Winter Weather Blues

Today was one of those days. In the period of an hour and a half I slipped and fell (twice), got kicked by a horse in the back, wrestled with opening barn doors that were frozen shut, banged out water troughs that were crusted over with three inches of ice, and ended up flat on my ass with an eight foot long metal gate on top of me. Don’t ask how that happened – I don’t want to talk about it.

Whatever way you slice it, weather has the possibility to make – or break – your day at the barn. Nice, sunny weather always seem to equal happy horses and happy riders. On the other hand bad, crappy, snowy, icy weather always seems to equal last minute cancelled lessons, fighting to get the driveway plowed out, unruly horses, breaking your back dumping a wheelbarrow, and lots of broken stuff (gates, fences, water buckets, you name it).

My favorite time to be at the barn working is actually not when it’s nice and sunny out. I love cleaning stalls during a rainstorm or snowstorm (I know, go figure) when the horses are snug in their stalls happily munching away on hay and I can let Finn and Jett loose in the barn to play behind closed doors. I can set the radio station to country and crank it as loud as I want to. I don’t have to get ready for lessons, or give tours… I can just take my time cleaning stalls and breathe in the horses.

So what is your favorite barn weather? Do you like it super hot? Cold? Raining? Snowing? None of the above? Post a comment and let me know!


[ Braveheart enjoying some morning hay ]