Frigid Temperatures.........Too Cold to Work Horses

The experts predicted temperatures lower than we have seen in a decade or more and boy were they right. Not that Richard or I, either one, are in any shape to be working horses but the current temperatures are way too cold to be doing much along that line. I guess we can sit back and heal a bit...........although neither one of us is good at sitting. LOL

I spoke with Richard today. He fell on black ice getting out of his truck. I almost fell and felt pulling on a couple of stitches on black ice just trying to walk back from the barn. We really are a pair.......

It's really ugly here. Way to icy outside for our barn raised horses to be dealing with so they are cooped up inside. I did a thorough inspection of the barn checking on water and toys. When the horses are cooped up for any length of time, plenty of stall toys are a must. I was rehanging balls and candy apple things, re-inflating collapsed jolly balls and you name it making sure all my little darlings have plenty to keep them occupied.

Between their toys and the extra meals to help them deal with the cold the horses should be pretty happy. I have had to add extra blankets to a couple of horses in my herd.......but so far most are doing ok with just one. We'll see if that changes as these temperatures hang around. Just in case, I am working through my repair pile patching up my spares.

The roads aren't much better than my yard. Graham Hill, the big hill we must travel to get just about anywhere, has been closed several times in just the past 24 hours. The only time we can count on it being open is right smack dab in the middle of the day.......even then the spots in the shadows can be treacherous.

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The current predictions are this weather is going to hang around for a least a couple of weeks. There was even the mention that maybe, just maybe, even until after the first of the year. I don't know if my winterizing is good enough for that long term coldness. We've never been tested more than about 2 weeks.

The temperatures overnight are expected to get in the single digits in some places here. With wind chill factors much lower than that, it's way too cold for me. I doubt we will be transporting any horses to work with all of this going on although Richard and I haven't really discussed that subject. I do know that he isn't really into heavy work when it's this cold. One of the many things we agree on......but if this weather keeps up we're going to have some very bored horses.

Legs is already protesting the amount of time he's been standing because of my surgery. I may have to volunteer to BE his stall toy for an hour or two each day for him to get over being mad a me.

These pictures are of Scandalous Rhythm in the snow a couple of years back. If the snow we have now was nice and fluffy like this, I'd let horses play in it. But what we have is more a thin dusting on a very thick sheet of ice.........too much like a skating rink to be safe for horses that like to play like these do.

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