Morning thoughts

The older I get, the more experiences I accumulate in the rearview mirror, the more time I want to spend with horses. I'm beginning to conclude that the ultimate anecdote to existential doldrums is time spent in my passion, and not just easy time, but daily routine time. Barn chores in the depths of winter, when the temperatures are below zero and the wind just hurts, are absolutely real and necessary. There's no wondering what it's all for...it's for keeping your horses watered, fed, groomed, healthy, alive.

Some years I have reduced my riding activity substantially in the winter. This year is one when I have not. Mandi got a break during part of November and December, but is now back in work 5 days a week, and I continued to ride Jill through that period, until she sprained her ankle in the paddock. I usually look forward to going to the barn, but once I get there on the colder days, it takes an act of will to ride instead of just doing chores and heading straight home. I'm finding joy in having the discipline to follow through, though, and the reality is that starting is the hardest part. Once I have Mandi in from the field, the rest can be a bit painful cold-wise, but just unfolds naturally.

If I was smart, I'd start barn activities with cleaning Jill's stall first. If I do that with all my layers on, I'm very warm by the time I get done, and hang onto that warmth through feed time. That warmth would make grooming and tacking up a much more pleasant activity. Come to think of it, if I let Mandi walk and trot around for five minutes or so before grooming, she might enjoy the process more, too. It's got to be hard on her as well, the time between when I pull off her blanket and when we get moving in the arena.

The temp is 19 today. My jaw feels better. It should be a good day at the barn.