The horses have begun to shed their coats.
At first I was alarmed when earlier this week I got a handful of hair while grooming Barney. I thought it must have to do with an earlier skin condition he had been suffering from. Then I moved onto Hucky - and got a good pinch of hair between my fingers from him too! So I take comfort in knowing the horses are beginning the process of shedding their coats. They actually respond to the amount of daylight in growing and losing their hair. Another reminder that Creation has got it all figured out for us - we just need to relax and trust that everything is on schedule.
Still, today is it minus 29 C in the barn.
Although our toes are numb and it hurts to breathe, the horses are doing just fine.
Everyone but Barney has their winter blankets on and that’s helping them naturally keep their body temperatures up. Barney - at almost 2000 pounds and 19 hands high, can’t fit into a ‘normal’ horse blanket. Next year maybe Santa will bring him one made to order.
While we shudder at the thought of spending the night outdoors, they really are fine in these frigid temperatures. Their winter coats are thick and warm, and since they live outside all year, they have adapted to the cold starting from the first chilly night in September.
Cheri
