Either my horses’ legs are lengthening or the fence posts are growing shorter.. my fence is too low all of a sudden ! Due to all the firmly packed snow.. lately, I come out in the morning to find maybe one or two horses in a field where they don’t belong. I have my studs tucked away in safer “high security” fenced areas… but some of the younger horses have deciphered a way over the fence. As long as it does not result in anything like the “horses out” experience of late.. I am OK with it. However, it did motivate me to move some groups around some the other day.

I moved the geldings and the one big young stud colt, Sigmund, to a more secure area far away from the teasing up and coming fillies who are feeling the nearness of spring. Then switched the ponies and my pony stud OYY Finnegan to an area down below which I call the Old Suffolk field—even though I have not had Suffolk horses in years… you know how names stick. Sigmund and his fellow gelding playmates were moved 1 by 1 because it is so slippery and after that I decided there was a better plan. I moved the ponies pied piper style, only instead of a flute I used the bucket of grain. A brainstorm—to take a shorter route up the hill through virgin snow. I walked to the top of the hill, shook the bucket.. they didn’t see or hear me so down the other side of the hill I went.. no matter that by this time I had already walked further than I would have by the usual route. And of course the usual route was plowed. Oh well – the deed is done. Walking on this crusty snow is comical and irritating as well. 4 steps on top of the snow, then whoosh.. hip deep. As though you have a peg leg that just collapsed beneath you… 3 steps this time and down again, that peg leg breaks off at the knee… and on and on up the hill and down. Well once the ponies spotted me with the traditional bucket, they all came trotting. Once the new round bale I had set out for them was in their vision, they didn’t even need me to lead the way. Off they went, through the gate, and into the new designated spot for them. Ponies are so smart sometimes !!

Yesterday, my daughter and I decided to brave the trails one more time.. but alas—the snow is just too deep and the horses tired too quickly to get anywhere. Our trail riding for now is at an end. We were able to get up a nice trot down the dirt roads though.. and it was so much fun, we just kept going. We ended up doing the 8 mile loop. In some spots were able to actually canter—fun, fun. Sometimes, trotting on the dirt roads is a tad boring—and I always prefer trail. But it had been so long since I had been out that way, everything seemed new and fresh, it was just as much fun as the trail.

It sure seems as though it is almost sugar weather… very cold at night but warming up as the day grows. The days are noticeably longer now.

Enjoy your sunshine when you can ~