I choose not to ride today because…

[KBC]

I am so over this. This winter consists of an endless loop of

“Do not go out, you will freeze in seconds”
“Hey it’s warmed up, but now s snowing and the roads are bad.

And

“It’s warmer, but blowing a gale, so the roads are filling in”

That’s what we have today, most of the Province has Nice day, but not us. See that picture? See the white roads, “travel not recommended” see those two red crosses. One’s me, one’s my horse. Those white roads, only two in the Province that are showing don’t go…oh and he lives off a gravel road, that will be impassable…

[RedHorses]

I feel for you @KBC - we had much rain yesterday, turning to freezing rain, turning to 20cm of snow overnight. The roads were bad today. I needed the truck to move some things, but I don’t drive it enough in the winter to know its foibles so I chose to leave the 4x4 truck parked and drive my subcompact hatchback around instead. Because I know how it handles the conditions. I will move the things another day.

I chose not to ride because #1 pony is lame and #2 pony’s saddle doesn’t fit (and he finds bareback offensive). I went and changed blankets from rain-freezing rain-snow to extreme-cold-warning…

[Bebe_Falcon1]

Because we currently have a snow squall warning in effect and wind gusts of 85kph. Oh, it also feels like -20C, which when combined with the previous conditions, makes today one of the least appealing of the year as far as having to leave the house

This is definitely a just-go-check-horse-is-still-alive kinda day

[KBC]

Well yesterday was mean, today it’s meant to get above freezing, and rain, only barn is closed for a clinic.

This evening the snow starts again, wind picks up, temps drops to minus scary frostbite in minutes.

I hate this winter.

[RedHorses]

On my way home from the barn today I saw three vehicles in the ditches. Two of them were maybe 30m apart, and the second was almost on its side (narrow shoulders, very deep ditch). I think the road was sufficiently snow covered that the wind literally blew them into the ditch. I drove right down the middle of that stretch of road because I could feel my car slipping sideways in the wind.

Not driving the truck today either!

[rockymouse]

If I had to deal with even a single day of the cold temps you all describe, I would simply lay on the kitchen floor and sob.

(That said, I am great in heat.)

[RedHorses]

My Mum used to say “snow is a four letter word”!

Someone was telling me about his Somali relatives immigrating to Canada. They were entranced by the first snow - “it’s so beautiful.” Within a week it was “How long does this cold last?” (Months, the answer here is months)

As far as I’m concerned anything over about +25C falls into the “too effing hot” category. And yes, we have a disturbing number of days falling into that category too.

[KBC]

I chose to ride today!

I rode today in -24C(-11F) now why would I do that?

Because this is the warm day this week, tomorrow it will be the same temp, but the windchills are kicking in, so it will fee, like -33C (-27F)

Overnights are going to be in the -40* range, no conversion needed, that’s f’ing cold in any measure.

The plows went down the grid 3 times yesterday, so there is a nice wide, clear road to drive down, it was nice.

[Spudsmyguy]

I also chose to ride, yesterday. Still morning here and am work so who knows what the afternoon will bring? The weather report for yesterday was high winds and snow in parts of the state, mostly north of us. We hardly had any wind where I am and no snow at all, just a little breezy. Odin was a very good boy; we worked on shoulder-in at the walk and turns on the forehand.

[Jealoushe]

good job guys! I also chose to ride yesterday! It was a funny day! A squirrel was hiding in our indoor and he must have been scurrying along the lights above because as I was walking toward the mounting block it fell from the sky straight down within inches of my face My horse Veronica and I just looked at each other like ?? what happened…and look down to see a stunned black squirrel then run across the arena and climb the boards to the top again at the other end

The spring battle of the freshies is coming lol

[KBC]

That could of been interesting @Jealoushe​:joy:

We had no disturbances yesterday, beautiful quiet day, working on walk halt transitions, and a little shoulder in, and some lovely leg yields.

The last in hand day I did, it was the day of the day!

[Jealoushe]

your kitty is so much sweeter than my squirrel

[MsM]

I chose not to ride yesterday because the vet was there. I wanted to watch.

Fellow boarder’s horse had some kind of sinus infection with stinky snot spewing for the past couple of weeks. After xrays and consultation it was decided to pull a tooth and drill into and flush the sinuses. Tooth did not want to come out! Horse was properly sedated and nerve blocked but it was a long struggle to get that tooth out intact. (Poor vet had to smell horses stinky nose the whole time) Turns out the root curved in an unusual way. Then the sinus. A cut with a scalpel, then an ordinary drill right into the side of his face! His sinuses were flushed but there was only a moderate amount of goo - disappointing on the grossness scale. Kind of amazing to watch.

[Jealoushe]

We have a mare who had her tooth extracted through her cheek last summer. It’s pretty crazy. Her surgery was very tiring and long too. Thank goodness for amazing equine dentists.

[KBC]

@Jealoushe

your kitty is so much sweeter than my squirrel

I hear he is now hopping on horses, Cowboy Cat wants to ride…the little beast has zero fear

[Spudsmyguy]

What a cute kitty! There’s a cat at a barn I sometimes haul in to that has a cat who looks identical to my dear Violet who passed on about 2 years ago. This kitty is so sweet and comes running over whenever I pull into the parking area. I’ve been tempted more than once to take her home with me.

One time at my present barn I was packing up to go to a local show and arrive at the show to find the barn cat had stowed a ride in my tack room! Luckily the barn manager was at the show and would be leaving early so cat hitched a ride back with her.

I didn’t ride yesterday as the temps were frigid and today looks to be the same but I may venture out for a quick ride later on.

[atr]

With windchill, it’s -6 at the barn, apparently. My lesson was cancelled. I’m turning the heating up and staying home.

[Cabaret_SK]

I wanted to choose not to ride last night, because it was -27C (-16F) before windchill, but mare is rehabbing and needed to move. We didn’t do anything to get her sweaty (lots of walk exercises and stretches), but I certainly regretted my decision when I had to walk allllllll the way across the filed to get her in the darkness. At least there were no coyotes howling in the next field over last night.

[SuzieQNutter]

I choose not to ride today, because we have had a bit of rain.

I also chose not to go to work yesterday, as the bridge at the bottom of the photo on the right is closed and both bread trucks could not get through from 2 different locations.

[KBC]

A little bit of rain

That’s like calling this a little bit of snow