I grew up riding horses in very warm places, so the whole concept of blanketing horses is fairly new to me. It's not new to Nox, however, and he surprised me with his calmness as I flopped the blanket over his back. I just never know what is going to startle or upset him. I know that he's worn a variety of blankets and cooler sheets in his racing life, but he's also seen leaves, cats, and poles before - and he was afraid of those!
We had no problem with the blanket and when I arrived at the barn today, the blanket was still securely in place and when I slipped my hand under it, his back felt warm and toasty. The front panel was a bit frayed, so he's obviously found something new to chew on.
I rode tonight and Nox was very good. I've increased our trotting workout by a few minutes and he's still holding up well. He slightly stumbled a few times, but he's due to have his feet trimmed next week and I think his toes are a little long. (He's also just a bit of a klutz.) A few nights ago I rode in the ring with another horse and rider. Nox was a little uppity about it. I think he feels competitive with another horse jogging around the ring and I had to work hard to keep his focus on me. It was a good experience for us and I hope we'll be able to do that more often. I'm usually the only person at the barn in the evenings and it's nice to expose Nox to other horses and riders outside of a racing context.
I hung some garland and a stocking on his stall door, so Nox is all ready for Christmas. I expect there will be plenty of carrots and apples stuffed in his stocking on Christmas morning - he's been a very good horse.
Speaking of Christmas morning: this year, I will wake up and there will be a horse in a barn with my name on the stall door. I must have been very good this year, too.
Happy Holidays everyone! I hope all of your wishes come true!
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| Nox, wearing his blanket. |
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| Eating snow. |
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