Winter Rain and Mud

Muddy Field and Boots

I hate the rain at this time of year.  Winter rain, it makes everything so muddy and dirty.  A bit ironic really that all that clean water falling from the sky can make everything so dirty.  The cars are dirty, the kids shoes are dirty, the horses are muddy.  The fields become like a bog of sticky mud that sucks your wellies of your feet.  Despite my best efforts the mud still manages to make it’s way into the house in some form.  I suppose it is a disadvantage of living in the country but it is usually just a month or two of the year that I have to suffer it.

Muddy Ralph

Wet, Muddy and Dark

It makes it worse when it is dark as well. Dark in the morning when I go out to do the feeding and dark in the evening when I go to muck out and bring in the horses.  I didn’t even put the horses out today, they had a hay day.  A bit like our version of a duvet day.  At least I imagine it is, I don’t think I have ever had a duvet day.  Maybe when I was a student but I definitely didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have at the time.

The horses don’t seem to mind a day inside with haylage a plenty instead of them foraging for a muddy blade of grass in the pouring rain.  The only concerns I have is Ralph’s leg.  Ever since he had lymphangitis one of his hind legs has remained puffy and when he is standing in it gets more puffy.

Puffy Legs From Standing In

Count Down to Lighter Nights

I’m on the count down to lighter nights.  It won’t be long and believe it or not the nights are gradually getting lighter, the mornings too. We seem to have had so much rain and fog recently that days have gone by when it has barely got light at all.  I can understand why people get SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  By the end of the month we should still have a bit of daylight at 16:50 that might just give enough time for an after school hack.  I have been a bit slack with the girls and riding over the winter.  I would say they are more fair weather riders than all weather riders and to be honest I can’t blame them.  They are only learning so don’t really work up a sweat schooling the pony.  Hands and feet get icy cold very quickly and then there is no enjoyment for anyone.  Daisy the pony isn’t too bothered either, she would rather be eating!

Muddy Daisy Enjoying Eating

It may get me down now and again but I can’t change the weather.  So for now I am just going to have to put up with it and keep my sights on lighter, drier and warmer days that hopefully aren’t too far in the future.  I need to remember the advantages of where I live far out weigh a bit of winter rain and mud.