It won't sound at all impressive to those of you who read this blog in hot sunny climes, but Exmoor over the last few days has been BOILING (by our standards...)! I normally stop clipping my horses by the middle of March, because by then (a) I am very, very bored of clipping; (b) they are growing pretty summer coats and (c) normally, the weather on Exmoor in spring is sufficiently uncertain that they don't actually get too hot even though our hunting season normally carries on till the end of April.
This week was the first time that I began to think again. On Tuesday it rained all day, and by 8pm I had several sets of soaking tack and 3 changes of clothes to dry out. Not a problem and certainly no need to clip horses.
On Wednesday the sun came out, it warmed up and everything started steaming. I rode Charlie that day and on Thursday, when Oscar and Dilly were ridden by their owners, and although we didn't really go very far, Charlie was warm when we got home, purely due to the temperature.
Yesterday the wind dropped even more and the thermometer hit 18 C or the mid sixties for those of you Stateside. It may not sound like much, but its been less than 10 C up till recently (the 30s or 40s F) and none of us (the horses included) are used to hot weather.
Now, for sitting around thats a very pleasant temperature indeed, but for galloping up steep hills for miles at a time, its really rather warm. Fortunately Exmoor is blessed with streams, rivers, puddles and bogs - as well as many troughs for stock - so there is always a chance for horses to drink while they are out but even so, I am starting to wonder whether I need to clip again, even though the season ends in just over 2 weeks - AARGH - there are better ways to spend the odd free hour on the weekend!
18C? Wow, around here that's... brisk. A lovely day for a hunt, but definitely jacket weather. I mean, if it's less than 26C we have to at least throw a sheet on the boys, lest they get too cold...
ReplyDeleteKIDDING! Well, at least about blanketing the boys at 26C... :)
Sounds just like what we are experiencing here in Northwest Washington state.... very warm one day and then cold howling wind/rain the next! We seem to be constantly pulling blankets due to sunny weather & too-warm horses.... only to find ourselves drying soggy horses and putting the blankets back on the next day.
ReplyDeleteJen, I know we are wimps - its just that we aren't used to it since it was only last month that we got consistently above freezing :-)
ReplyDeleteJenny, we are definitely climate twins!
Nic, I can deal with the heat but am a complete, pathetic wimp in the cold. Fortunately, I live where it's warm... sometimes too warm, but I'm sure I'd turn into a popsicle in your winters!
ReplyDeleteI need to send Charlie to you, Jen - he stood today while I shaved all his fur off, asleep and happy, steaming in the hot sun :-) We had a north wind too so it can't have been much over 15 C (!)
ReplyDeleteyou're stil hunting????????
ReplyDeleteFox hunting here stopped over a month ago. Even drag hunting stopped a week/2 weeks back. How come your season is so much longer????
C
'Cos we're special :-)
ReplyDelete:-)
ReplyDeleteC.