A Week of Recovery - Skin

You'll soon notice that there is a theme to this week's posts ...

Cooler weather? HAHAHA. Not funny, Mother Nature, not funny at all. I got to the ranch on Saturday morning so excited to ride in weather that was under triple digits. First of all, it may be hotter than Hades here in the summer, but it's a dry heat, at least that's we tell ourselves as we fry our eggs on the sidewalk. Second of all, for you people who live in wet heat, how exactly do you manage your goggles and snorkel under your helmets? I honestly thought I was going to die when I got to the barn. Yes, it was 85℉, but there was also 85% humidity (or so it seemed). Our ride entailed 10 minutes of walking followed by 4 trot circles. That was all either of us could muster.

I love the beginning of his new winter coat. It always comes in nearly black.

Before riding though, I spent a solid half hour working on Izzy's coat. My poor horse. His skin simply cannot stand the heat. He is covered in deep scrapes and welts that he has given himself in an attempt to relieve his itchy skin. Year after year I have tried to find a remedy, but nothing works. Things were pretty good up until last week when the temperatures soared into the hundred and teens. As the temperatures come back down into the 80s, I am hoping that his skin can begin to recover. See what I did there? "Recover" is the theme for the week.

Weird skin or not, wet weather or not, I did get to ride. Of course, as we left the arena and headed back down to the tack room, the clouds lifted and the wind began to blow. The rest of the morning, while in the low 90s, was actually pretty pleasant. I definitely gave the weather gods a dirty look as I drove home. Aw well. The time wasn't wasted. Izzy and I spent a good hour together just reconnecting and hanging out. When I left, he was happily slurping up a sloppy lunch. He made it quite clear that he had enjoyed his morning.

​Fall is just around the corner, and winter not far behind. Soon enough I'll be complaining about the cold.