I tell ya, that big girl gave me a run for my money this week, you see  she had been on “holiday” I mean come on, the whole farm is covered in ice, the cold has been so bitter on certain days that it has required three days before the winter gear goes on and there has been more snow shoveling then i want to admit..

Between milking, hauling, butchering and everything else that has been going on in the past few weeks, my BrandyGirl has been on a winter rest, she has a few jobs, be herd boss, eat lots of hay, drink warm water, get a cookie now and again and follow us around while we do the barn/pasture chores and her biggest job at the moment, DO NOT STEP on a lamb!

So I changed out the calander and forgot to write down the ferrier visit, OPPS, lets just say, that she would not even come to the gate for me, I had to go get her, then she didn’t want her halter on, and it just went down hill from there.. I finally broke down and let her chew on a pan of feed just to keep her in place so we could get the last two legs done..

Honestly, you would think that those hours I had spent training had never happened, you would think that those moments of moving feet/lines for driving had never happened, you would think this is not the same horse that was tied up and had a sheep on a lead go under her and wrap itself around her legs and stood there ever so kindly while we untangled that mess..

So you can imagine my scowl and then my smile and finally my laughing when yesterday when she meet me at the gate first thing in the morning, and was all, are we working today mom, and I am like, no I am hauling water, and have things to do, she follows along, finally stealing my hat and stands there with it in her mouth till I take it back, then she try’s to give me the over the shoulder hug, or the I’m really tall horse, you little women, I put head over your shoulder and go.. “Watcha doin?”

So I come back thought the gate and she put her head over it and “wait for it” puts her face into her hanging halter and bangs it and then looks at me..

I know that look, its the , are we going to work today?  I would like to do something, anything.. what do you have in mind.. I can’t wait for a bit more spring like weather or safer footing.

So here is my question, if you don’t have a heated indoor area to work in or even just a covered indoor area to work in, how much do you work your horse in winter? Do they get a few weeks or a month or so off in the worst/hardest part of winter, and if so, do you fine they backslide?