[Painted Wings]

So yesterday it didn't get above 19 deg. F here. My husband and I went to a museum and then I actually sewed myself two stock ties. Walmart has some cotton plaids that are small print, sort of like tattersall for $2 a yard. I bought 1/2 a yard so the stock ties cost me $1 each to make.

They've cancelled hunting today due to the cold. Right now the thermometer says 6 degrees. I think I'm now going to stitch up a colored collar for one of my more casual Beagling coats just for fun.

Anyone ever try making a stock tie out of white polar fleece for cold weather?

I'd never made a stock tie before. I just traced one of the ones I wear and added 5/8" for a seam. It was pretty easy.

[Rt66Kix]

It's -4 here, and I'll see you later on when we go basseting! Yay!

I've made stock ties a lot too, and polar fleece should be just as easy. If you have a serger it's really simple.

Wolf Creek canceled as well; if it's below 25 then they don't go out. Our MFH is afraid the hounds' pads will get cut up. I would be concerned about hauling Buddy in a stock trailer in that cold of weather.

My morning will be spent out in the barn. I need to trim my Shire's feet desperately. His scratches were so bad that I couldn't touch his lower legs. They seem to be calming down, and his feet are just terribly overgrown. He was actually limping a bit this week, so I MUST trim today no matter what. Just hope that trimming takes away the limp - ACK! I do NOT need a lame horse!

Thank goodness for power tools; I'm sure I'll have to take off at least 2" from his heel. Wish I could stay inside and sew instead!

[Equus34]

For over 20 years I HAD to work out in the cold, galloping and racing in the winter months can be brutal. Trust me there is no worse feeling than being chilled to the bone. My winter riding gear consisted of foot warmers in my boots, and one of those heat wraps (back and body) and neoprene gloves, and ski goggles, I found this was the best way to keep warm and toasty.

These things worked even when the temps droped below 20 degree with single digit wind chills. Nothing worse than galloping along doing 35 -40 miles per hour with the freezing wind whipping in your face, freezing your eye lashes shut..

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[Ginger]

Hey GTD, have you checked out the fleece seat covers from Sportack? They are made by Shear Comfort and they are just divine. Really well made and incredibly comfortable. Save yourself some work!

[Ginger]

GTD, if you haven't seen them "in person", let me give you a hint why I like them so much. You stitch two lengths of heavy duty elastic to the underside of the pad that fits in the saddle gullet. Then you stitch some velcro to both sides of the other end of the elastic. At the rear of the saddle pad, you stitch two pieces of the other part of the velcro so that you run the elastic under the gullet of the saddle and catch it with the velcro, and then you catch it with the second piece of velcro on top of the elastic piece.

Not sure that made any sense, but what you've got is elastic running under the gullet from the pommel to the cantle and that sucker won't shift for a 50-miler. I've never seen any other saddle pad that fastened that way. They just depend on elastic under the stirrup bar flaps and elastic around the cantle.

[SLW]

I bought 1/3 yard of white polar fleece at Walmart and use it for a hunting scarf. We're allowed on to use either white or black scarves on the cold days. The edges don't fray so I didn't even stitch them.

[Acertainsmile]

For over 20 years I HAD to work out in the cold, galloping and racing in the winter months can be brutal. Trust me there is no worse feeling than being chilled to the bone. My winter riding gear consisted of foot warmers in my boots, and one of those heat wraps (back and body) and neoprene gloves, and ski goggles, I found this was the best way to keep warm and toasty.

These things worked even when the temps droped below 20 degree with single digit wind chills. Nothing worse than galloping along doing 35 -40 miles per hour with the freezing wind whipping in your face, freezing your eye lashes shut..

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I galloped for 25 yrs...and rode races for a winter in Boston...

I never used foot warmers, or a heat wrap type thing... I just jumped from horse to horse... I did use ski goggles and neoprene glove (once they invented them...)

I thank God on the mornings when it's freezing that I am in my warm toasty bed, and not on the back of a TB at 6 a.m....

Our hunt was cancelled this morning... but I did spend some time in the barn... putting an extra blanket on my poor fully clipped foxhunter.

[wateryglen]

GTD!! I was hunting w/Ashland yesterday and talked to you and we didn't even know who we are!!! I talked with you about your gorgeous coat and talked to you about how Canadians wear real fur coats skiing!?? Remember?!! It was me!!! I was the woman with the Michelin Man black coat? Blue knit cap? We talked at the breakfast too. My hubby made the split pea soup?!! I didn't realize it was you until we were leaving and you had just gotten in your car and I saw the license plate which has your farm name on it and VOILA I realized you were a fellow COTHer!!! How cool is this!!? We gotta stop wearing disguises! Need like a tattoo or something!!

Anyway, with a couple of inches of snow on the ground and temps in the low 20's; I didn't think the scenting was good at all. Lotsa rabbits but they couldn't hold a sustained run/line. The wind didn't help. And I swear the rabbits KNEW the scent wasn't holding as they just kinda loped along; no zipping here & there like normal. No way would I have foxhunted. Infact I went in a bit early as a cold has me down right now. Nice to see MOC folks out! 90 mins was long enough! I had lots of views too. It was worth going just for the breakfast ay!???

Hows this everyone!? Members brought 4 different pots of soup as it was a potluck breakfast and all 4 were made by our MEN members! Gotta love a hunting man who cooks!!! Funny to see them standing around chatting about cooking and how they seasoned/made their soups!!

But no, hunting in the cold is NOT fun....unless the food afterwards makes it worth it!!

Oh and JSwan wasn't out....SHE's a total weanie!! Or....incredibly intelligent!

[Rt66Kix]

Equus34 - OUCH! OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH!! You are one TOUGH gal!

I'll tell you what else she is! A VERY talented artist, and her work is just incredible.

Her foxhunting scenes are perfect, and I'm amazed at how much detail she can squeeze into a tiny scene on a glass. I bought a few mugs for myself, and also some for Christmas gifts for friends.

She can paint anything on anything, and my next project for her is a foxhunting scene around a hurricane lampshade. I highly recommend her work! It's beautiful and she can paint from photos, too.

[Equus34]

Barb, thanks for the kuddos, I appreciate it. You are one of my best customers, and you always come up with such inventive things for me to try my artistic talent on. You know me always up for a challenge.

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[Equus34]

Acertainsmile, a fellow female jockey and I had the bug together and she started up in Boston. When ever we would have one of those cold nasty racing days she would proceed to tell us that "you aint seen nothing til you rode in boston during the winter."

You are one tough cookie to have ridden in Boston in the winter, I heard their winters were brutal. I never used the foot warmers in my racing boots, just in my morning galloping boots. They just didn't feel right in my jock boots. So I just suffered with frozen toes in those tiny pattent leather boots. You know what I'm talking about don't you.

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[Painted Wings]

GTD. I heard you stole Ron for the weekend. Foxhunting was cancelled here in Missouri due to the cold so he certainly didn't miss anything here. We did take the Three Creek Bassets out and I actually viewed for a change. Big cottontail that wasn't in much of a hurry. We had a couple of short bursts but nothing too exciting.

The weather kept most away though as we only had the huntsman, three whips and two in the field. It was below 20 deg. F.

[JSwan]

Oh crap - I missed meeting gothedistance! I'm so sorry - but we spent all day Saturday helping a friend out, and Sunday we had to make up for lost time (didn't expect to be gone all day Saturday).

I can't imagine scenting was good - but I bet everyone had fun anyway.

Let me know when you'll be out and I'll make a point of showing up - with my flask!

I'm also sorry I missed Ron - but I'm glad he got to come back and see everyone.

[Acertainsmile]

Acertainsmile, a fellow female jockey and I had the bug together and she started up in Boston. When ever we would have one of those cold nasty racing days she would proceed to tell us that "you aint seen nothing til you rode in boston during the winter."

You are one tough cookie to have ridden in Boston in the winter, I heard their winters were brutal. I never used the foot warmers in my racing boots, just in my morning galloping boots. They just didn't feel right in my jock boots. So I just suffered with frozen toes in those tiny pattent leather boots. You know what I'm talking about don't you.

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Oh boy do I know what your talking about...it's a wonder I have any feeling in my toes at this point in time! I use to refer to jock boots as "slippers"...

The wind whipping off the ocean at Suffolk is something I will never forget! The other colder than cold place I have been was the Meadowlands...Thank God TB racing ends in December there!


I was all up for hunting (sort of) on Sunday...heck, by 11 am it was kind of warm... well, sort of.

By the way, I saw your work and it is georgous! I am making a list of what I need and will contact you!

[wateryglen]

GTD! Just make sure they aren't rabbit fur boots! Now THAT'S a mental picture for ya!! A basset pack chasing GTD all over the countryside....bet you'd be skinny minnie BEFORE April! So like....what's the proper holler when you view a skinny mink coated lady running from covert to covert being chased by a basset pack in full cry?!!!? Mink Ho? Tally coat? Ware crazy lady!??? Wha????!!! Could be exciting for those low scenting dayss.......yea I'm warming up to the idea!!
Great Meadows this Sunday 2pm if anyone wants to join us!! in regular clothes.......lotsa wabbits there.

[Painted Wings]

One time I went out to walk hounds in frigid cold weather with snow on the ground. I had a scarve on that I had bought in Sweden that had little fur pom poms on the end. Apparently they were fox fur as I was very popular with the foxhounds that day.

When I went Basseting Sunday one of the other Basseters brought his JR bitch in heat to try to meet up with one of the other Basseters that had a male. He brought her out of the car on a leash straight toward the Basset pack. Boy did that raise a ruckus! He of course had to pick her up and take her back to the car but that definitely falls into the category of "what was he thinking?". Took a little while to get the Bassets interested in bunnies after that.

[Equus34]

That is sooo right... Not much to them is there

As for hunting, last year I had it set up for my Pony Club to hunt with one of the local hunt clubs (Bridlespur) and both days we had set up were canceled due to massive snow one weekend, and an ice storm the other weekend.

We did get to hunt with Bridlespur Hunt this year on Opening Day and the kids had a blast, as did their parents. What an inviting group, and so helpful too. We even have some of the kids hooked, and they are interested in joining the Jr. Hunt Program.

Since our club also had a couple members not ready to go out into the hunt field I stayed with them and did tried Basseting for the first time. What a hoot... Both me and the kids learned a lot. We also got a chance to see the Fox Hunting field and as they passed you should have seen the smiles on the kids faces it was one of those priceless moments.

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[Equus34]

I forgot to add to that last post, Thank you Bridlespur Hunt for making it such a wonderful and inviting experience for all of us. We hope to do it again.. The pictures that Painted Wings husband took were just awesome, mine not so much


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