Mizzle

Today's weather is best described as mizzle. The sort of opacity you get from lots of drizzle. It's not cold though :)

This afternoon there was still lots of moisture in the air, and it's very grey, but the wind subsided some and it wasn't rainy. I mucked out and swept up, and started to think about tidying/arranging the tack room. I wigged out at least a dozen times at 'forkytails'...earwigs! They give me the shivers, I really hate them. Spiders and beetles and bees are always welcome, in factI don't have a problem with bugs in general. But forkytails are, to my irrational mind, hideous and I admit without much shame I stomp on 'em. I apologise if that offends, I do try to respect all creatures but I really really hate these things and my blood runs cold at the thought of one nipping me. When I'm in the stable block and, for example, a tag on my top is bugging me, I'm now worrying perhaps one of the little blighters is in my clothes jabbing me! So I spent a good while last night and today flamenco-dancing on them. And squawking like a prodded parrot every time I happened across yet another one.

Virtuously, I also poo-picked the boys' old paddock and took a good heaped barrowful out of their current paddock. It'll take a lot more to clear it but in a couple of days I'll be back to clean grazing. I'm won't do any work with them tonight but I have brought in some of their gear to wash, and all the bridles are in the house to be cleaned tonight.

Have to say, I'm a little miffed about Quadi. I wonder if he's feeling 100%? This morning his stable only had one poop in it. He had peed too, it wasn't terribly smelly, and he's obviously eaten some of his hay, but there was a good bit left. I've been leaving their feeds in overnight since no-one's super-hungry at teatime, I only stay until I know they've eaten their omeprazole which I heap at the top of the feed so it is definitely consumed and not wasted.

It's just not like him to not have an appetite and I can only assume the grass in the field is really doing it for everyone, therefore they're not ravenous when they come in. But the lack of droppings is unusual for Quadi, he did stop once when we were working last night and then there was one in the stable, which is low output for him, so to speak. I turned him out as normal and checked him every half hour for a few hours, don't think he's stopped eating all day and he seems well in himself, tummy noises are normal and he's not distended or in any discomfort.

I'll take his temperature tonight and check it in the morning. I am aware of my back tonight, presumably from the today's barrow-wielding. Perhaps Quadi and I have swapped appetites, I can't stop stuffing my face *lol* I was quite happy to burn a few calories in the field today!