Do not drive

J called me today to tell me to drive carefully, that they are advising people not to drive. I didn't have to be told - for the first time my car was covered in clear but thick ice at the barn! It had been sleeting all day and making life very challenging for the people at the barn. My frost-free bucket was frozen solid: ( I heated up the electric kettle about 5 times today and kept offering Mag warm water.

I had skipped going to the barn yesterday and it's been so long since I've done that I had nightmares of my horse dying last night. I couldn't believe they would remember to feed him or give him fluid water in his stall, but apparently someone did. Claudia said he was rearing and bucking in his stall yesterday and needs to get let out to play. I had just done so, but I can't be there every day, especially when they warn drivers that the salt trucks cannot keep up with the icy rain and snow.

Mag was on edge and didn't want to be in the trailer since there's no bucket, but I kept pulling him back in every time he left and rewarding him for standing there with me. He's at a turning point, I think. He's not afraid of the trailer, he just hates it. I'm definitely not ready to shut him in and make the whole situation worse for him.

Poor Mag was shivering as he ate his beet pulp in his stall, even with a heavy acrylic cooler on him. It crackled with so much static electricity when I took it off I brought it home and put it away in my attic. It's no good in subzero temps. Mag's afraid of blankets enough without getting shocked by one!

I put my bareback pad on again and hoped there would be people around for my ride. There were three people in the arena but they were all finishing up as I was getting started. I hurried to warm him up at a walk and then asked a lady if she'd please hang out for 5 minutes. She did, but Mag was not relaxed at all, and not warm yet really, and I realized I'd never crawled onto his back before with no stirrups to help. How would he deal with that? Well that was fine but he really didn't want to stand calmly after I was on, for the first time he fidgeted and tried to leave.

I rode him around and made note of his walking pace; I had a whip in case I needed it but I didn't. I loved the feel of his back through the pad but I felt much less secure than in my saddle. Mag was distracted by horses going by and noises and I was frustrated but doing lots of deep breathing. Finally he calmed down and behaved normally and I was able to ask for some serpentines and turns on the haunches. No way was I riding ganze bahn today, or near the scary end.

I watched Nicole doing circus tricks with her lovely horse Caspar. He looks like a big Icelandic but she doesn't know what he is. He's that pretty brown color with faded tips to his mane, looking like a hair highlighting commercial, with huge sweet eyes. He's one of my favorites based on looks: ) She said he's lame and I asked if she had insurance but she only has OP insurance, nothing more.

I finally jumped off and asked if I could give Caspar a treat. She made him do a trick for the treat.

All the horses were coming in at 3 PM for the first time because life is so miserable outside. Lots of boarders were helping bring them in, feed, and dump water into their buckets. I did my own and frankly had enough work to do today scraping up frozen poop with all my strength, and since I wasn't there yesterday, I had 3 full wheelbarrows full, stall and paddock.

I am getting better at dressing for the weather - today a tshirt with a polarfleece shirt over it, and a polarfleece hoody. Irideon polarfleece breeches. If I keep moving that's enough clothes for me.

Bettina laughed at me, "Scared of falling?" I said, "Yes." She pointed to my helmet that I was still wearing as I cleaned poop. It was so treacherous, I wanted to say, "You know that's how Dr Atkins died" but I have no idea if Germans know who Dr. Atkins is. Instead I said, "I'll probably forget and drive home with it on!"

I drove very slowly all the way home because I could see the ice on the road, and slush. But the worst part was the Aldi parking lot. As I parked my car, I felt my tires lose their grip. My Winter tires that are made for ice. I got out of my car and almost fell down. You could ice skate on that parking lot, I kid you not. I was actually scared to walk to the store and back. You know Winter tires work when they keep your car upright and your hiking boots don't. Some sort of magic, these German tires.

But it's sobering to see that this Seattlite is not the only person driving under the speed limit - the Germans were being just as cautious. Right now if a car drives by my house, it's just creeping along.

I wish I could have Mag at home just for the night, so I can give him warm water and warm beet pulp regularly. He might have to deal with cold or frozen water tomorrow, and no bucket.

Like Aarene said, "A little rain please?"



The photo is from last Winter here at home.