Groundhogs, Horses, and Shedding Season: Who’s Ready for Spring?
Here on the ranch, we always eagerly await what the groundhog has to say. Will spring arrive soon, or are we in for another six weeks of winter? This year, Punxsutawney Phil gave us the dreaded news—six more weeks of cold. But just a short distance away, Staten Island Chuck called for an early spring. Who are we supposed to believe?
As much fun as it is to watch the Groundhog Day festivities, we’ve got our own way of predicting the change of seasons—our horses.
During the winter, most of our horse herd hangs out on pasture with the cattle. After all, they're built to withstand the seasonal shifts just like any other animal. In the winter, the horses grow a thicker coat, puffing up and looking extra fluffy to stay warm. But when spring starts to peek around the corner, something magical happens: they begin shedding that extra winter fluff, revealing the sleek, shiny coat we all associate with beautiful horse photos.
Now, you might not notice their shedding right away—it's not like you're going to see clouds of horse hair floating by. But we sure do. We love spending time with our horses, scratching and petting them every chance we get. And when spring is truly on the way, you know it because the air is filled with fur. A good scratch and suddenly there’s a flurry of horse hair drifting away in the breeze. Or, you go to wipe your nose and end up inhaling a big ol’ wad of it—cue the sneezing fit.
Our horses haven’t started shedding yet this year, but they will soon. Typically, the warmer weather triggers it—but did you know that shedding isn’t directly tied to temperature? It’s actually more about the horses' health. So as much as we like to think we can rely on our horses to predict the season, they’re just as uncertain as the groundhog.
That being said, we’re hoping for warmer weather soon! We’re all eager to feel the sun on our faces and the ground beneath our feet. Until then, we'll weather the cold and those biting winds, knowing spring is just around the corner.
As always,
Savor, Flourish, and Enjoy the Ride—and don’t forget to close the gate!
Trevor Moller, April Johnson
And the team at Stock and Steeds