Polar vortex again...

Sigh, this winter has been trying.

On the 'good days' when I have a bit of mid work week time, this is what we do. It's still productive but it's HARD walking through the 2-3 ft of snow piles and ice to get to the snowy summer pasture.

Oh well, as long as this fuzzy angel face is having fun...I don't really have a thing to complain about 

ZOOOOMIES

and then La la la la la la

What a funny boy. He has such talent..I'm going to try to do something more with channeling it this spring/summer

The puppy brothers snuggling in for a warm mid day nap

Greek holy water that you take home to sprinkle on your family and home.

(and dogs and horses)

Another mid work day, time enough to check on fuzzy (that temp was about 14 and he was doing great sans blanket) and stuff both the boys with hay to get out of the wind

SPOILED...as we like it ;)

***
Saturday morning, waiting out a snow storm before our barn visit. Mason could care less that I had made lemony Dutch baby pancakes with powdered sugar and black tea with coconut milk

His eyes say "GET DREZZED IN UR STINKEE HORSIE CLOTHES AND LESSS GO!!!"

So I did.

I drove out to the barn in a white out. I didn't even care. I just wanted to SEE my horse and not be pressed for time. Snow, windy, whatever, I was going.

It was windy and cold and snowy, but temps were in the 20's so I wanted to yank his blanket and allow him to run free and naked. It was snowing SO hard I doubted myself. I took him inside the barn, yanked the blanket, groomed him and when I walked back out 10 minutes later...

Sun and no snow! I literally ran back in the barn, grabbed my bitless bridle and helmet and decide to hop on bareback. I didn't care if it was for 15 minutes, I was going.to.ride!

It felt so good. Like soul feeding good.

The snow was powdery, the wind stopped, the sun shone through...hello and thank you horse gods!

 We did a couple of trot sessions but between his BIG lofty snow trot and the slippery ice underneath, I didn't push it. I didn't want to bounce off or have him slip and hurt himself. So we just ambled around making patterns and riding softly. I probably rode for 25 minutes, but it was so good.

 Cookie face afterward. 

I stuffed him full of cookies for 

A. allow me to scramble up on his back bareback when I was needing about 18" more in height to get up

B. Listening under 'bareback'

 This boy is food motivated like a dog

 This little French munchkin is healing really nicely and I'm happy to report his bad breath (like a shrimp boat) is gone!
He is such a good little patient

My best boy for late night cuddling and my barn co-pilot

Stay warm!

Laz is currently blanketed and I can't wait to yank it off him tomorrow!

After the freeze

Happy to report that the Arctic blast was a non issue for our ponies! Last Friday the BO and I met to have a lovely winter trail ride. Weather was 33 degrees (warm!) but as we tacked up, we realized...Uh, we are totally snowed in. No gates would open enough for our horses to get through.

So, we just hacked around their pasture.

I was convinced Laz would be so lazy and tired from working so hard to stay warm...uh no. Firecracker pony, BUT with manners. It did take him a good 20 minutes of warming up and pushing forward to get him to snort out a "OKKKKKK" and starting thinking.

Silly boy

Fuzzy ears in a Topline Leather beaded and crystal browband. Don't mind if we do!

I've be alternating his bitted with bitless just so he's comfortable in each.

Happy to report, he goes along the same in both

I definitely ride different when he's bitted, as I try to avoid hanging on him for balance and try twinkling my reins vs pulling.  I developed bad habits so I'm working on them

We had some lovely bouncing, and lofty trotting through the tall snow!

Pito (the BO's horse) was having a hard time so she was going to cut her ride short. I offered for her to play with Laz, while I sat on Pito so we could both have fun trotting in the snow.

They looked great!

Chubby pony alert! (love that belly)

***

The next day I wante to drive out but waited until Sunday as the roads were a mess!

 Sunday  it was in the low 40's. HEAVENLY!

However, it caused a big melt of a lot (uh a lot) of snow and things got icy and sloppy pretty quick

The dirt road leading to the barn, no road riding for a bit... (total sheet of ice)

I was due to have a lesson to work on Laz's bucking (and overall uncontrolled excitement out in the front pasture) but with the weather, it's hard to pick a day and hope mother nature will cooperate. So, we've kept to having positive, successful rides where he's comfortable to work on a happy partnership again.

I rode him in his bitless and we played in the snow.

He was loose, forward, snorty and awesome

We like to make hearts in the snow

Laz smiled out of no where (oh wait, I DID have cookies in my pocket and he knows it)

I was using treats as a 'good boy' for his forward action with no silliness.

Laz has also learned when I say "gooooood boy" that he thinks it means STOP. So, we'll trot along and I'll praise him "GOOOOD BOYYYY" and he halts proudly. He is too smart!

So, I just shut my mouth and rode him and he was 100000% a team player and awesome. I ended it on a great note without asking/asking/asking until he feels I over ask (which I can do) and it was glorious.

I love those great days of riding with a true giving partnership.

***

Laz is due for a trim towards the end of the month.

His thrush is closing up a bit more and I see some changes in his sole (good changes!!!) on his lateral side...

This has closed even more since photo

After the storm, my feeder pan was BURIED in 2ft of snow, which is I feed Laz his warm, soaked salted hay cube mash.

Guess who dug it out and proudly carried it for an hour

What a bubba

Melted in my lap on the couch later that night

Midwestern arctic horse

I'm sure everyone is hearing about it.

It's cold here in the Midwest. Like C.O.L.D. spelled with a F!!!!!!ing

You know, weather you see on Nat Geo Alaska shows when you are bundled up in a blanket saying "WHO IS CHOOSING TO LIVE THERE!?" 

That kind of cold.

And we are in it. 

We are almost through it thank the lord baby colt jesus!!!

Prior to the Arctic blast that was sent down from the demon ice gods, we had normal cold weather but do-able. Snow riding and training can be fun when fresh, lofty and clean.

Laz's feet always do so well in the snow and he seems to love to play in it.

We did some pasture work and hill work. There was ice under the snow in his pasture so we walked out to their summer pasture to play in.

He's been naked and doing well (as you can see below--Le Boeuf cake)

Mason's been helping out and I suspect his left knee is starting to show signs of a future replacement...sigh

I've actually kept him home during this deep freeze. Even Labs can't manage temps of -30 below.

Yes..without the wind chill we were ranging of 0 to -12 degrees. WITH the wind chill it is/was/is dangerously F'ing cold.

The night prior to the BLAST was mid 30s with a lot of snow so I left him unblanketed.

I know some of you literally may gasp. BUT.I.ASSURE.YOU. he was warm under the icicles. I promise.

He has great shelter (two open stalls and an overhang) and 24/7 hay 

Even I, gasped when I came up to him like "HOLY F ARE YOU OK"!?!?" But he was toasty and warm.

However, the next morning we were due for heavy snow (we got over 18" at the barn) so I knew I wouldn't be able to get out to the barn prior to the deep freeze....

So I brought in the wildebeest and prepped him for this crazy weather.

I just laid towels over him, and fed him his warm soaked and salted hay cubes.

Within 15 minutes he was thawed out

I put on his turnout (which is breathable so you can toss it on when they are damp) and gave them some extra hay.

Timing was great, the barn got a fresh delivery of 2nd cutting soft beautiful hay

Then the storm came.

She came in BIG TIME. 

It is and was scary. Cue lots of frantic texting, and online researching and reading FB posts of scary reactions, all feeding to my anxiety of "MY HORSE IS GOING TO FREEZE AND DIE!"

But those two fuzzed up OTTBs are hanging in just fine.

Despite two days of being snowed in (even the plows couldn't get through) they got a bale of hay 2x a day and have a working heated water tank.

Sunday I couldn't get there (way too much snow and by Monday it was 100% impassable)

Tuesday, early am I soaked a huge bucket of hay cubes and Billy and I went out.

We couldn't drive in so we had to walk the summer pasture in 2ft of snow (drift was terrible) in -8 degree (windchill was minus who even cares because it's beyond crazy cold). I was gasping for air and it made for breathing really hard. We split the warm mash between the two (warm!! WTF) boys.

Their blankets had sheets of ice but they were super warm underneath. The blankets are serving more as a windbreaker and portable shelter so they can continue moving.

It's hard to see your horse with ice balls on his eyelashes, and ice coated whiskers, but his ears/nose are warm. I checked all his hooves and they seem fine. I fell asleep last night thinking his RH was going to be black with frost bite (yes I go there....)

So far, they are good.

It's impressive how well they can survive.

I do feel they are better being able to move in/out as wanted/needed with their piles of hay vs locked inside.

The text last night was they were huddled together in a stall eating together.

Stay warm bubba! We are almost through this!

***

For any Pudgie fans out there...(I mean who wouldn't be?!)

On his way to the vet in his down puffer

The littlest got 7 teeth removed (rotten!!) and a cyst removed that grew in his neck (benign)

 Drugged Frenchie! 

(actually doesn't look that different to sober Frenchie LOL)

His incision for his cyst

This little man was a trooper! Came home, ate dinner and has been acting 100% normal despite sutures in his MOUTH and leg (skin tag) and neck (cyst)

BIONIC pupterton

Big brother Mason taking care of his stinky patient

Hoping all the furkids maintain their health!!!!

How are you all surviving?

Welcome 2014

Happy 2014 to you all!

Below a small compilation of our year together

One of my favorite days of just Laz and I together...this was something I had never really set as a goal, but we did it. WE DID IT

I rode my horse with such pride, happiness and awe that day

Here were my 2013 goals:

#1-Continue to keep Laz healthy, happy and sound---CHECK

#2-Work more on Laz's riding form (and MINE!)--STILL AND ALWAYS IN PROGRESS/GROWTH

A better balanced canter (sans attitude), a more active Trot and maayyybe some gallop work??

#3-Take a winter trail ride--CHECK(ING)

#4-Go camping with Laz--DIDN'T DO BUT HOPE TO

#5-Try jumping 12"-18" or X rails or Logs out on a trail--NOT YET

#6-Work more on our Parelli, (at Liberty?) and really try to focus on our partnership--CHECK

***We did two clinics (at other barns) and rode alone in the trails--not even on my list but so happy we did it!!!

GOALS FOR 2014

1. Keeping Lazarus happy/healthy/sound--always #1

2. Continue to work on our riding partnership (I have a lesson booked for Saturday as he's been so colt like lately)

3. Work on equitation and getting him interested and active (maybe introduce x's or rails on ground and work on in saddle if he's sound for it)

I don't really have anything in mind that I hope to achieve other than trying to do something new/different whatever may come. Another clinic? Riding out alone more? We'll see what is in store for us! 

I look forward to another fun year with my perfectly imperfect gentleman of a horse

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND YOUR PONIES!