Horse lovers tell us the telltale signs that spring is on its way.

Spring cleaning is just around the corner -- we hope!

AQHA’s community on Facebook is the place to go to discuss current issues, stay updated on AQHA news … and just have some fun!

Our Twitter account is also buzzing with activity.

Recently, our social-media readers weighed in on the welcome change of seasons, telling us that horse people know spring is coming when …

• Your horse starts to shed, and you get hair stuck to your lips thanks to Chapstick.
• You only have to wear one layer of clothes to go feed!
• The yearling you registered as a bay sheds out to be a buckskin after all. (Note: AQHA customer service will fix that for ya!)
• The snow melts, revealing every turd that lay hidden beneath it all winter so they can thaw … all at once.
• You can take out all the water de-icers and put them up in the storage shed. It’s always a WHOO HOO moment!
• Longer days provide for extra riding time after work.
• Pregnant mares no longer fit through the stall door because they are so close to foaling.
• It’s time to start packing for QuarterFest (April 30 – May 2)
• You can start using the excuse of “it’s muddy at the barn” to explain why your house isn’t clean.
• Showbills arrive for a fun “fuzzy horse” show.
• Horsey catalogs in the mail featuring spring colors!
• You head to the Laundromat with hairy winter blankets in tow!
• It’s time to put the foaling kit together for the babies that are due.
• Stallions pace the fenceline in anticipation of breeding season.
• Water troughs don’t have to have ice busted. Very, very excited when that happens!
• Shoveling manure is soooo much easier in the warmer weather. For that, I want winter over with!
• My brochure arrives from Equine Affaire and all the other spring clinics!
• I can actually walk to my barn without 20 pounds of clothes on.
• I drive by neighboring barns to see people aren’t holed up in the indoor arena with their horses.
• There are no icicles on whiskers out in the pasture.
• You’re actually excited about blowing the budget to buy spring shots and dewormers.
• You notice it’s time to fix the fence that is sagging from all the snow all winter.
• The first place to show green growth is always under the feeder where the grain fell.
• Featherlite rolls out its new models and options!
• You find road apples along the road from the horse people who venture out!
• Your horse turns into a giant walking mudball.
• That mare you swore wasn’t due until March has a brand new filly by her side in January.
• The ground thaws out.
• The barn swallows come back to the barn.
• Your horse needs a really good bubble bath
• The livestock shows are in full swing.
• Your fave pair of footwear are rubber boots.
• My mare gets more moody because she’s close to foaling.
• You are no longer having to break ice out of your buckets.
• Your mini stud wants to breed your regular-size mare!
• Your pipes stop bursting in the barn!
• You are able to go to a horse show and not freeze, the mares are about to foal, the barn aisle gets covered with horse-hair dust bunnies, and grass starts to grow again.
• You don’t have to drain your water hose to keep the water from freezing inside it!
• You tell your husband to unplug the water de-icer so the leaves don’t catch on fire again. It’s going to be 50 today.
• You pet your horse, and you come back with a fistful of hair. You have more hair on you than on the horse.
• People start wanting shoes put on again (from a farrier).
• My sweet mare with osteoporosis in both front legs acts like a foal in the pasture.
• The mares start having their babies, and it’s time to pay the stud fees again to re-breed!
• You start cleaning out your horse trailer and restocking it for the first show in March.
• Drill practice starts up again.
• Studs are sniffing the air for any signs of estrus … and the sunsets are later in the day!
• You do your spring cleaning first in the barn (before your house) and realize you have your own li’l tack store with all the things you forgot you had.

And, finally:

I notice during the winter, the horses will come up to you, because they know you’re not going to ride them because of the snow. When spring comes, they don’t come up to you because they know it’s time to start working again.

Related Posts:

• Potomac Horse Fever
• Potomac Horse Fever
• Winter Babies
• Prepare for Winter
• Swelling During Pregnancy