Spooky Day

Have you ever noticed how nervous humans get when it is really windy out? Really, I don't blame them. The doors are banging... the walls are creaking... unidentified objects can suddenly fly past the window... sometimes there are sirens and you know someone is in trouble somewhere. That can make anyone uneasy. The wind started up after bed check last night and has been howling like a freight train non-stop since then. This is the one weather condition where my stall is not in the best position in the barn. It faces full west and is right next to the big sliding door which can be drafty, and tends to bang now and then. Mom has it packed with hay and my stall is well bedded, but it is still difficult to sleep with all the noise out there.

Soon some of the other horses will go outside to play and will probably act like fools, jumping and spooking at the littlest thing. I will spend the day in the small indoor arena where I have safe footing, a view out the east door, but no wind or rain. The last time it was this windy, we actually went out for a ride. Brita was excited that all the ice on the driveway had melted and we could get safely to the field. Mom was beside herself... you know how humans get in the wind. She was all flighty and fidgety. She said no one in there right mind would take a horse outside for the first time in 7 weeks, and ride in that wind. I was a little offended since even at a young age, Brita would take me out in all weather as long as the footing was safe. The worst I've ever done is snort and flag my tail. If you want to make a human really nervous, just plant your feet, whistle through your nose, and wave your tail around. You won't violate any rules, but they will expect you are going to do something really big any moment. That makes me laugh. We have ridden in winds so high we couldn't hear each other speak. That was a little inconvenient since I rely a lot on her voice, and not being able to hear her worries me because I might miss some important information like "watch out, there is a dangerous hole you might fall in".

I remember this last time we went out, we went for an easy stroll around the hay field which was too soft for any trotting or galloping. I was so pleased to get a new view of the world and walked patiently on a loose rein. I doubt we will get to go outside today. Even though the ice has melted, the gas well people were here last week, and made a big mess of the hay field road. I watched it all from my window. They had a big bulldozer and they must have left ruts two feet deep. I am afraid of muddy ruts. They aren't safe to walk in. I think I will ask to stay inside today and play with my jolly ball. It's not a fit day out for man nor beast.