Warm Blankets on Cold Nights

In Sacramento last night, the temperatures hit a record low. The last time it was this cold was in 1972. I don't know if the Placerville temperatures were a record or not. I just know it was darn cold.

We don't blanket our horses in the winter unless they are clipped. If I clip, it is a trace clip in the areas where they sweat with work. If you ride and the sweat doesn't dry by dark, that's a recipe for a big time chilled horse. This winter none of our horses are clipped. Between my work schedule and the wet winters, I don't expect to ride more than once a week until the spring. Jackson is the exception to our blanketing practice. When the temperatures dip, he loves his blanket. His coat doesn't grow as thick as the others and he doesn't move around as much.

With all the hard frost warnings this week, we thought it prudent to blanket all the horses. Studies show that horses are comfortable without blankets in temperatures of 15F and above. We've seen some reports that say we will hit 12F tonight or Saturday night. With blankets on, the horses are fine in their pastures if it rains or snows. Since the water is turned off in the barn at night to protect the pipes, we want them in the pastures where they have access to their large water troughs. Jackson did a happy dance when he saw Brett coming with his blanket Tuesday afternoon. Flash stood stoically and allowed himself to be blanketed.

Winston was another story. Last winter, he had a trace clip and wore a blanket. He played games at first, refusing to stick his head through and running off with it half buckled. I refused to play and let him get cold that night. (I know, I'm so mean). The next night, he was good as gold and we didn't have another problem with him all winter. Brett brought out the blanket to the pasture and, after a couple false starts, Winston poked his head through the front and let Brett pull it back over his rump. Then he took off, bucking and farting, with the blanket flailing around him. He stepped on it, of course, and ripped off one of the front snaps. Brett retrieved the blanket and we let him chill in the pasture all night.

Last night when I got home from work at 9:30, Brett and I bundled up in our jackets and knit ski hats and went out to the barn. We brought Winston and Mufasa into the barn aisle where we could see with the barn lights on. While Brett put Mufasa in his stall to wait his turn, I held Winston's lead rope in one hand and his blanket draped over the other arm. Winston kept pushing at the blanket with his head, trying to figure out how to put his head through. I made him wait. Then while Brett held the lead rope, I slipped on the blanket and buckled him in.

We didn't have a blanket for Mufasa since he wasn't clipped last winter. I found Winston's mid-weight blanket and thought it might fit. Mufasa was a ranch horse before we bought him so we didn't know if he was familiar with blankets or not. He sniffed it a few times but otherwise didn't mind the blanket being swung up on his back, pulled down around his sides and rump, and then buckled at the front and underneath.

This morning, I looked out the window and saw Mufasa standing in the clover pasture... with no blanket. I scanned the pasture and saw a blue pile of crumpled fabric on the ground. Brett retrieved it while I sat in my car with the heater and defroster going full blast, trying to defrost my windows so I could leave for work. Yes, the display says 19F.







Looking out my driver's side window, the kitchen appliances on the porch almost looked pretty.




The snow will arrive tomorrow.

Hanging Out in the Barn

Our neighbor, Cindy, got us an appointment with her farrier today.  He's very good but he wasn't taking on any new clients.  She begged and pleaded on our behalf and he agreed to give us a try.  Brett vacuumed out the last bits of debris in the stalls and brought the horses in so they would be ready for their trims.  Brett wanted to have the horses settled in the barn when the farrier, Greg, arrived.  While the horses checked out their new digs, Brett put up their name plates and hung their halters.

Jackson couldn't believe his luck.  A stall!  Of his own!  At Aspen Meadows, he was out in the paddock and he missed being in the barn with the others.  It was better for his feet to be in the paddock so when Mufasa arrived we gave away his stall.  Sorry Jackson.  Are you happy now?

Greg said that Jackson's hooves are nice and hard.  He said that it was a real shame that Jackson is insulin resistant, at such a young age, and that he's an exceptionally sweet horse. (I knew that).  Jackson has been doing great since we moved into Oak Creek Ranch and I'm hoping that he does well over the winter.  His weight is perfect and he's trotting around with no pain.  Keep it up Jackson.

Flash was non-plussed by the whole affair.  Ho-hum, he's seen it all.  A new stall and a new farrier aren't worth getting excited about.  His trim was uneventful.  The thing that does get his attention is the flash on the camera.  He hates it. Can you tell?

Winston thought his stall was the rumpus room.  He tried to get his halter off the hook, he played in his automatic waterer and he chewed on the wood..  His feet are strong and healthy.  No surprise.  He was a little nervous about Greg handling his hind feet but he'll get over that.  He's always nervous around new vets, farriers, and dentists.

Greg's favorite horse was Mufasa.  He loved Mufasa's large soft eyes, his kindness and his calmness.  Not to mention what a beautiful boy he is.  Greg pulled his hind shoes and we'll see how he does over the winter.  He'll always have to have shoes on the front because of the quarter crack on his front hoof.

 Brett and Greg hit it off big time.  No surprise there.  Brett always gets along well with our farriers.  Greg said he would be happy to continue working with our horses and Brett has a new friend.  He's collecting them faster than I can keep track.  It's great -- we're getting dinner and pot luck invitations, neighbors feed carrots to our horses, and Marv toots his horn when ever he drives by.

Passage supervised from her perch above the tack room.

Water Works

We did not finish the deal today on the house but we are close, very close.  Monday we will hopefully be done.  In the meantime, work continues.  Brett has been mowing like mad and the property looks so much better.  I love that I can walk around without getting a million stickers in my socks.

And today the plumbers came to fix the barn pipes so we have water.  Yes!  They also repaired a few faucets.  They tried to turn the water off at the house but the valve was frozen so they turned the water off at the well and replaced the shut off valve at the house.  When they turned the water back on, water shot up in the big pasture.  There was a line out there with the faucet broken off.  Who knew?!  So, they fixed that too.  There are water lines to a couple of the pastures so we are very happy campers.

The plumbers left a tall ladder in one of the stalls.  Passage immediately climbed up, rung by rung, to the very top and then explored.  She was happy camper number two.

  Brett told me that Jackson and Mufasa were racing around the pasture, bucking and prancing, this afternoon.  Jackson even attempted some airs above ground (picture those war horses in old paintings, off the ground with front and back legs kicking out at the same time).  When I refilled their pasture water, Jackson was first to investigate.  I think he must have worked up a powerful thirst being Mr. Rambunctious.

Jackson: Whats with the water shooting out at me?  Is it safe?

I think I can squeeze my nose under here and get a drink without getting water up my nose.

Well water is outta this world.  slurp

Then, of course, Winston had to push his way in and demonstrate the correct way of drinking out of a hose.

Show off.