Mud

It’s been a while, and I’m still not quite done with that plastering, so here’s a little pony tale for you in the meantime.

Spring is a time of year that those of us responsible for grooming horses approach with heavy hearts. It’s the season in which our equine friends shed their fluffy-like-a-teddy-bear winter coats and find mud puddles to roll in.

Summer – it takes commitment to achieve that extensive mud coverage.

I’ve no idea whether shedding and rolling in mud are connected. Perhaps losing all that hair creates the sort of itch which ponies believe to be best remedied by a good coating of mud. Either that or there’s been a big advertising push by Shiseido in the bottom paddock.

Bonnie – before.

Whatever the reason, the combination of caked on mud and loose hair creates a grooming challenge of epic proportions. Prepare for clouds of pony dust (hint: it’s not half as glittery as fairy dust), and brushes clogged with fluff. I thank my lucky stars for my friend Amy-next-door who loves to brush Bonnie, and will often come over to help out.

Summer – after.

On the plus side, standing in the sun brushing a blissed-out and dozing horse is really rather therapeutic. It’s way more fun than vacuuming the house, and provides the sort of vigorous workout that fits with my thesis; ‘I don’t need a gym membership. I have a farm‘.

Bonnie – after.

Then there is always the opportunity to play at an equine version of Pimp My Ride.

Bonnie with daisies – still channeling Beyonce.

Don’t get too attached to your attempts at beautification though, once everyone is clean and tidy you can usually count on the next round of mud rolling starting within the hour. That’s horses for you, fully committed to fostering the practice of acceptance in their humans.