I fed dogs, booted up the computer, then headed out with mush for Whinney the toothless pony, and hay for the rest of the girls. It was 7 am, with 10 inches of fresh snow on the ground, and the wind blowing some more flurries around. I'm still pretty numb at 7 am, especially before coffee.
When I came back in the house and checked the weatherbug, the computer said 23F. It sure felt colder, but it was darned chilly in the house, so thought it was just me.
After coffee and breakfast, I headed back out to grain and muck, and even with a couple of hours of hay in their tummies, Jen acted cold. She wasn't shivering, but she was acting like she was starving, and a little anxious. Everything else seemed fine.
I thought perhaps it was because there was no sun, and the wind was blowing a fine mix of sleet and snow around, even though she had done so well when it was 10 with wind chills down to 1 and 2F, the sun was out and it was clear, so she could soak up the sun. I put her blanket on, and within an hour she settled down.
I headed back in the house, and had to reboot the computer because it was moving like molasses in January (gosh, I need a new computer, this one is older than my 7 year old son!), and when it all booted back up, my weatherbug said it was 14! No wonder she was chilly, with the wind whipping that snow around, and why I couldn't get the house warmer than 60.
Ah well, all snug as a bug in a rug now. I guess she can handle the cold when its nice out, but combine it with precipitation, and its just more than she can handle yet. I'm so thankful for horse blankets! It pays to watch your horse, and know their habits, and how they act all the time. I usually sit for about 15 minutes before leaving the barn after feeding to watch them, make sure everyone settles into their hay and none are feeling off. It is well worth the effort.
Here she is, hiding inside while her sister checks out the neighbor plowing his driveway.
