But I live in California!

Or "How I sacrificed my afternoon/evening to make my horse happy."

We got a HUGE storm yesterday. Let me define huge - apartment parking lot was 4-6 inches underwater, the street was underwater, everyone on the freeway was driving 45-50 mph (very big deal - the limit is 65 and most people go 70-75), the rain was sideways all day, and by the end of the day I didn't have any more dry coats. And it rained ALL day. Very unusual, especially for October. In fact, I can't remember ever having a winter-like storm this early in the year.

I naturally was very concerned about Farley. Although it had crossed my mind to throw a rain sheet on her the night before, I hadn't. I don't usually blanket, and although the sheet would keep her dry (I hoped), it would make the hair lie down and she might end up being colder. My only medium weight turn out was Minx's and is WAY too big for Farley. I also worry about the blanket getting soaked and her having to wear a wet blanket, thus I usually rely on my horse's good sense to stay under the shelter.

At lunch time I took off from work and picked up my renegades from UPS (black boots for her hinds) and headed out to the stable. I made up a nice, hot, beet pulp mash and headed out to her paddock. While she ate, I was going to see if the rear boots fit.

Farley has a decent 3-sided shelter in her paddock. Farley wasn't using her shelter. Instead, Farley decided the better option was to run around her paddock, in the mud, at top speed. This (theoretically) was going to keep her warm. Uh huh......

Farley was shivering so hard she was having problems walking. She dug into the hot mash like she hadn't seen food in a month. In addition to the shivering, every muscle was tight and she was responding to everything like she had an incredible amount of adrenaline going through her system. I evaluated my options as I sprinted to my trailer (no small feat in muck boots and a ankle length duster through the mud). I grabbed my heavy cooler/irish knit combo blanket and led her into the feed barn shed. Problem: I was going to have to be more active to get her dried off enough to put a rain sheet on and warm. AND as she was warming up, she wanted to walk around. There was no room in the shed. Time for the next option.

I spotted an empty covered paddock up front. I purloined it for a couple of hours and set to work on getting her dry and warm. I have 3 or 4 coolers. When one got damp, I replaced it with a new one. I vigorously rubbed her down with the coolers and with dry towels. I massaged all her large muscle groups to get blood flowing. I let her walk around. I put hay in front of her and refilled her hot mash. Within a short time she was calm, had stopped shivering, and was acting like the sweet little mare I know she could be. Within an hour she was mostly dry. After 2 hours I felt comfortable putting her bundled up little body back out in her paddock. I decided that the burlap blanket, topped with a rain sheet was the best option. Once back in her paddock she seemed content to just stand in her shelter, having learned her lesson (maybe, perhaps???? I cannot go through all this every time it rains). I checked back 4 hours later in the evening and she was still warm and dry under the blankets.

I did take the opportunity, once she was warm and we were still in the purloined pen, to try on the renegades for the hinds - they seem to fit, although I need to shorten the cables. She didn't react at all to them. I really do love these boots. Right now I'm planning on doing Buckmeadows with them. No concrete plans for the rest of the season with the boots, I'll take it ride by ride.

I'm a little concerned about her left front (same leg as the old bow). There was filling in it last night/this morning which I would expect from the type of weather we've been having (it has a tendancy to fill), however there might be some slight heat and tenderness as well. Really hard to say. Silly horse was running around in the mud.....I'll know better after I see her this afternoon.

So my selfish movie-night-eat-junk-food-because-it's-raining night got cut a bit short, but it was worth it to have a dry, warm, happy horse.