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Winter came extra early here in Western Washington State. We had our first snow storm in early November and winter continues to plague us with unusually cold and snowy weather .  As anyone involved in an outdoor sport knows, bad weather can really futz with your motivation.  Commitment and discipline take a lot of energy, but when the winter weather sucks the motivation out of me it's just that much more difficult.  It's easy to look at a magazine and or website and get psyched for the show season to start.  But the reality of going out to ride in the 20 to 30 something degree downpour, with horses spooking and bucking, while much of the rest of the world hibernates indoors with munchies...sometimes it's a sucker punch to the unmotivated gut.  But there are other twinges of reality that hit as well.  I remember how tolerant and supportive family is about my horse crazy thing even though they don't quite share that degree of passion.  Seeing my ponies faces when I walk into the barn on a cold, dreary morning.  The little but monumental victories like keeping a rhythm through trot poles inside because that's all the weather allows.  Catching a glimpse of another little mustang out there on the range who might need a home and job. Those things make me put off moving to Aiken for another year (it was just snowing there anyway!).  And so I put on a few layers and Gortex and head out.

Marcos is unimpressed by a sudden snow storm and heads for the barn.