We are in a cold snap now. It was -5 F this morning. Weird weather because the forecast says it's going to be high of 42 F tomorrow.
The mini's are fuzzy and warm. They have no concerns about the low temp. Jerry often has snow and ice all over him; he rarely goes inside. Rosie goes inside for a while, but then has to come back out shortly after to check on her world--she is a nosey little thing. Babe didn't grow much of a winter coat this year. I keep her blanketed. I noticed her mid-weight blanket may not be warm enough when it gets this cold, and also her turnout sheet with no fill might not be adequate when the temps are at the in-between state where it's too warm for her mid weight blanket. So, I solved this problem by ordering her a 100 gm blanket liner. I ordered this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Horseware-Rambo-Optimo-Liner-100g-x/dp/B004BPZ1D6/ref=sr_1_6/133-4120860-5981545?ie=UTF8&qid=1542993828&sr=8-6&keywords=rambo+blanket+liner
I can add this to her sheet and also add it to her mid weight blanket as needed. I'll let you know how I like it. I used a Schneider's blanket liner one time and I didn't like the fit. It seemed to bind her in the chest. It was also heavier than I wanted--180 gm. Add that to a sheet and it isn't much lighter than a mid weight blanket. Add it to the mid-weight and she would be too warm. Adding only 100 gm of warmth makes more sense to me.
I'm still riding. Had a great lesson the other evening. I was having trouble getting Chocolate to canter to the right, his bad direction. I thought it was because he just physically couldn't do it without struggling. He's an older guy and likely has old age arthritis and the like. My instructor got on him to check things out. They cantered both directions without a problem. I watched closely for signs that he was half crippled to the right ... didn't happen. She said that, yes, she could feel him moving better to the left, but it wasn't like it was overly difficult for him to go to the right. He was likely sensing my reluctance and was playing that up some. I got back on and cantered to the right, this time with purpose and determination. He did it and felt much better than when I am all wishy-washy about riding his right direction canter. Don't you hate it when you find out the problem is *YOU* and not the horse, lol??
To give my new friend Chocolate a little more TLC, I have offered to buy a joint supplement for him. I ordered it online and it came quickly. I'll take it over to the barn tomorrow. People question why I'm doing this for a horse I don't even own. The why: I am the only one riding him now. Without the supplement, he does just fine hanging out in his retirement. Riding him puts extra stress on him. My lessons and riding just barely cover the cost of a monthly joint supplement with a little extra for my instructor's work. I don't mind footing the bill because it not only helps him and my instructor--supplements add up and Chocolate didn't need it before he started working again--but it also helps me because I should have a nicer moving horse to ride. I like riding him. And, I need him. I feel such gratitude towards that horse. Chocolate helps me out so much because he is a safe horse for me at a time when I desperately need a horse like that to make my return to riding successful. And, it's even better because he is also a challenge because he isn't a push-button horse and needs encouragement and reminders about what I expect. He makes me stretch. Drifter may be an easier horse to ride, but I don't get the same benefits as I do from Chocolate. I'm happy to do whatever I can for Chocolate and my instructor, who has allowed me to kind of make Chocolate my own riding horse. It's a win-win-win situation.
Rosie is bored. She doesn't do well with idle time. I spent some time with her yesterday just grooming her and fussing over her. She had such a good time. It doesn't take much to make her happy--she just wants attention and interaction with me. With her pony-tude, she really needs some kind of work to tone that down and remind her she is not running the show. Even just having her stand for grooming and picking out her feet reminds her of this. I could see her eyes light up when she had something to do. I bet some of our snow will melt with the warm weather we have coming and I'll ground drive her or at least lunge her. She also loves going for walks with me. I'll find something to do to make her eyes light up again.
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