Sunday 26 January 2020

Step One

Whoa. We've had a bit of an unintended vacation and I haven't ridden for about a month. No worries, there's no dramatic reason for that and we're all happy and healthy. I've just lacked the drive to get it done.

 The weather has been really challenging, (I think we've set rain records and had only 2 rain free days since November - everything is flooded right now) I've been busy, and the days have been short. Plus, my motivation was simply just lacking. Sophie had earned a little break and Bridget and I have no reason right now to venture out into the wind and rain. The place I board just has paddocks with shelters so drying the horses out after a rainy day ride is pretty difficult, plus with all the storms more often than not the trails have either been blocked or unsafe due to falling trees and branches. It's been almost too easy for me to just pop out my back door instead if the weather breaks for an hour and just hit the in town hiking trails solo.

The snow even stayed for a week! It melted during a giant rainstorm though and this paddock and her stall flooded, so one of my potential riding days was spent stripping the stall (all those $$$$ shavings wasted! :( )and moving ponies to new (on site) accommodations.

I have a few strategies in mind for making next winter easier. The barn owner is on side for adding more gravel to the paddocks next fall so cleaning is easier and mud less of an issue. I'm planning on clipping the ponies so drying them off is an achievable thing, and I'm going ask for one of the stalls in the barn so I can bring them in to groom them and tack up on yucky days, even if it costs a bit extra. Fingers crossed I should also have enough funds saved for a trailer by then so we can zip down to the indoor on the truly awful days. Finally, I'm investing in more and better rain gear for myself...it's hard to want to ride when you're soaking wet and cold just from mucking and feeding and you don't have extra boots or dry rain gear to change into.
Looks like new warm gloves might be in order, too, lol

Anyway, I feel like this is coming across as a big old pity party when in reality I'm not actually feeling too bothered by any of it. If there was ever a time for a riding break, this was it, with a 3.5 year old who really shouldn't have too much work, and a mature Bridget who knows everything (according to her, at least;) . But, while the slow winter has been nice, now it feels like spring is just a couple of months away and we're all ready to get back at it!

Bridget's back to school ears aren't as excited as they could be.

Step One of getting back at it involved giving myself some goals and inspiration and signing up for a couple of spring clinics: a riding one for Sophie (gulp!) and a driving one I probably will take Bridget to (she's driven before, I haven't)

Step two involved making the ponies presentable again. To be fair, I hadn't clipped their beards or bridle paths in a couple of months, but with the pile of hair I took off you'd think I clipped an entire horse.

Before
After. No pic of Sophie's "makeover" because it got dark (and I was still clipping). It will be a surprise to see what it looks like in daylight, lol

The days are getting noticeably longer and warmer again, so the issue I've been having finding daylight hours is going to 'magically' solve itself (along with the bad haircuts :)
SHARE:

14 comments

  1. I want that blue jacket. Where can I get one?

    I recently got new finishing trimmers (face/ears) from Wahl and what a joy it is to have working clippers again. For the last few years I've struggled with dead blades and no amount of WD40 would get them through the bridle path without choking up. Two days ago the metal&electronic garbage collector drove by and I ran out and happily threw them into his truck. Along with a string of dead Christmas lights and a couple old metal fence posts.

    You will have to rent a stall to groom in out of the weather? I've got the same problem here. I have no covered area to groom so I'm often tacking up in the rain, which is a pet peeve. My stall is too dark and small to work in. If I ever design a horse property again, a covered grooming area will be a priority.

    We had a few days that were somewhat icy (-1C) but we're back to mud. Ani came over yesterday and said, "I'm gonna start calling your horse 'Muddy'." I said, "He does his best." I'm not riding since Christmas and am trying not to feel bad about it. Going for walks is challenging enough lately. Bridget will help you train Sophie, what a wonderful teacher she will be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops, I mean "haven't ridden since." My English, I'm losing it!

      Delete
    2. The blue jacket is actually just a hoodie from the Gap. "Gap Fit" brand. My "waterproof" Horseware vest I had on top got soaked through so we were down a layer :)
      I'm going to invest in a proper pair of clippers - currently I have a cheap (dog?) set that I just use to tidy up faces, legs , and manes.
      I have one stall in the barn included with my board, but I use it to store my hay and tack...I'm going to ask for a second one for grooming, because like yours the outdoor shelters have no light and are awkward to work in (although yours is really cute and a big step up from mine!)
      Yes, I feel like I'm gaining a lot more fitness just walking in the ice and mud...it's a challenge! Fingers crossed we both get nicer weather and are back out riding soon!

      Delete
  2. oooh i love winter spa days and getting rid of all that goat hair haha. B looks great! exciting about the upcoming clinics and whatnot. tho to be totally honest sometimes it's nice to just sit back and relax from the hustle for a little bit, esp over winter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The clinics came about because I've really started to embrace the sit back and relax lifestyle, and needed a kick in the butt before I become a sloth person ;)

      Delete
  3. cutest ponies ever. And this has been the wettest winter here too. Not as cold as you probably but i am dying for the dry up to begin. I feel like i should have webbed toes and fingers hahaha

    Can't wait for you to start doing the things again. Remus has goat hair all over his face and his bridle path has grown 2 inches (I just trimmed it a few weeks ago). I am glad i didnt clip him so far he seems to not be sweating too much but it helps he has a stall to dry off in!! I hope that plan works for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fingers crossed! The sun came out for an hour yesterday and we were all walking around squinting and blinded by it, lol
      I'm excited for spring (and more Remus adventures too!)

      Delete
  4. You should see Spud's epic beard, LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bet! He's the cutest <3 His little twin appy mini here is basically half hair right now too. She didn't come with a name so I've been calling her Mrs. Spud/Mrs Potato Head because she reminds me so much of your Spud ;)

      Delete
  5. Our winter so far hasn't been too bad (*knocks on wood). I think your plan to trailer will save you a lot of frustration. Investing in good outside clothes is a really good thing to do and worth the money.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The trailer has sure been a long time coming. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be wondering how I lived without it!

      Delete
  6. They're both so cute! And honestly? I hate wet winters. I seriously was NOT planning on a green horse this winter... I mean, obviously I wasn't but when a horse became the plan, I was wanted to wait because winter and a young horse isn't fun. But, I will say, a trailer is a game changer. I am so close to my trainer's indoor (I technically can ride over and Batt and I did a couple of times) but being able to haul over is so much easier. It's a 2-3 minute haul over depending on if I can turn immediately or if I have to wait for a car or 2 to pass. It takes me longer to go home just because I take the long way home because I find it easier to approach my driveway from the other direction and I have a harder time backing in if I'm coming from the other way (I need to master that, but if I don't have to, why bother?). So I hope you can swing the trailer for next year! I'm potentially trailer shopping as my 1989 trailer is...old.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yours sounds like a similar situation to mine - the indoor really isn't that far, and an easy hack, but not so accessible when it's dark and the weather is terrible and I'm trying to bring both horses! I'm looking forward to being able to have haynets, tack, and grooming supplies on site without having to carry them down the road, too! I'll have enough funds saved by summer, then it will just be luck as to whether something suitable comes for sale!

      Delete
  7. I do love a good winter to spring looks transformation on ponies haha, it used to be normal for horses to have winter off and I think we need to normalize it again.

    ReplyDelete

BLOGGER TEMPLATE MADE BY pipdig