Tag Archives: rugging

Rug Indecision

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I have spent the day looking out of the window wondering if I have got it all wrong with the horses and ponies’ rugs.  Sometimes it is hot, sometimes cold. I can’t win.

This morning started with sleet, so I felt that everyone was keeping dry and warm in their rugs.  They all have rainsheets on – with no fill.

But then, to spite me, the sun came out and it was lovely.

The horses and ponies still have their rugs on because it is a back-killer to keep nipping out to take them off, put them on, take them off, etc.  It also isn’t very warm (a constant vicious north-west wind) and that sleet was a nasty shock.

And the minute I decided everyone could keep their rugs on, until the wind changes direction and it gets warmer again, the sun beat down unmercilessly.

Of course it ruddy well did.

But I have felt under everyone’s rugs and they are either slightly warm or cool so no one is over-heating – I changed everyone’s rug yesterday and it was very hard work, lugging etc.

At night the temperature dips and the range is about 10 degrees. Tonight is no exception  – the forecast is for -5 °C (RealFeel).

Anyway, Fivla says I can take her rug off in August.

Rugs on?  Rugs off?  Rugs on?  I am very uncertain and tomorrow there is rain all day.  I might be slightly obsessing about this, which doesn’t help.

Anyway, here is today’s hairstyle oeuvre.

Gussie (oh my! swoon)

And Lambie (oh dear)!

Tidied and Organised

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I ordered some zip storage bags to put the horses and ponies rugs in – I have an extensive collection because you just never know (that’s my excuse and I am sticking to it). The bags are suprisingly much bigger than I expected. Measuring or sending stuff back is not one of my strengths.  I will never learn but decided to use them nonetheless.

And this is my pile of rugs to be shoved into bags and stored.

My wonderful new shelving did its job and everything is now all organised and easy to grab too.

I have remaining a pile of rugs that I will sell or give away, if anyone wants.  Some are nicer than others.

My smugness knows no bounds at my immense organisational skills.

Iacs’ and Haakon’s rugs went back on at tea time (off in the sunshine for the day) and I am considering nipping out after supper to put the other rugs on as it is going down to -5°C tonight with snow tomorrow (don’t get me started).

The little ones have their hay and containers so they should be fine.

And they all have their thick winter coats too as I am too lazy to groom them yet.  It is certainly not the weather for it.  I might give Tiddles his rug because he needs one.  No one else in that group does.

The Best Rugs

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Not much has happened today which, as you know, is how I and my back like it.  No drama, no fuss.

Everyone behaved at breakfast and that always makes life simple.  Afterwards, I spent my morning on the phone to a physiotherapist who phoned to talk about my GP referral (he never mentioned that). We had a good conversation and I felt I was understood and a plan might be made. You never know.  I am optimistic.

Then some games with Pepper, which involved me trying not to be chewed while someone tickled her tummy!

 

Pepper is (mostly) adorable and very pleased with herself because a few days back, she caught herself a mouse!  All her very own work too.

Because Pepper wanted to bring it home, I had to swap it out for one of the sheeps’ biccies to get her to give it to me to dispose of. Fair exchange is no robbery in this house.  She was a very good girl about this otherwise she would run around with the mouse in her mouth, tail hanging out like a gruesome lollipop!

The old horses and ponies are doing very well living in the centre of the summer track.  The two year old grass there is slowly being eaten down and will hopefully last a little while longer.  My plan is to keep them in their rugs (either a rain sheet or a 50 – 200g fill depending on the weather) while they live outside in bad weather 24/7.  That way, their rugs will do the job of keeping them dry and warm. I think they are happier like this and have wintered better.  They move around more too.

Anyway, that’s the plan.  It’s not a very cheap one, though.  I have learned the hard way that you get what you pay for.

Rug Dithering

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It was a beautiful morning – still, no wind with a winter beautiful light.  There had also been a frost from last night.  There was even ice on the water buckets – the first this winter.

But the horses and ponies were all on good form and pleased to see me.

I even got a smile off Tiddles!

But I am still a-dithering about putting rugs on the old horses and ponies tomorrow and, if I do, I will become that person who I hate most – she who asks for advice and then does exactly the opposite because it wasn’t really advice that was wanted but confirmation that this was the right thing to do – ie, put the rugs on!

I have looked ahead at Accuweather and it is going down to -11℃ (real feel) tomorrow night or as OH just said, when I told him, “Blimey!”

So I will keep on dithering for the time being and see what like tomorrow.

Thinking Rugs

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A lovely sunrise this morning.  Everything looked very atmospheric and beautiful.

This is Iacs eating his breakfast.

Haakon was in the garden eating his.

I had my faithful little Pepperpot with me, always helping or waiting to help.

And here she is helping me get all the rugs out ready for the approaching bad weather.

It is going to be a week of vile weather and I can’t decide what to do so I thought I would be prepared and probably cave on Sunday and put rugs on everyone.  You know me…. hopeless.

I made four piles.

Fivla (left) and Vitamin’s purple pile.

All the 5′ 6″ – which is really all for Iacs.

And then there is a similar pile (5′ 9″) for the husband and wife team that is Haakon and Kolka on the opposite gate.

And my last pile is for Tiddles but he has a container he can stand in for shelter so I am hopefully not going to use them.

As Haakon and his friends didn’t appear this afternoon, I didn’t encourage them (ok, I crept around) and went and made the track a bit bigger for the Shetland ponies so they will have something to eat, rather than me putting out more hay which is not cheap.

So that’s the plan.  Basically I have no plan.