Literally, I JUST groomed them all… AND LOOK AT THEM TODAY!

I swear, I almost cried.

I spent last weekend, grooming Dodger, Norma, Gwen and Annie. All of them had beautiful manes and tails (which is very hard with Gwen’s curly Morgan tresses), perfect feet and pristine udders/sheaths… it was beautiful.

Now, in Grass Valley, a full grooming like this would have lasted quite a while. But here… well, it rained…and here, when it rains, there is clay and mud.

Hence the mudsters I have now.

I could almost weep. Except it isn’t that big of a deal. It’s like washing your car and then it rains. Or washing your car to go to Grandma’s and she lives on a dirt road … or making a beautiful cake – and then eating it.

I just thought I’d share – in case any of you did the same thing last weekend.

BEFORE…

I took these photos last weekend. They had all been groomed and turned out into the large paddock. After running around for a bit (that is why poor Dodger is sweaty), they settled into some snacking!

Gwen and Norma – with Dodger’s perfect tail blowing into the frame…

Sweaty but clean Dodger and Annie – he loves her.

AND NOW…sigh

Poor Dodger. He is not quite through shedding so now he has tufts of mudshed. His made and tail were so beautiful last weekend – and they are THICK.

Norma doesn’t shed until August. Always has, always will. I feel so badly for her with that curly coat. But, she must have laid down in the cold mud – and I bet it felt great! All girls need a mudbath.

This is Gwen. It took me quite a while to get rid of all of her tangles and mudballs the last time! Oy. Here we go again. I know those dangling balls must be irritating. As soon as I took this photo, I did pull those balls off. If they get those balls on their tails, they can be REALLY irritating – swinging around….

This is Annie. It is difficult to take her photo because she is always up in my grill. But, you can see that she is messy. Muddy Gwen is crossing in the background – she looks like a grey horse.