January 7, 2011

Down Time

I hate winter. I may have mentioned that a time or two before.

It makes me feel like a prisoner: footing sucks, it's dark every day after work, and it's so damn cold I spend half my time putting on or taking off layers of strategically arranged clothing. I long for the day when I can walk outside with one shirt on. Just one. Sheer bliss, that is.

Solo seems to be taking it lying down.  With his eyes closed.  On a bed of sun-warmed hay. At least one of us is comfortable.

It is then left to us sun-starved and shivering riders to come up with tasks to fill our barn time when the ground is slop. Or frozen. Or covered in a lethal mix of ice and snowpack. Because I am freaking tired of riding around in circles in the stupid arena. And so is my horse.

As a result, my trailer dressing room is organized with new and OCD-appropriate containers. Including a, get this....wait for it....magnetic paper towel holder. I consider it my crowning achievement in trailer pimped-out-ness.

I have also mended Solo's blanket linings with my dazzling seamstress skills.

Do try to restrain your awe and envy. I am sure Hollywood costume designers are already googling my number.

I have also reorganized my tack room corner, devised a way to store my extra baling twine, invented a saddle pad hanging system, cleaned the feed room, and cleaned all my buckets.

Now what?
on January 07, 2011

19 comments:

  1. SqueaksmomJanuary 7, 2011 at 10:15 PM

    umm... now you can come do mine?? :D

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  2. JanaJanuary 7, 2011 at 10:23 PM

    Clicker training?

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  3. eventer79January 7, 2011 at 10:48 PM

    Hahaha, suma, only if you park it in my yard because darkness sucks out my motivation to move.

    Jana, tried that. It doesn't work on a horse who doesn't care about treats, dang it.

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  4. Gabriella EliseJanuary 8, 2011 at 12:56 AM

    Um.. clean stalls. then come organize my tack room, trailer, camper, barn, clean YOUR paddocks... brush the horse (or not),...I dunno. Research something and write a blog about it.

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  5. Checkmark115January 8, 2011 at 1:09 AM

    I second clicker training! BUt I guess if solo doesn't like treats... a way to curb endless circle boredom. Or gymnastics jumping :)

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  6. Checkmark115January 8, 2011 at 1:10 AM

    my comment didnt really make sense. I meant clicker training is fun but if solo doesnt like it-sadface. and gymnastics jumping
    better, lol

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  7. mollyJanuary 8, 2011 at 7:26 AM

    Have you tried giving Solo frosted mini-wheats? The horses who don't really care for traditional treats at my barn go nuts over breakfast cereal. Plus, if you get really hungry at the barn, you can always have a snack too!

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  8. JenJanuary 8, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    A horse who doesn't care about treats, huh? Send him our way & my guys will happily corrupt him :-)

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  9. RuthJanuary 8, 2011 at 1:52 PM

    Your stitching job is better than I could ever do... :P

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  10. eventer79January 8, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    I am sure mini-wheats would be scorned by the horse who believes that if it is not horse food, it should not go in his mouth. He is really the most oddly-un-food-motivated horse I have ever seen. He just doesn't care. *sigh*

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  11. lifeshighwayJanuary 8, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    As a witness, I can attest to the awesomeness of the magnetic paper towel holder.

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  12. eventer79January 8, 2011 at 9:27 PM

    Its chrome stick-to-it-iveness is impossible to resist.

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  13. Once Upon an EquineJanuary 8, 2011 at 9:34 PM

    Good job making lemonade out of lemons...or lemon ice out of lemons. I'm fining it harder every year to deal with the bone chilling cold of Colorado winters, so I feel your frustration. Great idea to put a magnetic paper towel holder in your trailer!

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  14. eventer79January 9, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    Thanks, UPAE -- I'm guessing I'm not the only one who owns a lot of polarfleece, LOL!

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  15. FrizzleJanuary 9, 2011 at 5:34 PM

    Thank goodness you weren't a surgeon!! ;-) Lol. That is some scary, Frankenstein-esque stitching.
    But the cleaning/organizing aspect of your post made my OCD side all warm and fuzzy.

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  16. eventer79January 10, 2011 at 11:54 AM

    AHAHAH, so you're saying you don't want the cocktail dress I made you, Frizz?

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  17. RiderWriterJanuary 12, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    I concur on the Frosted Mini-Wheats, as my animal (not a horse, alas) is WILD about them. If my doggie hears the pantry door open, she is right there with her tongue hanging out, hoping someone is getting out cereal... and hoping that cereal is "hay bales," as we call them. I discovered this mania quite by accident. Now she will do darn near anything for a hay bale! Who knows, maybe Solo might bite...

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  18. equineobsessedJanuary 15, 2011 at 12:31 AM

    Wow - just so you know, your sewing is better than mine but I think I can get to your level... someday...

    Or, if you don't blanket your horse, he can't ripe it. So far, that's been my plan this winter...

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  19. eventer79January 15, 2011 at 11:16 AM

    Hahaha, RW, I may have to do an experiment!

    Eo, I would LOVE to not blanket Solo! Sadly, he is so follicularly challenged, I fear he would turn into a horse-cicle.

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