Snow Joke

Before I bought Axel, Nic may have possibly mentioned to me that its a shit time to buy a horse. The first three months of the year are generally the snowiest in Colorado. Of course, I pooh poohed him as I knew better. I needed to get something now to have time to learn about said horse, bond n stuff before the show season kicks off. This is the PERFECT time I told him.

Now I have egg... or maybe snow and ice on my face don't I. Colorado is going through one of the coldest and snowiest winters in ages. This week we have had wind chill temps of minus 25C. Some days is is simply too cold to ride, even with the indoor. In fact I swear the indoor is sometimes colder than outside. Today, we hit highs of almost above freezing, but right now, back to a few inches of snow chucking it down.

It's been a tough time to get to know a horse, however, he has been a diamond. If it's been too cold to ride, we have handwalked round and around the arena, played clicked games and worked on some ground stuff or simply hung out and shivered together, Ok I have shivered and gripped onto him for warmth whilst he has happily scoffed. He is part Friesian after all!

Having said all that, now three weeks and two days into our partnership, (or should that be threesome seeing as Sara is involved too)? Anyhooo, three weeks in and our cozy threesome is going pretty well. Axel continues to build fitness and has adjusted well to the altitude. He is puffing less and feeling stronger all the time. He loves cavaletti and I am hoping to start jumping him a little once he is even fitter and stronger. Today he made me giggle, before my lesson, Sara and I were chatting... we do that rather a lot! So, she has a Clif bar (cereal type bar) that she's eating, Axel is sure it must be for him. So I go to walk him away from Sara to start, he basically stays still and obviously doesn't want to move away until he has had what he obviously believes is his Clif bar. So, I give him a little kick to say come on, lets go buddy. This horse I swear, literally stamps his feet, jumps up and down and shakes his head like a stroppy toddler. I mean you have got to love that personality, what a stonking horse! We went on to have a great lesson by the way!

I adore him, love him and smile every time I ride him. I love the good, I love the cheeky. He is just my buddy.


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