My Pony Grew Fins

For the photos in this post I am using a new set of actions, called "rainy day gloom."

Just kidding. I don't even have Photoshop. But if anyone has any ideas of how to take good outside shots during 7 months of dreary winter weather lighting, please oh please, let me know! I use a point and shoot, so that doesn't give me many options, no?

Oh goodness, there was plenty of gloom and gray to make me want to snuggle down in the snowman-print fleece pants Paint Girl got me for Christmas and stay on my couch all day long.

But I cowgirled it up and was not a couch tater. I'm pretty dedicated that way, and proud of it. I needed to deworm my horse, and, I wanted to see how he was, give him some loves, and check how his pasture was holding up after the snow melt and flooding.

This about all that is left of the white stuff. Giant piles made from the snowplows. These piles might be around until March.

The arena did not fair so well. Over three-quarters of it was submerged in water around 2 inches deep.

My Boy is wondering.....what do you think we're going to be able to do with this, Pony Girl? I didn't bring my water wings, you know!

My Boy loves the arena pond. He always walks into the water, plays with it with his lips, and drinks from it.

Luckily, the other end of the arena wasn't that wet and although it was mucky, it wasn't too slippery. I had assumed I wouldn't find a decent place to work my horse, but was excited to seize the opportunity to send him out on the 12 ft. line. My Boy was feeling his oats, yet he was smart and didn't do anything too silly, just some head tosses and playful kick-outs. He seemed happy to trot out on the longe line. I can see that he is quite out of shape and lost a bit of muscle tone.

Afterwards, I reblanketed him then we found some grass.

My Boy got his dewormer when we were finished. As you might remember, he is impossible to paste worm without twitching him. Whenever I've had to bute him, I mixed the bute in his supplement and he gobbled it down. I decided to try this tactic with a tube of paste wormer, it was worth the risk of wasting an $12 tube if it worked. I was pretty shocked when he licked the bucket clean. So, the last three times I've wormed him, I've mixed the wormer in his supplement along with tasty treats.

First, I put his supplement in a bucket. Then add the wormer and a little cup of applesauce.

I mix it up, and add a carrot or apple on top.

Then it's always....will he or won't he? He ate the carrots off the top first, then frowned a bit. Took a bite, smacked his lips like a goofball, hesitated..... then continued to eat. I tossed a cookie in there every few bites for encouragement. He got it all down. Sure beats struggling with the twitching and paste wormer!

My Boy's run-in shed was closed off to him for a week as a cautionary measure due to the heavy wet snow on the roof. It was recently reopened, and the shavings were in need of some fluffing. He came over to investigate my work and was quite happy to roll in them afterwards. It always cracks me up how horses like to roll in fresh shavings. Although I wouldn't call these overly fresh. They were the cleanest of what was in there, as I bank the walls of the shed and just scraped some of those into the middle.

I will have to purchase fresh shavings next weekend. My fear is the farm store I get them at might have flooded last week. I worry about all of the pallets of feed, hay, as well as livestock that lived there.

My Boy isn't in the mood to pose, obviously! He always gives me the strangest looks when I pull out my camera. I swear he thinks oh man, it's just my Pony Girl and that beeping hunk of silver inedible metal. Enough already!

I left my spotted pill standing in his shed as it began to drizzle again. When I got back up to the house, I noticed he'd wandered back out to stand in the rain near his tree. He really only uses his shed at night. During the day, he prefers to stand in the rain. I'd prefer that he use his shed and not look like a drowned rat all of the time, but I think he likes to be closer to the mares.

It was good to see my horse. He was feeling spunky and I am getting itchy for spring. The weather forecast looks brighter and dryer for the coming week. Next Saturday he has his farrier visit and I hope to clip his growing Mohawk. Who knows, maybe the arena lake will recede a bit and I'll even saddle up and ride!