Things are starting to heat up!

Now that it's the middle of summer, the temps around here have been 85ºF and up. It's supposed to get to 90ºF later this week. I've changed my schedule to where I now visit Calvin in the late-evenings to avoid the heat, or avoid it as best as possible without having to ride at 5am. I haven't ridden too much lately, just barebacking him around and hand walking him. Usually by the time I refill the hay, clean out their pasture, groom, and hand walk Calvin, I'm pretty tired anyway. I was going to ride yesterday, but he had a cut on his back that was bleeding. It was only a surface wound, but I figured no point in having the saddle pad rub and irritate it more. I'm not even sure where he could cut himself since Graf doesn't bite him anymore, maybe he rolled on a rock or rubbed too hard on a tree, he's not the brightest baby.

I recently purchased a fly mask for Calvin. The flies were all on his face and since his poor tail is still short, I figured he could use all the fly protection he can get. You'll see in the video that's what he is wearing on his ears. Some people use fly blankets and leg protection, but usually it keeps the horses too hot. Also, I know Calvin would destroy anything on his body because he's so curious, it'd likely end up looking like this. He wouldn't be the first horse I've owned that's destroyed a blanket!

I managed to catch Graf and Calvin grooming each other when I was in their pasture last night. They really do love each other now!  It's so nice to see horses together and allowed to act like horses. Stalled horses miss out on all of this socialization.

Be sure to make the video full screen to really see them grooming!

Grooming time! You can tell by looking at Graf's hind-end that he really loves it!

Heidi (in the background) stays away from the pastures after being shocked by the electric fence, poor girl! And don't worry, I cleaned up the poop seen in the video.