A Snow Situation

Christmas Eve and there is STILL snow on the ground. In fact, snow has been falling on and off the last 5 days! The Portland/Vancouver area has not had this much snow for this long in 40+ years! Of course I have not gone any where in the mess but Russ has been an absolute sweet heart making sure I get out to see Warren every other day or so. He is in excellent care at the barn where he is boarded. They are having no trouble with the snow and ice, other than having to haul water to the buckets as opposed to having it right at the stalls. Warren is happy as can be standing out in the snow when he has his stall door open. The temperatures have been hovering in the mid to upper 20s so it really hasn't been to bad since the teens we had earlier in the week. It is actually starting to warm up today, we are at 33 and snow is starting to drip off the trees! We've got a long way to go though, there is a good 10" of snow to melt through.

Russ wanted to take warren for a ride in the snow, so I obliged him. Warren got a kick out of plowing through all the white stuff! That boy needs a harness and a sleigh!!!

ARCTIC BLAST...

... as the media has been calling it; cold air masses and wet air masses collide and give us snowy icy conditions.

The first few days of the week were bitter cold, but dry. I went out the the barn Monday all set to put on Warren's heavy blanket, the one I got for him when I body clipped him back in Georgia. I figured I'd not likely need it again unless I decided to do a full body clip. So it was stowed away in the trailer. With the major temperature drops at night, I decided he might be a little more comfortable in a thicker cover. (I would sure feel better knowing he had a more substantial coat on!) The lock was frozen on the trailer, and after some convincing I got it open. Then the door itself was frozen shut. So more convincing and prying and it almost came to a hairdryer to defrost it, but it finally broke lose. So Warren is now snugly warm in his blanket. Given the option he still stands out side in the cold.

Since he seemed to be so comfortable in the weather, I decided I'd take him for a ride on Tuesday. The footing in the arena was frozen, but it wasn't rock hard, just crunchy, I figured it'd be good to get his blood moving. It was after work, the sun was going down and the temperatures were rapidly dropping to the teens (no moisture yet, just dry cold air) I bundled up in my awesome warm and toasty fridgaware suit and got him tacked up and lunged for a good long while to get him warm and forward. When it was time to get in the saddle, I reluctantly peeled off my suit to my fleece lined riding clothes underneath. I rode for about 20 minuets until I started not being able to feel my fingers and toes. As long as you stay moving, the cold isn't too bad, but when you stop you cool off pretty quick. Warren was very content to be plunking around the arena, but I wanted to keep the feeling in my fingers (it is really hard to untack a horse with numb fingers!) so I called it a night and got back into my warm fridgeaware suit.

I must say, Warren was very light, responsive and quite willing through the entire ride, this really is his kind of weather!

Wednesday brought wet to add to the cold so we had some snow and ice and the southerner in me refused to go anywhere. Thursday was more of the same so Russ took me out to the barn and we were greeted with a happy looking fuzzy Belgian standing in the snow with practically a grin on his face. I lunged him for a little while and again, super forward and very nice carriage for being free lunged. He is developing some different types of muscles enabling him to move and carry himself differently. It is exciting to see his development!

Winter ICK!

I am glad I got the turnout sheet. This fall and early winter has been unseasonally dry. However, the winter weather has arrived at last. This week beacme wet and then teperatures dropped and are contuing to drop as I type. The HIGHS for next week are only in the 20's... brr! Yet I am sure I will still find myself out at the barn riding.

So I finnaly therw on Warren's new turnout sheet, this week, which was difficult as I new it would promptly get disgusting. But that is okay, it fits well and truely is as it claims; made for the "big fella."

Huge Imporvements!

The past few weeks I have started my rides with a lunge line session to get the big guy warmed up am moving well, without my interference. I have been using side reins to encourage him to stretch into contact and move up behind. He has also been improving in his balance and self carriage as he is better able to carry himself around at the canter. We have also been doing lunge line work over ground poles to work on that hind end and back development. It has all been paying off as he is moving quite well under saddle. I have been working very hard at stretching tall and staying light with my hands, seat and legs. All bad habits I have developed from riding a horse I always thought I had to push forward. Not the case anymore!