In real life I've been sick forever and sound like Darth Vader when I breathe which is kind of annoying to me and everyone who has to listen to it. If this keeps up I might only have internet friends - because who wants a real life biohazard one? :)
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| Feeling fine ;) |
The weather has been classic winter on the West Coast. Rain. Fog. Cloudy with showers. Drizzle. Sleet. 100% chance of precipitation. You get the idea. I am easily amused by the weather forecasters' attempts at variety so I scheduled today's hay delivery for the "light rain" part of the day, thinking it sounded safer than "showers". All I know is that it was wet out but my hay storage is full. I may have a reliable supply again too, so that's a huge relief!
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| Riding! And rain of some sort happening here. I'd call it "fire hose" but the forecast likely went with "showers" |
The ponies are still doing fine. Bridget is her usual self. Sophie is also herself, but x1000 because I haven't had her out for a week.
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| Now with even more sass! Also comes with additional mud at no extra charge. |
But, guess who has the rest of the month off work?! Me! It sounds dumb to use such a big chunk of vacation time now, but I've found it works for me...this is always the time of year when I am either sick or just burnt out, plus the days are short and I have a million things I want to do outside. Last year we escaped to Mexico, this year I am staying home and have some pony training planned, of which I'm sure you'll be hearing all about!
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| Who needs a tropical beach when we have such fantastic days at home? ;) |
In related saving-my-vacation-dollars news, Black Friday was a thing this year. I have a saddle to try on Sophie - wish me luck! I originally had an idea to try a saddle I liked riding in on Bridget, just in Sophie tree size, but the feel is so different on Sophie that I've been throwing my ideas of what I thought I liked out the window. I think the main thing is that my leg hangs more on Sophie so I'm finding I don't necessarily like a more open seat or forward flap or a short block on her - where with super round B all those things feel like a necessity! Whatever we end up with, I'm hoping it'll fit Sophie for a year or two as she grows and that I'll be able to tolerate it. Used and not fancy is our happy place right now.
Sophie also got a new bridle just for herself. It's not fancy, of course, but I'll get pictures once I get it in the rotation - I think it looks nice on her. Both ponies got blankets, because rainsheets are a year round thing here. I got myself a membership at a new gym to try out, which I'm excited/nervous for. The girls I'm going with are horsey, so saying my goal is to lose more weight for Sophie is legit with our little group. Updates coming, I am sure!
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| Sophie's new blanket is an Amigo Bravo 12 Wug. Would not recommend for those of you with wide shouldered horses, but for Sophie it's just perfect and standing up surprisingly well to her 24/7 abuse, our weather, and her refusal to stand indoors! |
Time off sick meant that in addition to online shopping, I've had some reading time. Sadly, the vast majority of books I downloaded were duds. I thought this one was pretty good though:
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| The main character in this one is a lot more mature and relatable than some of her previous books I've wanted to love but couldn't quite. This one is solid though and a decent choice. |
Hey, Sophie's got Mag's blanket, exactly. It's my first ever rain jacket if you can believe that. Since it's been a mild Winter, it's been on the most. But it gets below freezing at night so we play musical blankets a lot too. I think having three belly straps is uneccesary but I suppose if one breaks...then again, these things never break. My mid-weight Wug is 6 years old and has been my main blanket all those years.
ReplyDeleteA question about no-fill blankets - do you ever feel they press down the horse's Winter coat, making them colder than they would be without it? When I put my hand under there, there's no perceptible warmth. When I switch to the midweight, I can instantly feel warmth under there.
I really like her new blanket, but yes, the triple belly straps are a little overkill :) Id actually rather not blanket at all but she stands out in the rain and gets soaked. She was getting a little rain scald too :( A friend and I were talking about whether a rainsheet is enough when our temps dipped a little last week, because I had the same question as you. Apparently you check body temperature in their "armpit" under a front leg or under a back one. When I've done it that way, she always feels really warm. Non scientific, I know, but to me she felt cold and damp without the sheet and was still happily standing outside , so this is a good compromise. Somewhere, I read that most horses with a winter coat are comfortable in the -5 to 0 degree Celsius range without a blanket. Crazy, and I hope they do more research on that!
DeleteI forgot to mention - the poop catcher strap (the tail strap that basically just catches poop all day) has such a hefty snap on it that it actually hurt my horse! He must have lain on it or rolled just so, enough to make a bloody wound. So I wrapped a sock around it and then vet warpped the sock so now there's a big lump but at least he can't injure himself. The other Wug doesn't injure him for some reason. The Weatherbeeta is not holding up nearly as well as Horseware, but I do love those leg straps in back, they are pristine, poop never touches them.
DeleteI will check the armpit area, thanks for the tip. Someone told me once that horses can handle wind, rain, and cold, but only one of those at a time. 2 or more might warrant a blanket. My horse shivers in 12C so he's got quite the wardrobe: )
Crickets here too. I’m torn between wanting ground that is not frozen and no rain. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI try to enjoy the slower pace of winter, but there are days when all I want is a nice dry,unfrozen arena to ride in :)
DeleteCrickets here too in east-of-central part of the country! We have hard frozen ground and no snow to pad it up. Not complaining, of course, but this time of year is tricky!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time off and I hope you are feeling better soon!
I think I need to suck it up and use my indoor arena passes :)
DeleteFeel better and enjoy your time off!! Sophie looks like she is plotting things so have fun with her :) HA HA HA
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt! She's honestly terrible, just a totally rotten banana right now :) I'm almost ashamed to admit she's mine.
DeleteSounds like you have a good plan. Enjoy your time off!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I've been looking forward to it for a few months now :)
DeleteYup, crickets here too!
ReplyDeleteBUT, crickets are a good thing sometimes haha.
Sounds like the time off will be a nice way to recharge despite the cold, gloomy days <3
So far I am loving it. Just need to win the lottery so I can make it a lifestyle :D
DeleteHope you feel better soon, and hope the saddle works out for Sophie!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the book recommendation. I'll have to add that to my queue, in case I ever get time to relax and read!
Thank you! I'm starting to feel so much better now.
DeleteThank you for the book recommendation. I downloaded it for my upcoming vacation!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your vacation!
DeleteUgh hope you are feeling better soon and I love end of year time off!
ReplyDeleteIf I had my way I'd get all my work hours in and to do lists done by fall and just have the rest of the year off to hibernate!
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