Early Bugs

The bugs are early this year.

Her Best Side!
We've had some relatively mild weather for a couple of weeks now and that's brought the bugs out early!

L is a sensible creature. Mostly. I like how she leaves the end with the fly swatter outside in the sun.

Our last ride I felt like L threw one huge tantrum for the whole trip. She'll do that when the bugs first start coming out and I felt bad. It's really impossible to do anything productive when your mount is tossing their head and furiously kicking at gnats. She even spooked herself once and almost lost me. I think a good hard run would have distracted her but we don't have good hard runs bareback. And I knew too if she was out eating grass she would hardly have noticed the bugs and frankly that irritated me. Which really wasn't fair to her and I felt bad about that too.

I'll make it up to her.

Hanging around the shed...

...is really hard work.

That's L on the left, and her little half sister P on the right. P is 6 years old. They share the same mother and I often call L's little sister "Baby Huey". P is *huge*. P is of course also 100% Canadian. Canadian Horse registration requires a DNA test.

They'd stay inside in this kind of weather if they didn't have their shed. They love their shed. And it's really quite hilarious. We'll bring them inside a little later and they'll be exhausted. No really. I mean like they were just given a sedative. They'll turn in their stall, heave a deep sigh, get all wobbly and droopy and just snooze away.

Yesterday the only place the bugs weren't ferocious was the round pen. So after lapping the hay field we went into the round pen and schooled for maybe 10 or 15 minutes. We really don't work hard in the heat. We were bugged by one bug that whole time. L was most awesome. She's had this "work ethic" going since she was maybe 3 and half years old and she takes her work very seriously. So much so it's really rather funny. This being a horse thing is serious business.

Product Review!

It's a little warm out

This was Tuesday the 6th, in the shade, maybe around 1:00pm.

About as hot as it's been in maybe 2 years. I love the summer heat! My horses don't like it so much. No we didn't ride in that heat. I know L would have been a good sport about it but it really wouldn't have been fair of me to ask.

It was a perfect day for a bath! I had them out for baths and otherwise kept them inside where it was noticeably cooler. It was still dry and breezy most of the day but they would have been uncomfortable outside and the bugs were just awful! The bugs wait by the woods. Horses! Scramble the Green Heads! The Deer Flies are bad enough but those Green Heads are really evil little stinkers. Nothing makes them go away.

You know it's getting hot when kitty curls up with the toilet.