winter why are you so HORRIBLE

[Alameda]

why can't you always be bright and crisp, then you could get as cold as you like without interfering with riding

why are you driving spiky wet things at my face today :(

I feel the same.Last year winter didn't really bother me and there was only one week when dpony couldn't be ridden.It's only Dec 1st and I'm fed up with this winter already.Endless mud in which new pony has lost both her front shoes.20 days until the shortest day,then the nights will start to be a tiny bit lighter each night-can't wait.

Its vile this year isn't it. We are vvvv lucky with our grazing in that the vast majority of the field isn't muddy, but to hack out, the ground is just muddy, churned up and sodden. Which isn't so bad for the horses, but for me to walk with ds and for dpony its very hard going.

On the upside, its now cold enough to put a no fill rug on dpony, so I only need to chip mud off his legs, mane and tail. And he cantered across the field to me today, tail and mane flying and looked lovely in the bit of sun we got before it rained at me again.

I'm totally fed up! Dd has lost all inspiration and was even talking yesterday about a day when she might not have ponies
I'm at work outdoors and its shite there too! I'm fed up of being damp and freezing fecking cold!

No it can't be "as cold as you like". At least, not unless it's also totally dry. Yard had ice patches all over today, so did the lane, the schools were frozen solid and unridable. Aargh!

Saggy I work outdoors to [well what little work I have left] and was miserable yesterday.We've just come in and it was 1c in town and -3 back here in the sticks.Bah humbug to winter.

I really don't mind the cold. It's the damp that kills me!

I got knocked over on my arse in the mud yesterday while feeding. It was horrible, freezing, and hideous, and getting up was tricky as the mud's so bloody vile it pulls your boots off

:( beautiful day today but can't ride old man without shoes, the mud has sucked them off

sniggering because is usually me sucking off old men

sorry to lower tone

@ alameda

beautiful sunny day here today with crisp blue skies, the school im at has rubber chippings so it was fine, but none of the horses could be turned out today into the field - just too slippy, icy and dangerous.

our school is an ice rink, you are lucky!

I could have hacked, we managed on Friday, if it wasn't for the lost shoe. it was perilous though, the pony is fine but horse was all walk-to-canter every two strides. He is desperate for a gallop and so am I.

Was nice to brush and have long snuggle with them though. for a minute I thought the brown one wanted to go in his stable (as seen in Private Peaceful!) but no, he was just checking for food.

Is very cold here but dry at last for now anyway. Frozen rutted mud is no fun (with the occasional surprise soft bit for me to disappear into) but at least we have no shoes to worry about, only broken ankles. Have finally given in and scraped enough mud off dhorse to put his rug on as he was the only one left without apart from dshetland. I was putting it off as he is still fat and he tends to kick when you do the legstraps! (he is a horrible horse, but handsome if anyone wants him).
I also did a really terrible job of cutting his tail as it was dragging on the floor. It was too muddy to brush out being very very thick (it takes two people to cut tail, one to hold hair in both hands and one to cut!) so we just hacked about 6 inches off. It looked nice and straight until I let it go - oh dear! Still, it does grow very quickly . Think I'll leave the mane for a bit no Mum you are not hogging him despite your many hints it's keeping his neck warm!

haha at 'surprise soft bits' to disappear into, yes yes yes

it took me about twenty minutes to cross the frozen Somme around the gate today because of this!

no rug on our pony yet, he actually is the warmer of the two, but I think they don't mind this sort of coldness, it's the wind and rain isn't it? Horse is snuggly in his patchwork mended rug, I wonder how I ever afforded to buy so many before

I know, I wasn't going to rug him, he looked perfectly happy to me but my mum was making a fuss. At least if by some remote chance I might want to ride him he will be cleanish I suppose.

I can't believe she wants to hog him in this weather though! How is riding going, if at all?

ooh I love shoving my hands down the neck of the rug and getting all warm and tangly in the overgrown mane

She does mention it from time to time as her old horse (part shire) looked great hogged and dhorse is a similar sort. I think the temptation got to her as she was attempting to comb his dreadlocks the other day but luckily we'd already blunted the scissors doing his tail, ha ha. Thank goodness we have no electricity and the clippers are safely in my cupboard under the stairs, I'm not daft.
I keep thinking I ought to ride, I see everyone else going off enjoying themselves and feel sorry for dhorse missing out, but then I feel a bit sick at the thought and find an excuse . Trouble is it's been so long now I keep thinking he is going to be a real handful so it's a vicious circle. He probably won't, he's actually a nice ride, if a bit bouncy, but it's all in my over-vivid imagination! I know I should get someone else to ride him but it's a minefield getting someone who isn't going to bomb about on him behind my back so that's you out lol.

hahaha you read my mind! I was thinking 'oh I wish I could . . .' until I got to the end

hah!