Blankets, blankets, blankets

Yes, cold weather creates more work here at the barn because everyone needs their coat, but the way I see it is at least the horses aren't standing around the water troughs begging to be hosed off, right? I personally would much rather the sweltering Florida summer heat over any temperature below 60, but many of the horses thrive in the chill!

With expected temperatures to drop below 40, possibly even down to 36, John and I set out to feed in the evening, blankets in hand. At least since it has been cold a few days now all the creepy crawlies are, sadly, dead, and I don't get too nervous pulling blankets off the racks. As a matter of fact, not one single insect came scrambling out of the blankets.

All the horses are excellent when it comes to blanketing with the exception of Jedi. But he's a cranky old man and is allowed his quirks. Oh, and Ufir decided she was comfortable with her fur coat and made sure blanketing her was out of the question. At least I got her underweight counterpart blanketed! Even sweet Molly got her jacket this evening.

Bodhi and Cas laugh in the face of winter! We don't need no stinking blankets! Actually, their coats always feel warm in the mornings without their blankets, so I would venture to say they aren't wimps. They won't need a jacket until it dips below freezing.

Magic hasn't grown much of a coat but he does have a nice layer of fat under that speckled skin. I still blanketed him because I'd rather him be a little toasty than too cold. We'll see how warm he feels under his blanket in the morning.

Tav, Dusty, Pokey, and Goose are pros with their blankets and never give any trouble.

Shellie, a 5 year old, acts her age but in a very kind way! She hasn't been around the block yet, but she is a sweet girl and tries her best not to be a stereotypical Thoroughbred (like Dancer!).

With everyone snuggled up in the barn with oodles of hay, we closed the barn doors and as usual, released the donkeys to free roam.

It's expected to drop even lower tonight, possibly below 35! So make sure you get your visits in while the sun is still shining :)