The Kids

I don't want to jinx it or anything, but we have been having AMAZING weather here in Kansas this week.  Our weather has a justified reputation for being extreme--we're usually either at 110 degrees during the summer or -10 degrees during the winter.  Ah, there's no place like home....

However, this week has been a gleeful 50-60 degrees.  Yes, January.  Yes, in Kansas.  I know I've had to pinch myself a few times.  

Seriously-- I have bruises.

Anyway, besides picking up the plethora of branches in the north shelter belt, I also decided to give my poor, neglected equines some attention.  First, Fabian got his feet trimmed.  

I trimmed the girls a couple of weeks ago but didn't get Fabian done until now.  Thankfully he's got great feet, so they recovered well from the extra two weeks he had to endure between trimmings. 

After I got him trimmed and groomed I tried to take his picture.  He wasn't exactly cooperative.

Are you done yet?

Then I gave the girls some much-needed grooming.  

Bambi needs some more weight on her, but the great news is that I already have gotten a couple of premium roundbales of alfalfa delivered--just for her!  So, her last three months of pregnancy she'll be treated like a queen.  She hasn't thrived in her pregnancy like I had hoped.  Her and Fabian are on the exact same diet and he's a porker, so I'll get her switched to her summer diet and get her back up to how she looked this summer.  She's not thin by any means, as illustrated here:

But she's certainly lost some of her bloom, poor pony.  I won't be breeding her again for a very long time, so  we'll just do our best and then move on.  See her baby bump?  She's due April 15th--hopefully the time until then won't be taxing....

At this point you are wondering why you even bother reading, aren't you?

Thankfully the horses are used to my bad jokes.

Paula enjoyed her day of beauty as well.

She'll never win a halter class, but she's the most likely to have her ears disappear against a white background.  See?

Ugh, I still need to clean that tail of hers....

Then I went ahead and worked Fabian (much to his delight).

See? Thrilled.

He was amazing, though.  I hadn't worked with him since August and we were able to pick up right where we left off.  He was feeling good, but he has matured to the point that he still listens and is able to calm himself down when he gets upset.  He used to get his panties in a big twist over little things, but thankfully time has changed things in a big way.  He's just awesome.  Hopefully we'll be riding by spring!

Fun in the summer sun,

~J