water per day? Do your horses have another source of water when not in the stalls? (Because those tiny toy water buckets are gonna constantly need to be filled.) Yes I know about the pond... They just don't seem adequate for their watering needs. (In my opinion.) On a side note... I've mentioned this on other people's horse vids. Boy... It sure seems like owning horses is a pain in the butt. The more human/horse interaction, just seems to become exponentially more complicated. It almost seems like horses are much better off with the least amount of human mucking around and trying to make things better. Anywho... I love what you guys are doing brother. I respect any humans who carve out huge chunks of their lives, time, and energy taking in and taking care of animals that need it.

Or la WONDERFUL %that toi are si Living and filled with care for ALL of your BABIES !! Keep up the great job that you all do !!

You guys are doing great! I love that you are so open to learning as well. I know you have some local horse people but please feel free to get in touch with me if you want, I have worked in many different types of barns and have seen what works and what doesn't. Horses will continue to eat as long as it's there, please please please shoot me a message either on here or my farm page by the same name and I can answer almost all the questions you asked here and let you know how to take care of your horses efficiently.

tractor supply has some heavy duty buckets that have a flat side that you can hang i used them when I had to stall one of my horses

That's a beautiful barn you got there. Nice safe stalls! Congratulations on that!

Lester you know your animals. You are with them every day you are working with them and know how they are reacting to food. For our little pony I think you need to do something extra for her. Give her something that makes her standout from the other horses and from Imogene. Paint her rump with pet friendly paint like a my little pony. Make her feel special. ❤️

If you're doing your best and you're not trying to harm them than I'd say you've done a good job. The horses are in great health and seem happy there so keep doing your best.

Hi Lester, my husband isn't tech savvy so I am typing this up for him. He is however horse savvy. 1. The horses don't need 2 feedings of pellets or grain a day. Just 1 scoop is plenty along with the hay. 2. Grass hay with plenty of water is good. You wouldn't feed alfalfa to horses unless it is super cold, or they are working hard and even then it is just a small amount. Just keeping good quality grass hay available for them will help. But yes VooDoo could be over weight from too much pellet and grain. He is also from the school that horses don't really require stalls unless 1. You are foaling, 2. The horse is injured and needs to be isolated, 3. There is severe inclement weather (and even this isn't required if they have shelter). 4. They are expensive and you don't want them damaged or stolen. Different horse people have different techniques and opinions on horses and how they should be handled and fed. I will see if I can connect you with a good friend of mine who is a trainer. She would have amazing info.

🥰 The horses look very happy they have their own stalls❣️❣️❣️

I was always told that Timothy hay is good to fatten up a horse as the nutrients are much denser than regular hay. Timothy was only used in winter months when grass was brown and as a treat. If you’re keeping them in the stalls at night for sleeping they don’t need the hay. Glad that someone gifted you the hay nets. I was going to order them but saw them in another video. The pine shavings should make a world of difference in keeping the stalls cleaner. Get a good 4-6” thick bedding in there and you’ll only need to scoop up the soiled shavings each day and replace as needed.

Lester, a suggestion: if you put the Timothy grass in a corner, there'll not only be less loss and less net movement, but you can place a pan under it to collect what shakes loose for easy cleanup. Also place the bucket away from the net, of course, for cleaner water. ..maybe a splash guard to prevent rotting wood?

I used to hang a 5 gal plastic flat back bucket in my stall for overnight water, one of my horses liked to grab anything that was hanging and rip it off the wall though. My set up was situated so that I was able to make my stalls so that each one had a small paddock on the back and I didn't have to close the horses inside the stall at night. That worked perfect for me. I know that wouldn't work for you guys right now, just a thought if you ever grow even bigger!! Love you guys!!

I love how Brynleigh (spelling ??😳) comes to ask for a ride 🤣🤣❤️❤️❤️❤️ Where’s her little car?!

Lester, You and Jami are doing a wonderful job. I lobe that you ask for help when you don't know something. It just goes to show you really care about all the babies.... Jusy a tip ( and I am NOT a horse person as you say) but each different kind of food has a suggested feed amount on it. Depending on the contents of the feed. So Dr. Poles may be a different amount than the other kind of food. I would suggest going by the specific feed you are using that day and feeding them accordingly.

Nobody better leave a scar on Big Papa Lester. That’s not going to be tolerated.

Your amazing Lester and Jamie! Thank you for caring for all the animals! God bless ima survivor sanctuary 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Hey i have been watching your videos for the past 3 years and have been loving how you have grown and learned. I do want to stat that it is normal for the horses to go from feed to hay right away. Your setup is actually perfect at the moment the only this different that i would do was to move the water a tiny bit further from the hay so its less of a mess in the hay but besides that i think your setup rn is just perfect. I have been in the horse world for 14 years now and have my own mare and she does the same this as your horses. I do have to monitor how much food she takes in as she puts on weight very fast. So if you have any questions please feel free to message. Thank you

Your benefactors are awesomely kind. Bravo!

Lester we used 5 gallon white buckets with handles and secured them in the corner of the stall with hooks and straps. A horse will continue to eat as much feed as you put in there which can also cause colic so stick to a set ration ...while Timothy grass is good for them they don't require that much of it . It's best to let them graze if possible or give them a mixture of hay and just a little Timothy grass.Im not a fan of hay sacks...if you can build triangular shaped hay racks inside it would be much neater safer and last longer.

I think it's a great idea. Dont let them get you down Lester. We live in a world that's getting worse every day and the people right along with it. I love the DoDo but the people on that page can find fault with everything . It could be the sweetest video but they attack the owner every time. I wont even read them anymore.

Love and blessings for you and the family lester. You are amazing for all your animals. They could not have a better life.

Leater you are very good caregiver, very creative. All babies looks healthy and happy!

LOL Those zip ties are the new Duck Tape. Great Idea's Lester! I have been using them as I organize my garage.

I’m not a horse person but I wonder if they could be eating out of boredom. Your doing a great job Lester

Lester, “bucket straps” are the zip ties of horse ownership... they can be used for many projects including hanging buckets and even hanging hay nets...they are inexpensive and won’t damage the coating on your bars like anything metal will. I believe you and your horses would be better off with larger, heavy duty plastic watering buckets (they also have a flat back); that would reduce the chances of under watering and reduce the number of times you have to go check the buckets. “My opinion,” none of your horses appear on video as over weight. Use the feeding instructions on the grain bag - the manufacturers take into account the physical attributes of the horses (weight, work levels, etc). If you are unsure of the weight of your horses, there are inexpensive special tape measures for weight estimation (in the meantime, use 1,100 to just get started). If the horses are not being exercised regularly, I would grain and provide coastal hay as forage (the grain bag instructions also often list the recommended forage per day - but ask your vet). You will find that you need to assess each horse’s body composition somewhat regularly and then adjust your feeding regiment accordingly - it’s not as easy as establishing serving sizes once and then you’re done. To help, you should not be able to see horses ribs through their skin with the naked eye but you should be able to feel the ribs when sliding your fingers across them. Also, as a hydration test, if you pinch some neck skin together and then let go, it should quickly rebound back to normal - if it returns to normal slowly, the horse is likely dehydrated. Sorry for the long post, the above has worked well for the several horses we’ve had for years...

Lester I love the fact that you ask questions of your viewers. I think Rick has some awesome answers to your questions last time so hopefully he'll chime in here & give you more answers with explanations again.

Use those buckets as flower pots along the pastor fences up the driveway!!

we had buckets in the stalls on heavy duty hooks that the buckets for water and feed would hang on and, of course, the hay nets. They make hooks of a sort that won't hurt the animals and are meant to hold up to a 5 gallon feed or water bucket. If they are overweight either cut back a bit on the feed or start giving them some exercise lol.

We all learn something new everyday from our horses and life in general

Good morning. Lester, you are doing just fine! Ask your questions but follow your gut. Just like your two legged children, you follow your gut. Thank you for sharing your family. Looking forward to next video 😊

They may be eatting everything so quickly, because they are used to "fighting" for food. (Not really fighting, but either eat quickly, or someone else eats it.)

All great inventions start with an idea and go through the trials and errors and successes to fine tune. Y’all are doing awesome!

"carabiner, carabiner, carabiner" I kept saying it out loud like somehow it would go back in time to when Lester was filming this and actually reach him.

Lester you are doing a great JOB!!👏 Thank you so much for sharing all your adventures with us❤😊

I love those new buckets🪣. I sure hope they work out . And I have seen Burros in Arizona being fed Timothy hay in those nets and they seemed to work out well. I like how you reach out to people for suggestions. I am sure you get some good feedback 🥰💗 You are doing a Great Job. I think you beat yourself up too much 🙂💙

Leave the zip ties loose. That makes them quick release and you can hook your carabiner to it.

I just love yours and jami heart. I know nothing on horses but it's awesome how much you want to give your horses and other babies a good life ❤❤

It must be a challenge learning how to care for all the different animals. And Lester you take such to care to do things to make their lives better. Thankful for people like you. I loved Google. I looked up watering horses. Now I’m sure this is expensive but, they showed these self watering posts for horses. They also said they drink between 10-2O gallons a day. You might check out these watering posts.

I absolutely love you, all of you! You are right about the hay nets very dangerous if not hung high enough.

Tge metal bucket looks good to and much easier to clean. A large metal ring could be made to weld around 2 bars then attach bucket to the ring. Every horse has dif tolerances to being stalled so great idea to kearn how each one does so in case of emergency and they do have to spend time in a stall you will know how to handle them. A gallon should be ok for over night....you will learn each horses needs. You NEVER quit learning when dealing with horses.

Hi Lester your doing a fab job it's not easy to look after so many animals. Timothy is known to be a safer grass or hay as its less likely to cause grass staggers and problem's with grass affection but I must say the timothy you are using looks lush green and almost short cut like a chaff I'm not sure if it's different koz of being in another country but normally a slice or 2 is efficient for overnight perhaps ur better to ask your vet if you would be best to feed your hay from your meadow that is longer as it's important for horses digestive system and gut function to have long strands of hay as shorter hay, chaff and grain based feeds can also be a cause for colic or impaction. You can also get salt licks and balls you put carrots etc in to hang in the stall to help with boredom. Another idea is you can get smaller troughs that go into the corners of stalls that you can connect to a water system to ensure they don't run out of water, but take up less space. A old racehorse trainer I know used to use well washed paint buckets as they are hardy and normally cheap to replace plastic ones not tin. Anyway don't let negative comments get u down just keep caring as you do a fab job. I love to hear you laugh it cheers me up thanks.

I love your videos. I try to watch them every day. Out of all the goats, Ringo is my favorite cause I used to have a big dairy goat that was just as honery as Ringo is.