Thursday, March 5, 2009

Blanketing in the rain on a Thursday from HELL!!!

First thing this morning, I found a note from Mike. The car has a flat. Great! So he took the daughter's car, since she's home sick anyway.

The day at work went well. Minor little irritations and lots of ranting via e-mail with my friend Candice (who is FINALLY coming to see me in May! WOOT!)

It spit rain for 5 or 10 minutes here and there throughout the day and looking out my window to the South, I saw big fluffy clouds and sunshine. "Great" I thought.

Then I left the building.

WAAAAH???!???

The wind had shifted and was now blowing from the North and was COLD, and coming at me lift a freight train was a wall of black.

I ran (no really...RAN) to the truck, and made it home in 10 minutes. I raced into the house, changed my clothes, raced to the tack room for halters, then raced to the arena to collect Thai and Classy. It was now raining. And hailing.

I haltered the girl (such good girls) and led Classy out the gate. I had thrown Thai's lead rope over her neck and I missed it when she came out the gate behind me. So I was now running toward the barn, Classy trotting beside me (good girl!) and Thai trotting ahead of me. Once I opened the side door to the barn, Thai followed Classy in with no problem.

Both girls were a little damp, so I tied them to the front of the stalls, and went to dig out the blankets. Then the squealing started. Classy squealing at Angel. Angel squealing back. Thai squealing at Jazzy, then at Dobbs. Dobbs getting fresh with Thai.

I brushed them both off and put on the blankets. Classy was first and stood quietly. Thai was fine but when I went to close the front, Dobbs got fresh again and Thai squealed and struck out, catching me in the middle of the thigh with her knee. Yeah...it's going to leave a mark. A BIG one!

I finally got the girls in their blankets and back out to their pens. Only one more to go...Squirrel.

The evil, rotten little turd wouldn't let me catch. Back and forth in the mud...waiting until I could almost touch her, then off she'd go. I finally cornered her and by then we were both soaked! I put the wool blanket on her and patted her dry.

Squirrel was raised and lived on a ranch up in rough country up until I got her. I pretty sure she's NEVER had a stable blanket on. In fact, I'm pretty sure she is totally offended having to wear one now. She probably doesn't NEED one, but it makes me feel better.

It's supposed to drop below freezing tonight. Wet horse, freezing weather....just doesn't feel right.

So I got her pretty much dried off (By the way, go to an Army Surplus store and get a couple of wool blankets. They are GREAT for wicking the moisture off!) I got the blanket on and fitted, and turned her back out.

NOW...I get to feed. In the rain. Cold, wet, and tired. Time for a hot bath! And a stiff drink! Thank God tomorrow is my Friday off!

*end rant*

2 comments:

moosefied said...

OW. I hope your leg is okay!

Good tip about the surplus store for wool blankets!

Snowed here last night and much of the day. :>(

Karen V said...

The wool blankets I have are left over from Mike's career with the Marines.

A friend gave me a thin sheet and I stitched one of the blankets onto it as a liner. It looks like crap, but it's great for times like tonight. It didn't totally dry Squirrel, but it helped a whole lot!