Sleet, I hates it

It sleeted here last night. Some places got barely anything, and some got lots. Unfortunately, Broken Arrow, where the horses live, got a lot. I am not overly fond of driving my truck on anything but dry pavement, so I waited till 9 to go feed. I hoped that most of the idiots would be at work, or in a ditch, so as not to make me insane (I know, it's too late...kiss my butt). I went the back way, because nobody goes that way. The back way leads to the turnpike which is usually clear by the time I get on it. Well, not today. You could tell they had sanded it a bit, but it was still covered with what is now ice. You couldn't even see the lane markings. Frankly, this scares me to death. Not because I am a terrible driver, but because other people drive like there is nothing on the road. Geebus people. Where are you going? If it is on fire you can't help, and if it isn't it'll be there when you get there. Slow down for heaven's sake. One woman passed me and waved. She was going about 50. I was not surprised to see Michigan tags on her car. I will be happy going 40 and living another day.

When I got to the barn, my feed shed was iced in. I had to shovel about 2 or 3 inches of ice away from the door. The prisoners were not amused. Nor were they in the mood to hear any excuses. It is cold dammit! Where is our slop? Prisoner X was doing a fair imitation of a lippizzan, with her exuberant airs above the ground. I didn't know a 23 year old horse could do that ;) Prisoner Y was less enthusiastic because Prisoner X was busy running him around in circles. He was too concerned with preserving his hide to do any tricks. I fed them in the barn so their alfalfa wouldn't all blow away in the wind. Oh just so you know, the wind chill was -2 according to the weather guessers. It felt at least that cold.

I checked on the orphan horses in the two paddocks across from my prisoners. Someone strung a tank heater to the first paddock. The second one didn't have one so I broke the ice for them. I just don't get these people. Apparently nobody ever comes out to feed or check on any of these horses. I have been filling the water tanks for the last three weeks because I can't just walk away from horses that have no water. The amazing thing is that two of the three horses in paddock #1 have been blanketed for a week, and the other one had a blanket and hood on today. Who does that crap? Why blankets but no water? Don't people realize that horses colic without water? Horses die without water? But we don't want the little darlings to get cold!!! Bah! A pox on all their houses. Some people should only own stuffed animals. Idiots.