After two weeks of being close or below freezing, which had me dealing with hauling hoses in and out of the hose and breaking ice on horse troughs, heavy rain bookending that cold weather, and in preparation for the cold snap bringing home some bug that gave me a couple of weeks of the worst bronchitis as I’d had in four years (two negative COVID tests), the promised and on schedule January thaw has arrived and with our lows remaining above freezing at night, the early daffodils are emerging from the ground and the horses are covered in mud!
It’s okay. I don’t mind my little mud ball horses, and the weather has me out working on chores that should have been done earlier in the winter season, but between cold weather, rain, and finishing my undergraduate degree, didn’t get done. I’m also grooming horses. (Note: The featured image is a stock photo, because I’m bad at taking pictures, but working on it.)
Grooming horses is part of my “happy place”. I know they love the attention; there’s usually treats involved (see our Amazon wishlist to keep us stocked). But also it probably feels good to get the mud off (Don’t worry, they always find more!) and there is something really good about taking a dirty, muddy horse and making it shine.
They’re still woolly from winter, but I am sure they’ll start shedding before the end of February, and then the cycle will start all over again. Speaking of the cycle starting over again, I know that we’ll find cool weather again before spring officially arrives. But for now, I’m enjoying the January thaw.
Would you like to help keep the horses in horse treats and support the homestead? Check out our Amazon Wishlist. With a variety of items designed to help the homestead run more smoothly, this is the best way to “tip” the blog…err, I mean the horses.
