The Other Side

**EXCELLENT discussion/input on my last post. I will be doing a follow-up shortly to it since it raised up some very interesting things.

So we've officially survived "Snow-ice-artic temps-mageddon 2015" and have come out barely scathed on the other side. I think we all are absolutely sick of winter and feeling a little cooped up though.

Bacardi lately has taken to romping around on his own accord to amuse himself which is one part adorable and one part nerve wracking. Horses will be horses though & I feel more guilty locking him up inside than letting him romp around outdoors!

Frolicking wildly

Interesting angle

He has some impressive reach with that RH and MAN this horse can buck.  Heres a quick VID on my insta of his antics if anyone hasn't seen it yet. 

Otherwise he spends his days looking ridiculous in all his layers & eating me out of house and home. I think right now he's getting 1 to 1 1/2 bales a day while we try to find another round bale supplier. The struggle is real.

Marshmallow is not amused

Its killing me to not ride. For one, I enjoy it & two, I keep thinking of his muscles just shrinking away and all my hard work going to waste. We will have to double-time it once spring rolls around #boohoo

Lilly has been Lilly. 

Many of you may not know Lilly well, so I want to take a minute to explain her to y'all.

She's quite the Queen B. She knows her job, what she wants and when she wants it. But she also is sweet in a bitchy, endearing way. I would love to say she tries her best to please you, but really, humans are her servants & we do HER bidding. As long as it is in the realms of her acceptance, she will do it nicely (aka being ridden) but otherwise will just do what she wants. I kind of let her be, because shes so reliable and steady, but sometimes her bitchiness is just funny.

The other day I was bringing her in for the night because of the windchills. She knows where her stall is and I rarely ever halter her to bring her in, she just trots around to whichever door I have open.

Sidenote, we have a GIANT sliding front door that usually works. Unless its below freezing and then it will freeze completely in place, however you left it. I try to leave room enough for a wheelbarrow, but I also like to close it because of wind. Its a tough situation.

Anyways, when it freezes, we have to let Lilly in, do stalls, and turnout from the back doors. She will run around to the back if the front sliding door is closed.

This time though, she decided she could fit through the wheelbarrow sized opening and basically BULLDOZED her way inside. It was actually really funny after I got over the initial shock of her doing it/checking her for injuries. 

Icicles on the marebutt face

Mares will be mares!

If he's not raring around his fields at mach ten, Bacardi is begging for TREATS & being adorable in general despite his clothes situation.

"Foods for meh?"

Ice in his tail

Since shredding my very expensive and lovely neck blanket, he's been without protection on his neck from the wind. I think it was a little much for him on the -30* days and when I came home from work, I found him shivering even with a wool belly blanket liner and a heavyweight turnout with belly band. 

I was SO nervous to give him another blanket, but felt really bad he was so cold so I upped him to 3 blankets and  threw on my full neck/face sleazy in hopes that would act as a windblocker. It was my "show only" sleazy that I only use to keep braids nice overnight, but I felt so horrible I threw it on anyways! I just prayed he wouldnt rip it.

He did though, within 12 hours of it being on. Horses man! BUT, he seemed warm enough and happy with that addition so thats all that matters. 

3 blankets felt excessive, but he seemed totally fine so I let him be for  a few days while the temps remained subzero. It warmed back up today for a bit so we all got a breather but its supposed to drop below zero again tomorrow night. UGH! How do people in Canda deal with this on a regular basis.

Our water tank heater doesnt seem to be able to keep up with these temps either so I've had to chop ice constantly. I don't mind so much, its a great workout, just really nervous about them being unable to access water. I thought those buggers were guaranteed to like -1000* or something, but I guess not.

Our bird collection is surprisingly doing well. I for sure thought our chickens would freeze to death., which made me really anxious to think about. They refuse to live in their coop and prefer the barn. I noticed their combs looking frostbitten & really started to worry but they pulled through! The Ladies look a little rough, but otherwise spritely. 

Lady Gaga & Pocahontas 

Our duck brood has also taken up residence in the barn. I've tried keeping a hole chopped in their pond, but with -12 to -17 actual temps, the pond freezes up so thick and fast their hole became impossible to keep large. I also think the actual temps and wind started to get to them and they migrated inside. They discovered hay piles & seem content so I let them be.

Along with OUR birds, Starlings have moved in to the barn and never have I seen more bird shit in my entire life. I had to bring tarps in the barn to cover up my halters, hay, boxes and western saddle because of the sheer amount of bird crap covering said items. I'm not joking, its monumental and now frozen to everything. Disgusting.

Anyone know how to get rid of starlings by chance?

I hope everyone else has made it to the other side fof this freeze without mishap! I've seen quite a few burst pipes on FB and have been wondering how everyone was faring.

Hopefully weather will warm up and we can all get back to riding!