It is the eve of the solstice and winter is only starting. Although we didn’t get the amount of snow the rest of the country is getting, it is very cold with hard frost and temperatures staying below freezing during the day. Once again the water tank in the yard is frozen, in spite of two layers of pipe legging, bubble wrap, and horse blankets covering the entire tank. Back to hauling water.
Minnie and Cassie are coping well with the freezing temperatures. Even though their breeding means they didn’t grow thick, shaggy coats, they are not cold. I only put rugs on them at night. They are well fed, they haven’t lost any condition and they are healthy. But they are bored. I can’t keep them confined to the yard – if Cassie doesn’t untie the rope, they just jump out, highly dangerous on frozen ground – so I let them roam around. They pick their way over the rock hard and rutted ground with great care, and they move around all day long, but treading carefully doesn’t suit their temperaments. They want to run.
Still, they are coping better with the cold than I am. I could do with a better coat, my current so called wind proof jacket is no match for the north easterly wind, and I have yet to find gloves that keep my fingers warm while allowing me to do all the jobs around the yard without the need for taking them off.
Two horses 
I think the secret of being warm is to dress for a climate much colder than one’s own. My body temperature starts out as almost one degree cooler than normal anyway, so I really feel the cold. I have asked for quilted overalls for Christmas (we’ll see ….!). I think those plus a down jacket suitable for Alaska, plus insulated boots would make life easier!