First I would get a soil test. Take it to the local fertilizer plant so you will know what field needs to grow good grass. I think I would spray field to kill everything, work the dirt, fertilize and reseed. No-till drill would allow seeding with no plowing or disking of ground. You probably won't be able to use the pasture till spring. You need to allow new seed to grow, get more mature. Very tender roots will be easily pulled up or cut with hooves running around. I would agree that alfalfa is way too rich for horses pasture, though I would say alfalfa is worse for young horses than older ones. Young horses get calcium--phosphorus balance off quickly when fed alfalfa as well as gaining too much weight. Causes tendon, bone problems in growing animals. Older horses have more trouble with alfalfa reacting in their systems. Mine get the runs. Some horses never have any problems with alfalfa. There are several seed mixes available, you should check what is sold in your local area. Good grass in North Carolina probably won't grow well in Canada. If you EVER plan to have a bred mare you want no Fescue grass to prevent delivery problems. I found the Mare and Foal grass mixes to contain no Fescue seeds. Read ALL the contents labels. Buying something cheap that mostly or only contains annual Ryegrass is not a good seed investment for your money. If you can get grass seed drilled in with a seed drill or no-till drill, it gets a better start than broadcast seed.

WHOC, I'll stir up some silt with this suggestion (I'm sure). When you are running the plow, does snow ever blow back and land on the engine or exhaust? If so, the airborne water vapor (produced by the "flash boil") might possibly get drawn into the air filter element, where it can freeze and restrict the inflow enough to cause a rich condition. Since the air temp was around 30 degrees, it would be easy for icing to occur if water vapor was available. I have no experience in the "snow handing" business but I can theorize this happening under certain conditions. I'm not sure how you could determine whether this is the cause. Possibly you might install a new air filter element and run the horse around without stirring up powder and observe whether the rich condition persists or disappears. The fact that you have only just noticed the condition would imply that something is related to the work you are doing...OR that something else has occurred since you used it last (like possibly the float has perforated or come loose in the carb??). If the condition is somehow related to the filter element freezing over, you may need to experiment with shrouding the hood and grille areas to limit how much snow can get to the hot surfaces of the engine compartment. It wouldn't need much more than cutting an old bed sheet up to make a cover. Fastening it in place might offer a challenge. I might end up being laughed out of town for this, but what the heck? 'Tis the season (snow, that is).

Didn't we talk about your fireplace some time back? It feels so familiar to me, and I remember those mirrors. I love the stone and the rustic feel. I am sorry, but the mirrors are much too formal and gilded for the rustic feel of the fireplace and the wall around it. I think they are wonderful, but they need to be in a different spot. They are also too small for the mass of the stone and wood. WIth the new fireplace screen being so detailed, I would pretty much clear the mantel and perhaps use a grouping of great leather bound books in various colors of leather, perhaps three or five taller ones standing vertically and then two horizontally, and put the clock on the horizontal stack. That would be on one side. On the other, a grouping of pottery vases or containers, with a bit of a rustic or handmade feel, in some colors that would pull the colors from the fireplace screen. Since the kitty won't stay on the mantel (LOL!), in the center you could use a low container with a lush green plant or plants in it. A large round platter could stand behind that, something lighter in color to stand out against the dark wood wall. If you really want to use the brass candlesticks, I think you need to get glass hurricanes to put over them, stand them together, and then use a color for candles taken from the screen. They are too small and skinny to stand up there spread apart.

Hubs taught the kids to drive in that VW. Main reason we wanted them to always drive a stick shift. That car is still in great shape after two teenage drivers from some years back. Hubs will teach our two grands to drive in this car. After 57 years, she looks same as day she rolled out of Germany. Gives me smiles reading each of your VW stories. Loving all the pics today. Beautiful horses.