Horse Blankets hanging in the wind

When I was in high school, I was head of the prom decorating committee, my junior year. I have no idea how I got in that position, but it involved lots of fresh flowers and crepe paper. Anyway, there was a class vote on the prom theme and I only remember that it resulted in one of the largest acts of dishonesty in my entire life. I'm sort of proud of it really--the class voted for Kansas' "Dust in the Wind", which is a really cool song, even though I haven't actually heard it in 15 years or so. But, as head of the prom decorating committee, there was just no where to go with that as your theme, other than floor fans and sand. And I just couldn't go there.

So, we created a conspiracy and told everyone that the winner was "The Way We Were" by the Carpenters. It worked out fine.

This is what I think of as my two winter horse blankets are astride the fence, drying out from yesterday's welcome rain. This was my first year to store horse blankets all summer and I thought I was pretty smart hanging them over a rail in the loft all summer. I knew they were getting some surface dust, but I thought it would keep mice out of them.

When we got hay the other day, I dragged them down to put outside for a dusting and was shocked to find mud dobber nests inside both blankets. The nests were abandoned, but not that small! Also, found lots of lethargic big black flies--ick-o-rama!

I left the blankets laying in the grass overnight for the flies, hoping they'd freeze to death. Then hosed off both blankets and left them to dry. Then it rained on them all the next day and today they are dry again. Perhaps not the method I'll go for next year, but seems to be ending alright.

The blankets are both hunter green and make the horses look like big pieces of LL Bean luggage.

The only horse blanket washing service in my area is called The Soapy Pony. I think that is the cutest name. I was considering starting a blanket washing/repair business, forcing my mom to do the repairs, because she can. But not this year. I don't think my customers would go for the whole mud dobber thing.