12th January: bad mane day!

Warmed up a fair amount but the bright, hard cold has given way to grey mizzle, interspersed with the kind of West Country rain that manages to soak through your clothes without appearing to put in too much effort. Horses are staying in for the day to give the fields a rest, so putting on a full-length coat and ignoring Mr Higgins' face (his idea being to stay in with a clean box and a drop of haylage or two) we set off for a leg-stretch as soon as it was light enough to see and be seen. As an aside, it always amazes me how much ambient light the moon can give off on these winter mornings - none at all today not just because of the cloud cover but the moon is just on the turn to new - so filled the haynets entirely by touch and the sureness which comes from decades of familiarity.

On the home-straight I looked down Henry's neck to see a frizzy explosion of mane and forelock between those ginger ears - I swear it looked a lot sleeker than that when we set out, honest! 🧐😳 He's also decided that Spring is definitely on the way and has started to moult already, so as he gets itchy AND grumpy when the hair really comes out in earnest, I think it's time to reach for the Heinigers for one last time this season. I have to admit, it is probably my least favourite job (although he is good as gold to do and doesn't even need to be tied up) - those sharp little hairs get absolutely everywhere ...😖

PS - such a lovely sight when I got home for breakfast though ... just inside the gate I found the first snowdrops of the season on the Devon bank that surrounds the front garden.

Never ceases to amaze me how brilliantly that white shines out on even the dullest of days. Hope, beauty and indomitable spirit all in one tiny flower. #rurallife #feelingthankful #loveshorses #westcountryuk #galanthus