Winter started early this year. Normally our Thanksgiving Hunt is chilly but not snowy. This past week I already woke up to two mornings with temperatures barely into the teens. As a result, our Thanksgiving Hunt was cancelled.

And we’ve had snow! Not a lot of snow, but enough so that poor Freedom, who won’t get his winter shoes on until this week, is suffering from snowball feet. I’m finding hoof shaped snowballs all over his pasture. Zelda is barefoot, so that hasn’t been an issue but

the ground is so frozen and rutted from torrential rain and freezing cycles, that I’m hoping she won’t end up with bruises. This year the Saturday before Thanksgiving we had snow on the ground. A few brave souls hunted since the weather was warmer, but without winter shoes, the footing was dicey.

Anyone who is a long time reader of Equine Ink will remember my accident in January, that resulted in several broken bones when Zelda slipped and fell, so I’ve resisted the urge to ride even on the warmer days and have started investigating nearby indoor arenas. Riding in slippery conditions doesn’t sound like fun any more. I think my trailer will get a lot more use this winter — usually it’s parked until the spring season.