In which Sn*w becomes a 4 letter word

We went from this, at the very end of February... (27th) 

To this (my drive home from work, on the 1st)

I, of course, had helpers in the barn.

And a new addition in the barn. 

And there was more.

I mean, pretty, but I'm over it. 

And I went out to the barn to discover that a certain stubborn mare had not left the barn ALL DAY. And promptly got stocked up in one leg.  (March 7)

Compared to her other hind.

So I cold hosed that day. It wasn't tender, or hot to touch. She was probably thinking, "CHRIST, woman! THERE'S SN*W OUTSIDE AND YOU'RE HOSING MY LEG?!'

But I thought ahead and had the space heater going so she can suck it. And I always only have it on if I am in the barn. 

Since she was being obviously stubborn about being in the sn*wstorm, I put her blanket back on  (she hasn't been clipped...) and put extra hay out in the sn*w to force them out.

My drive to Kaylee's school (March 8)

My forcing them out in the sn*w worked. Saffron is displeased.

The swelling is only on the outside of her hind and I obsessively checked it every day. 

I still had helpers.

I stopped cold hosing after that first day based on some advice from other horse people and just massaged the leg. It was getting progressively better each day and she was fine with weight bearing and there was no lameness I could see. 

Hazel tries so hard to chastise Gwyn when she steals Saffron's food. Gwyn ignores her.

March 9, getting better.

I got new hay bags since my old ones were either falling apart (looking at you, Tough-1) or had giant draft nose size holes in them, negating the benefit of slow feeder (Hay Pillow).

My new ones are Hay Chix slow feeders.

March 10 I had to go to work and had a helper but then we got to do some fun stuff.

Like go to the Michigan Horse Expo in Lansing!

Gwyn's leg was pretty much back to normal.

And I discovered that my now obviously spoiled horses were getting PICKY. They ate ONLY the alfalfa and left the timothy. Don't let them tell you they're hungry. The bag on the left is what they had sitting around ALL DAY.

Spoiled mare.

We burned a bunch of cardboard.

March 11 was much sunnier and there was STILL leftover hay so that got dumped out of the slow feeders. Things are slowly melting. Just an hour south has a 10 deg temperature increase, so we are still encased in sn*w when the rest of Michigan has nothing, it feels. 

And this was this morning. Sunrise over my pasture. And sn*w is coming down again today.