Snow

And indeed, the rain of the previous evening turned into snow over night. Lots of it!

In the morning I was greeted by 4-5 inches of snow and a sparkling blue sky. Beautiful! Just like home in my childhood (Switzerland).

The boys enjoy the snow and are rolling around in it a lot, which helps cleaning the rugs!

Snug and warm, 'Mr F' is soaking up the winter sunbeams ...

... so does 'Luke'. 

Later that day I join them in their field to take some more photographs. Snow is apparently very good for their feet, so I have been informed by the barefoot trimmer. It stimulates the frogs as it is of course a ground with plenty of padding, but it also cleans them. It's a very different story for shod horses like 'Madame', who ends up with huge clumps of snow sticking to the metal shoes.  

 'Mr F': "What is she (me) up to?"

 'Luke' (facing me): "Not sure, she has got a strange black thing around her neck again."

 'Luke': "Come on, I'm bored. Can we play?"
'Mr F': "No, I'm feeling lazy."

I have watched the boys play many times and it always starts like this: 'Luke' nibbling 'Mr F's neck until he gets a reaction of some sort ... if nibbling the neck doesn't work, he'll have a go at the legs. They really do like each others company and hang about together most of the day.  

As I said before: like big and little brother.

Suddenly there is a lot of sound coming from the distance. The direction of the sounds is behind me.  It's children and adults laugh and shout (pleasantly) on the main road where they are using one of the lanes to play with their sledges. Both boys noticed the sounds but don't care much.

 Suddenly 'Madame' came shooting out of the shelter where she had been hiding up til now. She comes charging out, carrying an aura of great importance with her, wondering about all the screams.

'Luke': "Oha! What's the matter with her!? Something's up ..."

'Mr F': "Seems so. Go on,  you go and have a look ... " 
 ' 'Luke': "Alright ... I follow her ..." 

Mr F' always sends out his scouts and herds the rest from the back. I have never seen him come and examine something strange in the field first. I guess he has the job of a stallion, even as a gelding. It's usually a mare (lead mare) that goes and checks stuff out. I observed this many times over the past months if the boys and girls were together in a field. 

'Madame' very purposefully trots into my direction, her focus aimed at where the noises are coming from. behind me in the distance.

'Mr F': "And? Anything important?"

'Luke': "Not sure, but she ('Madame') sure seems to think so."

'Mr F': "Lets go and have a look."

All three standing there, very attentive, their ears taking in sounds of the playing children.

A nice group shot.

 Strange marks in the snow.

The fields behind 'Buttercup Farm' - mine and 'Mr F's playground ...