Planning ahead... Or so much drama

Let's begin by going back to last spring for a bit. I was cleaning up the barn and finally getting the horses' winter coats stored. When I picked up Emmy's, I realized that I didn't want to suffer through another winter dealing with a coat that was definitely past it's prime. I also knew myself well enough to know that when next winter came, I would just go ahead and use it because it was there. Having done this for several winters in a row already, I wanted to force myself to do something it. So I got rid of it, thinking I would keep an eye on summer sales and buy her a new one then. 

Evidently, having made this decision, I put it completely out of my head. So out of my head that the pitching of Emmy's coat never happened. 

Tomorrow we are due for a significant winter storm followed by sub-zero temperatures. I needed to get the horses blanketed before the storm so they would stay dry so they could stay warm in the falling temperatures. In my head, everyone was all set, I just needed to figure out something for Major. I optimistically hoped that Bristol's coat would work, even though he is a bit smaller than she was. 

So this morning I thought I would do the digging out instead of tonight after it was dark. I measured Major and realized there was no way Bristol's blanket would work for him. That was okay, I was pretty sure I had a couple others that might work. So I dug around. One was close, but the others were all too big. I wonder if I could use the slightly too large one on Emmy and switch Emmy's coat to Major. So I go to get Emmy's coat. You know, the one that wasn't there. I was baffled! Where had I put her coat? 

Slowly, slowly, the memories of last spring start to surface... 

Great, now I had two horses without coats. Enter my fantastic neighbors who dug around in their stash of horse blankets (this is a thing, I promise) and found one that would work for Major. 

Disaster averted. Emmy would wear the slightly too large coat and everyone was taken care of. 

Fast forward to this evening. I get Emmy's and Vienna's coats on them. Easy peasy. (I do need to get a new coat for Emmy. This one will serve for right now but isn't really a long term option.) Then it was Major's turn. I had a sneaking suspicion that he has never worn a blanket in his life, and I think I was correct. It made him nervous, but he let me put it on. So far, so good.

Once his was on, it didn't seem to be an issue. What was an issue was the fact that Emmy was wearing a coat. He lost his ever loving mind. He could not leave her alone. Usually he makes sure there is a good space between him and Emmy, but not tonight. She couldn't get away from him and she is not a horse that likes her personal space invaded. 

The snorting. The running. The screaming. The kicking. Nothing Emmy did would convince Major to move away. I'm actually very surprised that she restrained from completely double-barreling him. By this time, J. had gotten home. We managed to get Major shut into a stall and a halter put on Java because she still needed her blanket. Once the blanket is on her back she's fine, but it takes two people to get to that point if you want to avoid getting kicked. It didn't help that everyone was completely wound up. 

(Not everyone. Vienna was in her stall, wearing her coat, eating her hay, and acting as if the floor show was better than usual.)

Major will spend the night in the stall. Emmy and Java will get a break. And in the morning I'll open up the pasture and everyone can sort it out in a less enclosed space. Truly, being out in the sub-zero weather isn't really the problem. It's the things that go along with it... frozen hydrants, horse blankets, insane horses... that make it such a pain.