It has been a little over 3 weeks since I last went out to see Bear. My shoulder and rib have continued to get better (I’m wondering if I actually cracked a rib as I’m still feeling some tenderness 5 weeks out). In those 3 weeks we’ve had a few nice days, but quite a bit of cold, too.
Today we had rain turning to snow with projections of 4+ inches coming over night with some plummeting temps. So we went out to check on the guys, give them a little food and some time to dry off and warm up.
Bear was definitely soaking wet, except for his huge, round, tubby belly, which was bone dry. That’s right, 3 weeks of standing at not super nutritious bale in less than ideal weather and Bear gets bigger. At least I don’t have to worry about him dropping weight in the winter. Or any season for that matter.
Inside he was mostly good. A little frisky actually. I let him roll right when we got in. After he adequately scratched himself he just jumped right up and proceeded to run around and kick his heels up a bit.
Once he calmed down I gave him some chopped hay and proceeded to groom him and dry him off some. After the snack we did a little groundwork. His backing was great. The disengages were just OK. He was a little more willing to go on the line than he sometimes is, but I think that was also due to being inside on solid footing. He threw in quite a few little bucks and kicks and big runs. Not ideal behavior, but it probably helped him warm up and get a little drier.
When we put them out it was actually quite nice. The snow had stopped falling and there was only a gentle breeze from the northwest. Bear stood around for a few pets and then walked off to load up on hot water. I’m definitely feeling better about him going into the winter, but we’ve got a blanket coming as a just in case.