Wahoo! Our first real snow! Okay, that's as enthusiastic as I get about anything that happens in cold weather. Yesterday it was a slushy mix but this morning's little snow shower actually stuck to grass, porch and hot tub.
As my English friends say, I'm shattered. I cannot believe how much I overdid it yesterday. And I knew it. I have such a competitive nature (even when there's no one to compete against except myself), I regularly do myself damage. Sweeping and shoveling are two of the worst motions for my neck muscles and spine. I swept the entire barn (it's a double barn with probably 24 stalls total) again yesterday. I lugged bales of hay and moved leather saddles here and there. And best of all, I groomed horses on my own. Curry comb, hard brush, soft brush, mane and tail brush and hoofpick. I'll tell you, that whole picking a horse's rear hoof with your head down there close to that thar hoof ... that's bravery for you! Actually, with these horses, it's not but they are big animals and can be spooked so caution is always in order.
While we were out in the fields feeding the horses their grain we were also grooming the ones who didn't have to come into the barn for use. We were in the field with four males and I was assigned one to brush. After he finished with his grain bag he was also finished with standing still. As he walked across the field, I walked along side brushing and talking all the way. As we reached the closed gate to the next field I felt a presence appoaching from behind. I turned only to realize all three of the other horses were moving in and one was pulling up alongside of me. An Yvonne sandwich was not on my Monday menu and that's precisely what was intended. They were feeling exceptionally frisky due to the early morning snow and they were gonna show the newbie human who was boss. I scolded and physically pushed the squisher away as the barn manager was yelling a warning to me. She told me to open the gate to let them go into the back field. My horse traveled through first and walked well into the field. Squisher walked in but stopped and as the third horse walked in, Squisher kicked out at him. He backed up with a bucking action and startled the horse who was walking by me through the gate. How I didn't get my toes stepped on or a big horse head knocking into me, I don't know. Apparently, from the reaction of the barn manager, I should have been freaked out. Ignorance is bliss, I always say. I felt it was not that close and I didn't feel truly threatened. Shoot, my sheep herding trainer's ram scares me far worse than these animals. The barn manager laughed when I said the boys sure were feisty this morning and told me what she'd call it. I'll stick with feisty!
A little later I retrieved Buddy, the draft horse, from his pasture. While we were walking we had to stop for another horse who was being walked. That gave me a chance to compare our feet. I was wearing my size 8 muck boots and his hoof was as long as my foot! Amazing. I would have love to compare my bare foot, without boot and three pairs of socks, to his huge hoof but it was cold and I don't want people thinking I'm strange. Not just yet.
I have so many things I should accomplish around the house today and I have to buy a birthday present for a friend who's having her 40th birthday party tonight. I guess I should get the ball rolling and hope that my kinked up muscles will relax with movement. At least the sun has come out in full force, if had stayed overcast and grey all I'd be doing this morning is crawling back into bed!