I learned something yesterday.

It’s something that I should have already known. It’s something that most people would know. I learned that trying to put a winter blanket on a horse that’s never been blanketed before, in single digit weather, with the unforgiving North Dakota wind howling, as the daylight is almost gone, while you have the flu…doesn’t work. You might wonder why I didn’t practice blanketing said horse this weekend, when I was feeling better, and the temperatures were mild and above average. I wonder the same thing. I’m really not sure why I thought it would go easily.


I put Piney’s blanket on, no problem. But he’s obviously been blanketed numerous times before. Heck the last two winters he’s had a blanket on all winter, and he wore his cooler different times throughout the year, and then I would put his light weight sheet on sometimes, and I even had him in a fly sheet once. He’s a champ. He’s been there and done that. And I might say that he looks adorable in his new blanket. It was too dark to take pictures last night when I gave up trying to blanket his buddy. That and I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. And my legs were going numb, and I was suffering from the tail end of the second worst case of the flu I’ve ever had.

I should have known better than to try and blanket Duke yesterday. I feel bad that he doesn’t have a blanket on, then I realize…he’s never had a blanket on. Ever. He spent his whole life outside in North Dakota with just his winter coat that comes by him naturally. As much as I hate to admit it, that horse is healthier than any horse I’ve ever met. He’s never been stalled at night, he’s never had supplements, his worming schedule has been almost no existent (until he met me), his farrier schedule has consisted of one trim a year and he’s got the best feet I’ve ever seen, he’s never been to a chiropractor, my hubby wasn’t spending a penny on his board for years, and years. It’s not fair! hahaha! I should really be thankful though that we are lucky enough to have him be as healthy as he is. My farrier made a comment that it’s all in the breeding of the two horses that makes the difference.

Anyways, this past weekend I did get piney’s tail braided and bagged. I used my favorite old trick that a friend of mine showed me way back in the day. I used an athletic sock and cut the opening into strips. It works just as good as a tail bag and I was able to do with with something I had at home. Actually the sock was probably going to be tossed out since it’s mate had been eaten by the dryer monster or something…we cannot for the life of us find it! anyways it looks really funny, but it does its job. I’m hoping that with some TLC I can get his tail back to the way it was before he went on summer vacation last year. I hope I can get him looking more like my fancy show horse and less like the hag he’s turned into! Summertime hurry your ass up so I can spend some quality time with my horse!

Looks like he has a foot coming out of his butt...

 Okay so this last picture has nothing to do with anything other than it's really cute, atleast I think it is...Last night I was feeling crappy and was trying to get warm. I lifted up my blanket for a second and Tucker dived under there with his rope and snuggled in. Then Pooper decided to join in the snugglefest and climbed on top of Tucker and the blanket. I think Tucker is actually saying "GET HER OFF ME MOM!" But he stayed put long enough for the pic to be taken :-) I love my little monsters....