Another snow for 2011

I could hear the snow trucks every 20 minutes before dawn.
As the weather has YET to stop snowing, the efforts of all those workers was all to no avail.

I live ALL TOO close to a FIVE lane highway.  Doesn't look like anyone has tried to clear it, but trust me the workers in my area were buzzing with scrapers, sand and salt too many times to count.

I truly expected the highway to be clear, with it this bad, I started to get worried about my drive to the barn.

Stepping out into the snow... this is the sidewalk that goes to the highway... I didn't mind it so much, as the texture was not what I consider deadly... So on my way we go.

I put corn oil on my horses feed every morning and every night.  WHY because it helps coat their intestines during the high season of colic...AND it creates more oil in their coats to retard wet weather etc... ALONG with the fact... it is fat and helps them with a little (not much) heat.

I was packing in with... corn oil, mittens, two bridals, and a bare back pad just in case I got to ride in this beautiful snow.  I love riding in the snow as does SweetPea.  It is beautiful and QUIET.... two things she enjoys.  (as do I)

I put the oil in small containers then also in zip locks, just in case I fell.   I tend to do that climbing a mountain in the snow and ice.

I did my best to dig out the truck, and get on my way...

This is one of the few more level roads in the area... so I took a snap shot.

As soon as I saw Sweetpea I knew I was in trouble.  The look on her face!  I quickly got her in the stall, checked her from her feet up.  Sure enough she was frozen... Have you EVER known a rain coat to FREEZE to a horse?   NOT me, but I experienced it for the first time today! 

I quickly took the sorry thing off, took off my sweater and wiped her down, trying to get some of the water out of her hair.  Got a barn towel, rubbed her down again... She was REALLY shaking and I was getting worried.    I put the wicking blanket on her, then the quilt blanket on top of that.   I then started in on getting the ice out of the water when... by the grace of a higher power, my neighbors showed up.

I wanted badly to get the horses out, I wanted to pull the kids back up the mountain as they sled down BUT not with the issues I had this morning.  L.(as I will call her on line) My sweet little neighbor, is in love with horses, she brushed and loved on SweetPea as I took care of other issues.  water, feed, hay, alfalfa and oil.

Chris helped me with the water container.  It was getting low and I didn't want the "crud" in the bottom to be an issue with Sweetpea being so cold.  We turned it over; and GG (as I will call her on line) held and played with the hose pipe filling the container back up for me.  I was then able to tend to ... Navarre.  

You have to understand... this horse is phased by nothing (thus far) all he cares about is food!  I can not give him very much feed, I can only give him grass hay, but he weathers cold like it was 70 degrees outside for you or me! 

This is how I found him

He (Navarre) was covered in ice head to toe.... 

His ears had little chucks of ice hanging from the hair inside to out!  

This was his stomach... 

His feet... while covered in ice I felt my way through all the ice and found NOT ANY of it was within 1/2 inch of his skin.  He was fine!     

This kid will have me as worried as the other... the first day spring hit 50 degrees.  I'll be wanting to shave him to keep him from over heating.  

Sweetpea is the hardest horse to get a blanket on, much less a WELL fitted, PULL over that is snug as a rug... While Navarre! give him hay and throw it over him, he could care less.

I left them both as well as I could.... fresh water, alfalfa, a bail of hay, and clean blankets.

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 I love my kids... it took me over five hours to get there, do my work, and get back home.  I've been home a little over an hour and I need to leave to do it again in another hour! 

Life!  It will keep you fit if you  need it to... apparently there is a power that has deemed me in need to stay fit!