Saturday, January 30, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
The Complete Outfit
A client of mine makes custom polo wraps and I asked her to match Brooklyn's quarter sheet. As it turns out, Rambo has a copyright on that particular color combination (what?!!?) so it proved to be a bigger challenge than I anticipated. Still, she came through and I got to pick these up yesterday (blue, navy, and creamy tan chevron pattern!)
I dragged Mike to the barn for some photos of Brooklyn in his new matching outfit. I think this horse is learning that the camera means it's time to pose.
I took the opportunity to ride briefly in the snow too. Parts of it were surprisingly deep, and Brooklyn had to actually pick up his feet. He was super lovely traveling that way and it makes me excited for future trot work (though I'm getting way ahead of myself here!)
After that, we went inside and had a more productive ride that included running through some dressage tests and practicing our 20m circles on the left lead. Mostly, I was just excited to play dress up though.
I dragged Mike to the barn for some photos of Brooklyn in his new matching outfit. I think this horse is learning that the camera means it's time to pose.
I took the opportunity to ride briefly in the snow too. Parts of it were surprisingly deep, and Brooklyn had to actually pick up his feet. He was super lovely traveling that way and it makes me excited for future trot work (though I'm getting way ahead of myself here!)
| I was all smiles at this point. |
After that, we went inside and had a more productive ride that included running through some dressage tests and practicing our 20m circles on the left lead. Mostly, I was just excited to play dress up though.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Monday, January 25, 2016
Team Sensible
Aarene over at Haiku Farm is doing an awesome series about Team Sensible, aka the standardbreds of the endurance world! I am honored to be featured as part of this series, and I could have gone on about Rayzer, Clover, and, most of all, Ozzy for days. This series makes me nostalgic for the old days, and makes me long for another distance standie to call my own. Definitely go check them out! Lots of great horses being featured, and nominations are still open!
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Blizzard of 2016: Reports from the Frontlines
As I'm sure you all know by now, we got battered by a major winter storm over the last two days. While we were north of the worst of it, being on the mountain means we got hit harder than a lot of surrounding towns. It's hard to say how much snow we got since it has drifted badly due to the high winds. One online update had us at 27 inches as of 8:45 last night (and it was still coming down!) It is pretty consistently up to my mid-thigh in the open areas. There are drifts that are above my head, and nowhere is below my knee any more. The wind was pretty insane too (I read reports of 50+mph gusts in our area, and I believe it!)
The good news is that we knew it was coming and that we knew it would be bad. Therefore, we had ample time to prepare. I dug out all the horse blankets I own. We put hot water in the trough for the horses, fed them dinner before the snow started, and piled hay in the run in shed for them.
This was the first time I've blanketed JR in the time that I have owned him, and I am glad I did. Next time (please don't let there be a next time) I think I'm going to set up a divider in the shed and lock the boys in. I went out in the shed during the worst of it, and it was pretty warm and mostly wind proof. The horses spent more and more time in the shed as it became clear that the storm was not letting up, but they got pretty wet first. Our landlord did offer to let us bring the horses in the barn with his guys, who were locked in the two stalls. It was very kind of him, but I couldn't think of a way to make it work. There are only three stalls in the barn, and one of them is our hay storage/tack area. This means Ozzy and JR would have had to be locked in the aisle together. I was worried about two things: 1)Tookie would lose his mind and rip the stall down to get to my guys and 2)JR would beat Ozzy up and injure him if we didn't separate them. They might have been fine, but I didn't want to risk anybody getting hurt when there was no way for a vet to make it out.
On Friday night, we basically hunkered down and waited out the worst of it. Everything looked good at night check, and we checked the radar and went to bed.
When we woke up yesterday morning, things looked pretty serious. Getting out to the horses was nearly impossible, with snow already up to my knees. We toted hot water down to the trough and brought more hay to the shed. The horses were still dry under their blankets, but they had significant ice in their coats, especially around their legs and beards. I spent quite a while breaking ice out of their manes and chins.
The rest of the day was spent in shifts. While most people sat in, watched movies, and drank beer, Mike and I went out every two or three hours to take care of the horses. We fretted and paced. Me because I was worried about the animals, him because he was waiting to go in to start plowing.
By the time it got dark, I was very ready for the snow to stop. We kept watching the radar, hoping it would be over soon, but the storm seemed to be halted directly over top of us.
We went out after dinner, and I nearly gave up. We brought hot mash out to the horses and they struggled to meet us half way, the snow almost belly deep on them. They hadn't even gone near the water trough, and there was no way to get buckets to the shed. The only electric and water on the property is up at the barn, and it's 400 feet from there to the pasture fence. It's a decent hike on a clear day, but in the snow it might as well be Alaska. It's another 200 feet to the shed. I got about one year's worth of leg day at the gym done yesterday alone.
By that point, Ozzy's blanket was starting to lose its waterproof nature, so we climbed into the third floor loft and dug out more blankets. I changed out both horses' blankets and double layered them. Those of you who know me, know that I almost never blanket at all, let alone layer blankets on top of each other. This was no joke.
I had to take several breaks on the walk back. Being cold was not a problem thanks to the deep, unforgiving snow. I was utterly exhausted though. We tried to take the road back to the apartment, but it wasn't much better, and we had to climb over a six foot snow bank to get back onto the property.
When I got back upstairs, I wrote:
"Night Two of The Storm commences here on the mountain. As darkness falls, the state of affairs becomes more grim. An hour and a half venture to the check point, 400 feet away, revealed snow that is now above my hips. Blankets have been changed and doubled up, and warm mash has been served. The beasts struggled to meet me at the gate, but despite belly-deep and worsening conditions, their spirits remain high. I cannot say the same for myself. A foray to the road revealed surroundings that were not much more favorable, and a chin-high wall of snow stood between us and the return to safety. There appears to be no end in sight, and provisions are running low. With the last of my dwindling strength, I managed to drag myself back to the warmth while Captain Herbie and Private Julio stood watch at the window, but I cannot fathom a return trip. If the driving winds and endless snow do not abate, I fear all will be lost. This is Skillman Base, over and out."
From there, we went into the five stages of grief:
1. Shock: Holy Shit, it's snowing!
2. Denial: It can't possibly still be snowing.
3. Anger: WHY THE FUCK IS IT SNOWING!?!?
4. Depression: *sits down in the snow and cries*
5. Acceptance: Fuck it. I'm going to die snowed in on this mountain.
We went to bed around midnight, and it was still coming down, even though reports had promised it would be over by 8pm.
Before we went to bed, we checked the horses one more time. By this point, they had planted themselves firmly in the shed. I gave them an entire bale of hay, and was relieved to find that they were both warm and dry under their blankets. Standing in the shed had alleviated the worst of the icicles in their fur too.
Mike was not able to get into work last night, for which I am grateful. I'm not sure I could have handled this alone. Our roads and driveway weren't clear yet, so leaving was not an option. As it turns out, things are not going well with the plowing over there. By the time we went to bed last night, we had gotten reports that two of the plow trucks were already broken down. Mike was pretty stressed.
Neither one of us slept much last night, and we were up early this morning. Thankfully, the snow had stopped and the sun was out. I will admit that it looks very pretty out there. The sky is an incredible shade of cheery blue.
The trip down to the horses this morning was far easier. This is partly because I'm getting used to it and partly because we've worn quite a path from the barn to the field. The horses had ventured out of the shed and met us happily at the gate. They seem no worse for the wear.
We fed them a sopping wet breakfast (JR was happy for the extra rations! Ozzy drooled all over.) and I pulled their blankets off. The blankets were still dry and fluffy, and I left them on the fence until the walkway down gets cleared. They drank thirstily from the fresh water in the trough, and I walked out to the shed to see that they still have plenty of hay.
It should get easier from here, which is good because Mike just left to go plow. Reports from the boss are not good. Apparently their equipment can't handle about 3/4 of their driveways, and they're not sure how to proceed. Most clients are being understanding (this is more snow than NJ has seen in 20 years!) but there are the few jerks who just absolutely have to go somewhere RIGHT NOW. It sounds like Mike will be playing "tow truck" and pulling his co-workers out as they get stuck (and they will be getting stuck.) I have no idea when I'll see him again (best guess is 48 hours or so). Tomorrow is his 30th birthday and I doubt we'll see each other. I wanted to ride along, but I have to stay home with the critters.
Mike deserves an award or something. I literally couldn't do this without him. I was just reading an article that talks about horse husbands and rates them on a scale of 1-10. I'm not sure how high a number Mike would earn, with his lugging ten gallons of hot water at a time in two and a half feet of snow, but it is definitely off the scale.
The good news is that we knew it was coming and that we knew it would be bad. Therefore, we had ample time to prepare. I dug out all the horse blankets I own. We put hot water in the trough for the horses, fed them dinner before the snow started, and piled hay in the run in shed for them.
This was the first time I've blanketed JR in the time that I have owned him, and I am glad I did. Next time (please don't let there be a next time) I think I'm going to set up a divider in the shed and lock the boys in. I went out in the shed during the worst of it, and it was pretty warm and mostly wind proof. The horses spent more and more time in the shed as it became clear that the storm was not letting up, but they got pretty wet first. Our landlord did offer to let us bring the horses in the barn with his guys, who were locked in the two stalls. It was very kind of him, but I couldn't think of a way to make it work. There are only three stalls in the barn, and one of them is our hay storage/tack area. This means Ozzy and JR would have had to be locked in the aisle together. I was worried about two things: 1)Tookie would lose his mind and rip the stall down to get to my guys and 2)JR would beat Ozzy up and injure him if we didn't separate them. They might have been fine, but I didn't want to risk anybody getting hurt when there was no way for a vet to make it out.
On Friday night, we basically hunkered down and waited out the worst of it. Everything looked good at night check, and we checked the radar and went to bed.
When we woke up yesterday morning, things looked pretty serious. Getting out to the horses was nearly impossible, with snow already up to my knees. We toted hot water down to the trough and brought more hay to the shed. The horses were still dry under their blankets, but they had significant ice in their coats, especially around their legs and beards. I spent quite a while breaking ice out of their manes and chins.
The rest of the day was spent in shifts. While most people sat in, watched movies, and drank beer, Mike and I went out every two or three hours to take care of the horses. We fretted and paced. Me because I was worried about the animals, him because he was waiting to go in to start plowing.
By the time it got dark, I was very ready for the snow to stop. We kept watching the radar, hoping it would be over soon, but the storm seemed to be halted directly over top of us.
We went out after dinner, and I nearly gave up. We brought hot mash out to the horses and they struggled to meet us half way, the snow almost belly deep on them. They hadn't even gone near the water trough, and there was no way to get buckets to the shed. The only electric and water on the property is up at the barn, and it's 400 feet from there to the pasture fence. It's a decent hike on a clear day, but in the snow it might as well be Alaska. It's another 200 feet to the shed. I got about one year's worth of leg day at the gym done yesterday alone.
By that point, Ozzy's blanket was starting to lose its waterproof nature, so we climbed into the third floor loft and dug out more blankets. I changed out both horses' blankets and double layered them. Those of you who know me, know that I almost never blanket at all, let alone layer blankets on top of each other. This was no joke.
I had to take several breaks on the walk back. Being cold was not a problem thanks to the deep, unforgiving snow. I was utterly exhausted though. We tried to take the road back to the apartment, but it wasn't much better, and we had to climb over a six foot snow bank to get back onto the property.
When I got back upstairs, I wrote:
"Night Two of The Storm commences here on the mountain. As darkness falls, the state of affairs becomes more grim. An hour and a half venture to the check point, 400 feet away, revealed snow that is now above my hips. Blankets have been changed and doubled up, and warm mash has been served. The beasts struggled to meet me at the gate, but despite belly-deep and worsening conditions, their spirits remain high. I cannot say the same for myself. A foray to the road revealed surroundings that were not much more favorable, and a chin-high wall of snow stood between us and the return to safety. There appears to be no end in sight, and provisions are running low. With the last of my dwindling strength, I managed to drag myself back to the warmth while Captain Herbie and Private Julio stood watch at the window, but I cannot fathom a return trip. If the driving winds and endless snow do not abate, I fear all will be lost. This is Skillman Base, over and out."
| Captain Herbie. |
1. Shock: Holy Shit, it's snowing!
2. Denial: It can't possibly still be snowing.
3. Anger: WHY THE FUCK IS IT SNOWING!?!?
4. Depression: *sits down in the snow and cries*
5. Acceptance: Fuck it. I'm going to die snowed in on this mountain.
We went to bed around midnight, and it was still coming down, even though reports had promised it would be over by 8pm.
Before we went to bed, we checked the horses one more time. By this point, they had planted themselves firmly in the shed. I gave them an entire bale of hay, and was relieved to find that they were both warm and dry under their blankets. Standing in the shed had alleviated the worst of the icicles in their fur too.
| Mike assuring Ozzy that it won't snow forever. Maybe. |
| Over 24 hours since we made contact with other humans. |
| JR is tired of being a pony. |
| It's only this clear because of the hot water. |
| Average snow depth. |
| That's a window, not a door. |
| There is a pick up truck in this photo. |
| Still coming down hard. |
Neither one of us slept much last night, and we were up early this morning. Thankfully, the snow had stopped and the sun was out. I will admit that it looks very pretty out there. The sky is an incredible shade of cheery blue.
The trip down to the horses this morning was far easier. This is partly because I'm getting used to it and partly because we've worn quite a path from the barn to the field. The horses had ventured out of the shed and met us happily at the gate. They seem no worse for the wear.
We fed them a sopping wet breakfast (JR was happy for the extra rations! Ozzy drooled all over.) and I pulled their blankets off. The blankets were still dry and fluffy, and I left them on the fence until the walkway down gets cleared. They drank thirstily from the fresh water in the trough, and I walked out to the shed to see that they still have plenty of hay.
Driveway in progress.
| Our well worn path to the pasture. |
The horses really bonded through this. JR was licking Ozzy.
| That would be a 100 gallon trough (usually used for hay) buried in the snow. |
| Standing on a snow drift, looking down at my horses. |
Majestic, drooling Ozmus.
| View from the shed. |
| Tookie looked pretty majestic out there. I'll have to get my real camera out there once it's more passable. |
It should get easier from here, which is good because Mike just left to go plow. Reports from the boss are not good. Apparently their equipment can't handle about 3/4 of their driveways, and they're not sure how to proceed. Most clients are being understanding (this is more snow than NJ has seen in 20 years!) but there are the few jerks who just absolutely have to go somewhere RIGHT NOW. It sounds like Mike will be playing "tow truck" and pulling his co-workers out as they get stuck (and they will be getting stuck.) I have no idea when I'll see him again (best guess is 48 hours or so). Tomorrow is his 30th birthday and I doubt we'll see each other. I wanted to ride along, but I have to stay home with the critters.
Mike deserves an award or something. I literally couldn't do this without him. I was just reading an article that talks about horse husbands and rates them on a scale of 1-10. I'm not sure how high a number Mike would earn, with his lugging ten gallons of hot water at a time in two and a half feet of snow, but it is definitely off the scale.
| Boyfriend of the century. |
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