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Temperatures are soaring this week with consecutive days of 23/25/26c. But the ice just won’t melt! Even on the sunny side of the trail. Trails are covered in all kinds of snow and ice, some slushy, some slick, some rotting with big puddles underneath. It can be a bit disconcerting when you fall through an ice crust into a puddle. Some horses do major spooks when this happens. My guy, nothing. In fact this Florida born boy has always been a bit nervous on slick ice, scrambling to safety at the slightest slide. But this year his maturity and zen attitude has taken new levels. On todays trail, we landed on a hill with what turned to be slick ice and we literally slid down three feet like a toboggan. As soon as his feet hit the crumbly ice, Q proceeded to walk like nothing happened. A wow moment. With the amount of snow we have, we are about 2 weeks behind in trail conditions. But this week, with more rain and warm temps, should be the beginning of the end.  The sound on this video illust

What a lovely week! Blue skies, sunshine, and very warm days with temperatures hitting 23C. The trails are still covered in snow and some ice, which gives off the refrigerator vibe, but the sun is beating hard and making me wish for shorts and a t-shirt. We had our longest ride in weeks, heading out under the power lines, and then back through a forest. The snow was deep enough for a good stretch that the horses got a good workout even if we only walked. Q was breathing hard, and his buddy was in a full sweat. Winter coats (and shedding) are still here, so they havent quite adapted to the warmer climate. We even saw some butterflies today!  Another week of this hot bonanza, and we should have our WTC tracks back in action. minus a muddy patch or two.

These last few weeks were rough. Flu, ice storm, power outage, work … meant I had little time for barn visits or riding. I tried to ride last week but met a bolting demon instead. I chose safety first and walked home instead. I let Q run around in the indoor arena but that ended up as a big fail as he skirted the big lake at one end bucking and leaping, until he tripped and flipped over with his saddle on his back. A big gash was opened over his eye.  I tried to lunge in the limited space left, and I managed to get some of his energy out. I handwalked on the street and on some of the trails. And then today, miracle of miracles, I got my quiet trail horse back and we went out to enjoy some slushy fun in the forest. I probably have only ridden once or twice this last month, and its a joy to enjoy a warm sunny day while there is still some snow on the ground.