Wet snow balling in hooves makes horseback travel impossible.

Evidence

After riding for an hour I was obliged to get off and walk for another, for the snow balled in Birdie’s feet to such an extent that she could hardly keep up even without my weight on her, and my pick was not strong enough to remove it. — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 164

Categorization

• SHARE: A horse person’s exact detail — snow balling in the hoof, and the pick too weak to clear it.
• XREF: connects to: Deep mountain snow can cripple a horse’s progress to three miles per hour — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 170; Unshod hooves with tender feet make frontier horses useless for travel — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 222

Broader Connections

• Deep mountain snow can cripple a horse’s progress to three miles per hour #qualifies (0.90) — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 170
• Unshod hooves with tender feet make frontier horses useless for travel #complicates (0.85) — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 222