Spoiling His Fun

Gabe has been driving me nuts lately, pulling hay out of the manger and making an unholy mess out of it.  I don't mind using a bit of the coarse leftovers for bedding, but wholesale destruction is just too much.  So, I made it a little harder.....

My only complaint about Gabe is that he is a slob.  Granted, I was totally spoiled by Tessa and Emma as neither of them would ever go to the bathroom in the barn.  In fact, I have been spoiled for years as the mares I had before were also very neat.  Actually, every mare I have ever owned has been neat and every gelding a slob.  I know there are exceptions, but I haven't ever owned any of them.  With the girls, I got to spend a lot more time actually doing stuff with them because I never had to clean the barn.  Gabe has changed that.  I think this sums up the differences quite well....

It is astonishing to me just how thoroughly and completely he can trash the barn in just a few hours.  I have learned though, that he isn't so keen on trashing the place when there isn't bedding for him to throw around. 

Emma is the only one who actually sleeps in the barn and she now has her own (very clean and tidy) place to sleep.  So, I have embarked on a mission to ruin all of Gabe's fun.  He is just going to have to find another way to amuse himself, because I just can't stand (or afford) to have him waste half a bale of hay every day.  (I keep telling him there are donkeys (and every other type of herbivore) starving in Texas, but does he listen???) 

If I have to, I can add more bars to the manger or go all out and make it into a slow feeder system with a grate over it.  We'll see how this goes for now.  So far, Gabe is not happy with it at all.  Which I take to be a good sign. :)