Preparations

Red is moving from his home of nearly 9 years to Gesa's house to live with Rhio and her herd.  We had originally planned this move for yesterday - a Saturday - and I kept the whole day free hoping to ride him at his old place in the morning, then trailer him over to Gesa's and monitor for the afternoon (not that we'll just throw him in with the herd, but still...).  Mother Nature had other ideas.

Friday afternoon I spent prepping his new stall, which entailed removing a metal hay rack that I didn't want in there, and also removing 2 extraneous eye bolts that weren't necessary.  We all know how much horses like to hurt themselves - I am trying to get everything possible out of the stall so that he doesn't have anything he could potentially rub on, impale himself with, etc, etc.  The tools I'd brought along weren't quite up to the job, but I scrounged around the garage and found a wrench and a mallet that worked great and had that task accomplished in no time.  Next, I dug the trailer out of it's snowy parking spot, since we'd gotten buried under more than a foot of heavy, wet snow midweek.  Barn tasks completed, I took a blanket home to repair a couple of small tears and figured I was ready for the move!

Friday night it started to snow.  Saturday morning it was still snowing... and we were in the midst of yet another winter storm.  Since there is no urgency to move him, we postponed and hoped for better weather today.  We were still getting light lake effect snow this morning, 36 hours after it first started, and by now we had about 14" of new snow in town.  Meanwhile, Gesa's snowblower broke and she and her family had a massive chore in moving snow in and around the barn, gates, waterer, etc, etc by hand.  We decided to postpone yet again after seeing the forecast for up to 7 inches more snow today, and all the work we both had to do digging out.

I made my way out to Gesa's to help move snow midday, and we dug the trailer out AGAIN, hopefully ready for moving him tomorrow. I also dug out the gate to the round pen and thought maybe I would shovel a path inside it for Red (we may use the round pen as his paddock since it is inside the pasture and he can get to know everyone that way).  The new snow is fluffy enough and shoveling it isn't too much of a chore, but the midweek snow is dense, heavy, and solidifying beneath the insulating layer provided by the new snow...not an enjoyable snow removal project when your tool of choice is a shovel instead of, for example, a Bobcat.  Never one to admit defeat, I strapped on my snowshoes and began tramping down a path around the interior of the round pen.  Then, as it was time for the horses to get their afternoon hay, we spread out the flakes in the round pen so that they have to wade through the snow to eat.  What a great plan!  They get some exercise, and will make some paths in there so that it will be easier for Red to get around.

I was glad to have decided to wait, as despite the plows and sanding trucks, there is still slush on the roads.  I am perhaps too cautious, but I would really prefer not to trailer with any question to the road condition at all.

So, just maybe, Red will move to his new home tomorrow... that's the plan anyway.

Tools of the trade: my trusty shovel and my beloved snowshoes.

The trailer - dug out and shoveled out for the second time!

Belle the pony working her way through the snow outside the round pen.  Inside the round pen, it was belly-deep for her!

Mr. Rhio was happy to trample some snow to get to the hay. 

Gimi decided not to waste energy by shoving his hoof into the snowbank, but rather decided to use it as a leg rest.  Yes, he's not holding that leg up, he's actually resting it on the snow.