I think, in the grand scheme of things, I'm grateful for the drenched and rainy spring. Sure sure, it seems like just when one stint of inches upon inches of rain finishes up, the wind rips through, sucking out all the moisture with it... But then, it rains again. And so it goes, I guess (for now).
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| doozy's first time up the old driveway trail! |
The horses really don't love the wet days, tho --- standing out in their muddy sacrifice paddocks while an inch or two of rain dumps on them... not to mention that wind blowing straight up their butts.... Ain't no amount of waterproofing that'll stand up to it.
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this obscenely technicolored forsythia shrub is my favorite <3 <3
also, much appreciation for this ride's chaperone, the ever steady little lord of mischief and his YR |
And to add insult to injury -- the air itself is filled with smells of grass and
growing things. A veritable siren's song, luring the horses away from their stale musty round bales lol. Suffice it to say, it's getting to that point in the season when the horses are READY for warm sun and grass, but spring issssn't quite done with its tricks lol.
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| being brave about leading |
Luckily for Doozy, she's in the winter field that historically housed Charlie's group. In my opinion, it's the best off-season field on the farm. It stays dry and grows grass well enough to usher the horses through seasonal transitions without too much fuss. So ya know. Lucky Doozy LOL.
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| being brave and not bolting home after we reached the turnaround point! |
The decision making about which group goes into which paddock is well above my paygrade at the farm, and is apparently based on some sort of impenetrable alchemy that defies basic logic (seriously tho)... And so Doozy's group of predominantly grass-sensitive ponies is on the lushest spring paddock. And Charlie's group of almost entirely gaunt TB geldings (and Spirit, also gaunt), is in a paddock best described by "rocks," "steep slopes" and "mud."
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| another farm favorite --- this gorgeous old magnolia by the main house |
I'll leave it to you to figure out which of my horses is having slightly happier days right now than the other.
But ya know, c'est la vie, amirite? Spring is a wonderful time of year around this region in that everything blossoms and the trees burst into hazy green buds... But the grass is still more of a tempting distraction than source of actual nutrition haha. So maybe everybody is frustrated lol.
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| guys i really really tried to get a cute portrait-y "Mare in Flower" type shot but... |
But I really like this time of year. Rain and all. The longer days in particular have definitely added a relaxing element to evenings at the farm. Much easier to get everything done, right? Tho, eh, I haven't been aiming for riding both horses each day anyway bc it's not clear that Charlie is totally comfortable tbh. Like he's an absolute feral monster who would benefit from some proper exercise... Except... Idk. We'll probably make an appt to see what the vet thinks.
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| doozy was more interested in the nearby fresh poo. #horses lol |
Doozy's done well enough as the main attraction, tho. Normalizing riding in all of our farm's outdoor rings - still a work in progress but getting there! Can usually do wtc on purpose even when it's hard lol.
AND!! Making a little progress on the whole 'hacking' situation!! Not out into the big xc fields yet bc again, the rough board horses never came in for the winter (??) and we aren't quite ready to ride among loose herds... But still!! Learning to ride out even just in the various laneways and bridle paths around the farm is still progress.
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| in other news, the barn panther brought me a gift. i think this means we're friends now?? |
So I guess you could say we're easing into the season! Part of me feels like we should be "doing more," bc isn't that always the feeling?
But I'm kinda savoring it a little bit --- like, the feeling that "
it's all ahead of us," right? There's hopefully a lot to look forward to this year, in whatever capacity seems likeliest to bring enjoyment of this crazy horsey habit.
We're having the same wet spring. Fortunately the area both boys live now is VERY sandy and drains incredibly well. Poor Charlie in the muddy rocky pasture, that's gotta not be great on delicate feet. I'm glad Doozy is continuing to expand her horizons for riding areas!
ReplyDeletedefinitely jealous of your sandy footing!! a lot of xc facilities around here right now are having to close or cancel scheduled schooling days to protect the footing from getting wrecked... at least charlie's feet actually typically do ok in soft wet conditions, it's the hard dry summer conditions that really take their toll on him... tho lol he ain't exactly sound anyway tho so who knows!
DeleteOof, I feel ya. Part of the reason for Ben's hiatus is bruised hind feet (you might ask how a horse with shoes who doesn't kick managed to do that...) and I was really hoping all the rain would keep him more sound this spring.
DeleteBoo that events are getting cancelled, but it's totally understandable. I can't wait till you get the Doozy mare out XC!!
Today the precipitation shook things up by being snow. I can’t even. 😥 but the grass is changing and the horses are ready!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could muster up that cheer for this spring we're having... Lol! All it does is rain and wind, wind and rain. But spring has to be coming... It always does!
ReplyDeleteI hope Charlie is okay. Maybe he's just jealous that his sister has the good field.
It's been super wet here, too, with actual sleet on the ground yesterday, so Bird's has had the week more or less off. But we are getting outings here and there when it's fit and his fitness is coming along. I feel we're in a decent place for early April even with all the rain.
ReplyDeleteMy ground and footing is pretty much trashed now. After a relatively dry Winter, we are making up for it in spades. SO MUCH RAIN. I agree that learning to navigate all the paths around the property IS making progress. All part of her education. Not to mention a great way to enjoy the season's new foliage- very pretty!
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