Monday, December 15, 2008

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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10 comments:

  1. OMG! You need to sit still. Stay off the ice! I for one am glad that I don't live any further north. In fact, every winter I contemplate moving to Mexico while every summer I declare that I'm moving to Alaska. Although this past summer was amazingly mild. I probably got more riding in this year than all the previous years put together that I've owned my horses.

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  2. We've been getting some cold temps as well and boy do they SUCK!! Right now the news says it's -9 with a feels like temp of -22...ICK!! AND it doesn't seem like it's going to get better over the next 10 days either...so says the extended forecast anyway. This is one time I'm wishing they were WRONG!! LOL! It'd be nice to be able to spend more than an hour with the horses and doing something other than just feeding and cleaning the barn!!

    Anyway...hope you're healing quickly (and Richard as well) and will be back to normal soon!! :) ((HUGS!!))

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  3. Man that sounds really awful. You be careful on that ice.

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  4. Have you got wet snow, MiKael? It's dry and fluffy up here...or at least it would be if there was more than a couple of inches.

    I'm not fond of it, either, and wish it would just all go away...

    Hope you make a speedy recovery! At least the snow is slowing you down and keeping you from over doing it, eh?

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  5. Oh I'm hating this weather. I slid in the FROZEN part of the pasture today while feeding and banged up my knee really well. Slid into a frozen metal gate and the gate won. It's 7 degrees here right now according to my thermometer. COLD!

    My herd is out on pasture all year round and they have very thick fur right now, but I still put blankets on them. Lots of hay in front of them 24/7. I really hope this doesn't keep up for long...

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  6. Rhythm is so beautiful. And what a pill, playing like that.
    I'm sorry it is miserable weather. My sister flew out of Portland on Sunday right in the middle of all that snow. She's now safe and sound and warm down here with me.
    Load up a few of your bored boys and bring them down!

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  7. Right now, in the Midwest, we are in the middle of a snow storm with temperatures in the single digits. I'll take the single digits anyday after the negative temps we had earlier this week!!

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  8. Beautiful picture of Rhythm in the snow. I hope you warm up soon, we're expecting a little snow but the temps are in the 30's nothing compared to what you have. That's way too cold. I agree with you that the horses get so bored but it's better than an injury on and ice rink. Hope you are healing quickly and watch out for that black ice, it's treacherous.

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  9. Fantastic pictures but I really do understand what ice plus horses means! Here in the UK it isn't really that much of a problem but back in Poland, when the winters were truly bad we couldn't work horses for weeks on end. Even when we stabled at the yards with indoor schools the trip from the stable to the building was a hazard!!
    You rest and fingers crossed the weather improves soon!

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  10. Stay IN

    Stay WARM

    and

    Stay SAFE!

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