The Jog

 I haven't been heading out to the barn too much of late. It's been cold. Mostly not cold enough that I couldn't put on 14 layers and somehow scramble into the saddle, but cold enough that the heated blanket on the couch sounds like a much better option. 

I got out on Friday evening and let the horses loose together for a few minutes in the arena. Phantom wasn't looking great - as is typical when it gets cold out she seems to feel it in her joints. Thus I didn't encourage them to do a whole lot.

They didn't really need much encouragement to not do a whole lot.

On Monday the weather warmed up to almost minus single digits, but I didn't really want to ride. It's going to get really cold again in two days and stay that way for a couple of weeks. I could ride for the first time in a week, but it would be a crappy ride on an overly fresh horse who would then be getting at least two weeks off.  So I just did some other things with them. 

I'll be at home binging Netflix for the next two weeks if you're looking for me.

Phantom and I went for a hand walk outside and a bit down the road. She seemed happy to head out. 

I have decided that since I won't be riding for a bit and my job has changed and I'm not nearly as active at work that I really need to start using my treadmill again. Since I was walking out with Phantom, if we went for a jog then I wouldn't have to jump on the treadmill when I got home. 

Of course, I hadn't dressed for it. Jogging in my winter muck boots, jeans and a parka sounds like a good idea, right? At least I had put on a sports bra for the visit to the barn. 

These scream athletic accomplishments, right?

Phantom mostly got the idea pretty quickly on how to stay with me. She had to keep stopping to look down the driveway of the neighbour, and got excited by something she saw at one point so then she kept trotting too much ahead of me, but mostly she figured out how to keep herself right at my shoulder. It was a mix of a slow jog and fast walk, because, trust me - my jogging is slow. 

By the time I took Cisco for his walk it already felt much colder. And by taking Cisco for a walk I mean he tried to take me for a walk and I spent most of it asking him to halt and back up every few steps. It didn't last long - I was cold and annoyed. I would have preferred to lunge him but the arena was too busy.

I just noticed the odd markings on his leg from his transformation from gray-gray horse to white-gray horse.

He got his tail reset in its wrap and bundled back up in his snowsuit and turned out.

Angry Birds duct tape for the tail covering. It's hard to find boy prints!

I'm hoping to get them into the arena for some playtime over the next couple of weeks but I have to try to be out when no one else is out. There are a few diehard people who ride in this cold (not many) but I think they mostly ride during the day so hopefully evenings are quiet. Also - I hope the cold only lasts two weeks!