I live in the south as well, but I'm in the southern hemisphere. We're feeling the cold here right now after all our horrid heat and floods.

I hope the horses are OK. Maybe write lists for the children to make sure they put out the feed and water in case you're unable.

I used to look after a donkey named "okey dokey" and several shetland ponies on my property some years ago. It wasn't so much the heat here that was the problem, it was more the storms. Especially for Okey Dokey. The Shetland's knew no boundaries. They ripped up the fences the moment they looked at them and many a day was spent trying to find them.
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