totally worth it

 A small break in the winter storms a few weeks ago.  Abbey, coming in from pasture, covered in mud (dressed in her winter blanket) and impervious to the the beauty surrounding us.

 Same day, a few hours later. Mud dusted off, saddled up, and away we go, into the wonder of our fabulous green world... 

 Jump schooling in the fog... I love this mare. She is where all my money and time go.  I have no complaints about this.  I'll be poor and happy, thank you very much.

 Swedish Oxer. First time through! She jumped it like a pro.

 This is Bentley, Abbey's next door stall-neighbor (and newest boyfriend). He's just a baby, an adorable, tall, handsome thoroughbred gelding, 4 years old, and still growing into his LONG legs.  He's straight off the race track, having raced his last race just a week before he came home to Inavale. Our off-track thoroughbred tally is growing:  Rat, Sophie, Clyde, Sully, Abbey, Allana, Theo, Bishop, Roy, and now Bentley.  Welcome to the pack mister! You survived your racing career and made it to horse heaven...

He apparently never saw snow until last week. He just stood there snorting at it until we showed him it was safe to walk on the white stuff.... I love these babies.

Thoroughbreds, the lot of them: amazing, wonderful horses. 

 Horse clothing is big, heavy, hard to clean, and costly.  Abbey in her 3rd blanket of the season (with Bonnie in the background hunting for barn mice... ).  The barn flooded when the snow melted a few days ago-- her spare rain blanket got wet in storage, her current one was slowly soaking through (despite repeated waterproofing treatment) and I woke this morning panicked that my horse would be shivering when I got off work today.  I ran to the farm store tonight right after work and got the last 78" Rhino in stock... and delivered it to my girl tonight... along with carrots and horse cookies, of course. 

 She has no idea why she's wearing this blue plaid thing I just paid $200 bucks for...

Now to get the other 2 blankets into the drying rotation in my sunroom...  Endless horse-laundry! 

Rider's + horse's perspective on the wide open spaces we live for... Hoping for another day like this soon.... Winter is not for horses or people.