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?