Feb-15Today is a working day and not our traditional day off. The horses have had two days off because of the extreme cold. When it warms up this afternoon they are going to have to get some work done! I am very happy to see the back of the cold snap.

This morning I let my dogs out at 4:30 a.m. and, because we have a coyote problem at the farm, I went out onto the porch to supervise. Imagine my joy (in -22deg) to find that the door had locked behind me and the three dogs and I were locked out! I was lucky I had put shoes and a dressing gown on, I often go out in my jammies, bare feet or socks onto the porch. Fortunately the barn is only 100 yards away and I was able to shelter in our heated viewing lounge until help arrived at 7: 30 in the persons of Tori and Alex Morgan. I seem to continuously get rescued by various members of the Morgan family….Thank You Family Morgan.

Benny and Rummy got hacked yesterday. They really are amazing mentally for OTTBs. They have not been ridden since Selena left here on the tenth of January, and yesterday on the 14th of February, in yet another new location, Anne Marie and Selena just popped on them and hacked them around the field. What good boys they are. I am so jealous of Anne Marie and Selena, I can’t wait till I am allowed to ride again and I can try them out personally.

The only thing they are doing ‘wrong’ if you want to call it that, is that they are getting a bit attached. They were turned out together for the months they were at Balsam Hall. They were not terribly clingy while up North, but I think the second big move in their lives in as many months, made them both want to cling to each other in the strangeness that is Florida. I cannot blame them, in fact, I can completely empathize. We have put Riley (Rather Boldly) in the stall between them and I think as they get more confidence in the Florida routine, they will become less dependent on each other.

Today Selena and Woody have a lesson with Clayton. I am not sure what time she rides at. There are really no rider ‘days off’ for the four months the horses are in Florida. Once a week Selena and Anne Marie try to give each other a morning in the week where they can each get up late, but a whole day off is just not feasible. You can work some of the horses all of the time and all of the horses some of the time, one things for sure, there’s always some of the horses that need ridden today.

Today’s photo is our boy Solo (A First Romance) who got a full body haircut for Valentine’s day. Thank you Anne Marie. He looks beautiful.