Daily Journaling as an Equestrian January 12, 2024

Friday, January 12, 2024

Talk about cold. Holy Cow, the cold is here, and even colder weather is coming. So cold! Which means I need to think about the comfort and safety of my horses. That is first and foremost of my priorities for this weekend.

My water tank is pretty low, so this needs to be refilled as do the inside water buckets as well. My horses don’t drink from their inside buckets very often. But I want to make sure they have access to fresh water in case they change their minds and decide they want to.

I also need to make sure they have plenty of food in front of them at all times. If they have food, this means they can keep warm by eating. I am also adding powdered electrolytes to hopefully encourage them to stay hydrated.

And as always they will get their mush meals with alfalfa pellets, beet pulp, and the pelleted feed that they love. I feel very passionately about these meals and adding the water, to act as a mash as well as getting a little more water into them – which is always a good thing I feel. If they are well hydrated, there is less of a chance for an impaction colic.

Preparing for Bad Weather

I do find myself getting anxious, and worried about the cold weather, for my horses’ sake. But I have done everything that I can to keep them warm for the next 3 or 4 days as long as this cold weather is here. I will take it one day at a time, and I know there are many things out of my control, such as the weather. But the things I can control, like taking care of my horses, and making sure they have what they need do set my mind at ease a bit. 

And on a happier note, this is a 3-day weekend. So that makes me so happy. It’s nice to have an extra day off, at home. And this allows me yet one more day to plan for the future months when I can ride and be outside! I am so looking forward to that!