How to Use Your Horse as a Weather Gauge

10. You're walking across the pasture and run smack-dab into a Shetland pony--heavy fog in low-lying areas.

9. The horse swishes his tail and knocks you unconscious--icy conditions.

8. A 14-hand horse appears to be about 16 hands tall--snow with possible accumulation up to 8 inches.

7. The ground looks wet but the hoofprints are dry--very light showers.

6. Your horse bites and kicks you--well, that really just means you were an idiot for buying him.

5. The horse looks hungry because his big round bale floated away--possible flooding in some areas.

4. Your sorrel horse has turned roan--snowfall with little or no accumulation.

3. He's slow to leave the hedge row even though you're rattling the feed bucket--excessive heat warning.

2. The horse is hanging onto the fence with his teeth--blustery winds (or you've got a cribber).

1. The front half of the horse is wet and the back half is dry--isolated showers.

Reprinted with permission from Farm Talk newspaper.