Too Cold to Ride

I know that I'm going to provoke a hail of snowballs for this post, but it's too cold to ride. It's almost too cold to feed the horses, but I know that Buddy would come inside and get me so I put on everything I own and go feed him and Lucy.

We're having to keep the beet pulp and alfalfa cubes inside the house to soak because they freeze at the barn. The horses have on every blanket they own. Tonight may be a record cold temperature. I've got all the faucets dripping and the pets with paws inside. (Pets with hooves, so sorry, you're not housebroken.)

Yes, yes, I'm in S.C. and we've had such a mild winter that I haven't taken my T-shirts and lightweight pants out of the closet (or found my long underwear). But that changed this week. And I don't like it.

In this kind of weather, I don't go to horse events. Usually I would just not ride, stay home, feel sorry for the folks who sent in their $185 entry fees and $165 stabling fees to whatever event will go on no matter what so they'll go to it no matter what. Usually I would be smug, warm and just a little bit grouchy about having to lever the layer of ice off of the water trough.

But not this weekend. Sunday is Rating Day for Pony Club, and since there won't be another rating day (probably) until after the rally season is over, we are going. Lily was rated a couple of years ago and very much needs to be re-rated if she's going to participate in Pony Club.

But it's too cold! Lily's never owned long underwear, so we went to the store today to get her some. Turns out there's a real shortage of them -- so many people are going to the Obama inauguration that they've cleaned out the department stores of all long underwear. Fortunately, we found a small set for Lily. She would be mortified if anyone knew she was wearing something called "CuddleDudds." And she's refusing to wear a warm hat because ... well, she's 13 and knows everything.

And I'm a wimp about cold weather. Saturday night it's supposed to be 8 degrees, then get up to 50 before it starts to snow or rain or sleet or whatever. And then freeze again.

To you folks out there who are really having cold weather, I'm so sorry. The thing is, at least you know what you're doing. I've got a 13 year old who has no use for a hat. When there's a chance of snow here, everyone goes to the grocery store and empties the shelves of bread and milk. That's all we know how to do.

Why bread and milk? I have no idea. When my power goes off from the snow taking down the power lines, the last thing I want is bread and milk. But that's what you buy, so I guess I'll be going out in the cold tomorrow to get my bread and milk.

I already loaded up on the horse feed, alfalfa cubes and beet pulp. It's still in the car. Buddy would be glad to know where my priorities lie.

Stay warm!

Comments

[greyhorsematters]

I agree with you. It IS too cold to ride. But to be honest I'll take the 50 or so you've got instead of the -14 we had at the barn this morning. If you touch the wrought iron gate it feels like your hand is burning. A smarter person would have worn gloves if they weren't in a hurry. Anyway, even though Lily is smarter than all adults right now, just bring the hat and gloves and scarf with you and keep it in the car. By the end of the day she will be glad for that and maybe a thermos of hot chocolate. Good luck at the show and don't forget the milk and bread(doesn't that drive you crazy, it does me too).Stay warm.

[Funder]

Lily will *love* Cuddleduds! Those are the warmest and most comfy thermals I've ever found.

I know what you mean about the bread and milk. I kind of suspect the grocery stores give kickbacks to the news stations to put flurries in the forecast... ;)

[Molly]

I claim that the coldest I've ever been was not summer in San Francisco but deep winter in North Carolina. It seemed to get down in the single digits every year...to break last years' record.
I hope this "snap" is very short for you.

[Mumnah]

Its so cold here on the East coast that our board cancelled school on Friday, due to the extreme windchill / risk of frostbite. Riding lesson was nixed this morning, for the same reason. Thank goodness for Kerritts winter pants and those extreme sports gloves. What horse wants their blankets off in this temperature to tack up for a ride?

[Jackie]

Like Mumnah, it's been so cold here that local schools shut their doors last week. So, what did I do? I bundled up and went to the barn. I refused to look at the temperature, because I figured getting too cold would be a mental thing. If I didn't know how cold it was, maybe I wouldn't notice as much. And yah know what? I didn't. Of course, I was wearing three pairs of pants and seven shirts.

[A Bay Horse]

I love Cuddle Dudds. It's funny you should post this. I just posted about how cold it was up here in New England. We had a high of 2F on Friday. If the air hurts my lungs just standing still, I figure it'd be too cold for the horses to work hard.

Lots of grooming! Hang in there. :)

[GP]

snowballs comin' at ya from montana ... now here it's cold... -17 and for a couple of days.. snowed in with wind drifts. they say tis the coldest winter here in 18 years.. why am i NOT surprised?

stay warm y'all
gp

[Debbie Nichol]

oh my gosh!!! When I read about your problems with photo shop I could so identify...and then it just kept getting better! I do live in the cold zone, about half an hour north of your northern border in Canada. This has been the third coldest winter on record for us...a lot of days we had a relative temperature of around -45 degrees celcius, that is another way of saying too cold for life!! But I am not pooh poohing your cold woes at all.. I thaw in May, but all winter I am NOT pleasant. I know about the soaking feed in the house, I have perpetual pails of pulp in my kitchen starting in November and not moving out till April, not too many dinner guests either... Love your blog, just found it today and will book mark it. Can so identify with your priorities!