All Wrapped Up

First, let me assure those readers in the North and West that I realize we have it GOOD here in the Southeast, as far as winter weather is concerned.  I know, I know...it's WARM here, compared to where you are.

But for us pampered Southerners, a daytime high of 34 degrees Farenheit is COLD, especially with the wind blowing.  We don't have snow to shovel through to get to the barn, but the ground is frozen hard.  We wear hats and gloves and heavy coats to feed.  Working the horses becomes an option, even though the sun is shining.

And because we need protection from the cold, we often think our horses do, as well.  In past years, I've left most of my horses in the pasture without blankets.  They do, after all, grow a thick coat of hair.  They run around to stay warm.  I've always tried to make sure they had enough hay for fuel.

This year, though, Abby is twenty-two years old, and doesn't run much.  TBone got clipped back at Thanksgiving and is missing hair on the lower half of his body, requiring a blanket.  And Suzette, the desert horse descendent, shivers if we have a cold rain.

So the three of them are bundled up today.  Each is wearing a wool "cooler"--a light blanket designed to wick away moisture when the horse has been working and sweating hard, to dry them off faster.  In this case, I'm using the cooler as an extra layer beneath the waterproof blanket on top.

When the temperature gets up to 40 and the wind stops, I'll probably take the coolers off of Abby and Suzette.  They do have fairly thick coats.  TBone may have to keep his until we get to 45 degrees for awhile, at night, at least.  Blankets add an entirely new dimension of preoccupation to the business of caring for horses.  Too cold?  Too warm?  Raining?  Dry?  What's the right thing to do?

The best part of  using a blanket is how clean the horses look underneath.  They still roll in the dirt, sand and mud, but it all stays off their coats.  On the other hand, horses without blankets tend to resemble the soil their grass grows in.  Lucy and Joy are quite a sight these days--I'm calling them American Creamsicle Drafts, after those lovely orange sherbet ice cream treats.  They're just the same pale orange color.

I drove them yesterday for most of an hour and enjoyed myself greatly.  We're beginning to get used to each other, and I feel our minds connecting through the reins.  I'm envisioning lots of good drives ahead!

Stay warm, wherever you are!

Cheryl