dressage musings and frozen toes

Winter is here, this morning I bundled up Smooshy like a burrito and braved the cold to feed the angry hordes. I had to jump up and down in the horse trough to break the ice and get the heater in, good times.

My wonderful friend Melissa has been coming over in the week to chase my kid so I can ride. It has been a fabulous thing, I am a much better person when I get more saddle time.

Joy has been feeling great, no crankiness or excessive spookiness. She is looky but that is just in her nature. Generally during season changes she gets footy (slight hoof sore on gravel) crabby and touchy but this year she has been great. I don't want to be all OMG BALANCED MINERALS FIX ALL THE THINGS   But I (not so) secretly am.

The one measurable thing I can be excited about is her hoof growth, her feet always grow okay but I am amazed how good they are getting, she had a small abscess in late September and it is really grown out now.

Joy says feed meeeee

I love her little troll doll mane. She looks like a Fjord. I miss the mane to grab onto though!

When I trail rode last I was thinking about dressage, in the past I've had a hard time explaining why it is a good thing for every horse regardless of discipline.
You say "dressage means training, training is good!"
and they say "whatever, you silly horse prancer"

I may be paraphrasing

Anyway, When we were trotting blasting up hills and got to the open field, Joy was all excited and doing her sewing machine trot with her extra special Giraffe neck, we did a couple big circles and she rebalanced and calmed. I thought to myself about what dressage does
It helps make every horse more comfortable, balanced and responsive to ride, it improves every riders seat and balance. Even if you never set hoof in a little white fenced arena, it is such a useful tool.
Dressage is for all the things!

Smooshy got his first haircut it was quite traumatic (for me) he though it was great fun and now looks like a little man instead of a poofy headed baby.

Anyone have any suggestions on cold weather breeches, something that will stand up to trail riding and Michigan winters?