The Herd Gets a Look

I went back out to the barn mid afternoon to check on the new arrival. Hokey had been promoted from babysitting duty and was back in with the herd while Sultanna and her son were grazing quietly in the nursery paddock. Although the gate to the south pasture had been opened up for Sultanna and her baby so they could graze out there, she and her son were still in the nursery paddock.

 He is an active little guy and constantly moving.

Except during snack time, of course. Sultanna is handling that very well, too. In the morning she was touchy at times, but I did not see her show any sign of tetchiness during this check.

While I was there, the herd came up. I don't think that this was their first time to see the foal (I know it wasn't for Abby) but they were still very interested nonetheless.

Sultanna let them have a peek and then took her baby back into the paddock.

Then she brought him back to the fence and sniffed noses with the other horses.

Finally, she let him get close to Trouble, then herded him away and trotted off into the south pasture. I love how everyone comes trotting up and Sultanna just tosses her head and heads off into the pasture leaving them all behind!

Mama and son.

Stay tuned for more baby pictures later today!

Big Dogs, Little Dog

After Pepper got her monthly Percorten shot (this helps keep her from going into an Addison's crisis) we swung around and headed out to the barn to visit the horses and see how Sultanna was doing.

Tim had just rotated pastures, and now the herd was in the northwest pasture. We had to walk out a bit, but neither of us minded.

 Mama-to-be was already in the paddock by the old barn, so I was able to chat with her and see if anything had begun to happen. (It hadn't.)

 Pepper watched the rest of the "big dogs" come up from the pasture.

Pepper is well trained and doesn't bark at them, pant or show signs of stress, or shy away. She doesn't press close to my legs or ask to go elsewhere.

I think she considers them to be big dogs, and treats them the way The Seeing Eye taught her - to ignore, be calm, and leave them alone.

I may have to add to that training. Pepper is awfully interested in the smell of manure...

Happy Spring!

Nancy Kelly sent me this beautiful winter photo of her herd that was taken a few years ago.

Gus (QH), Thunder (QH), Buddy (TWH/Arab), and Toby (Haflinger).

It's a lovely photo, and it also made me think back to the days when I had out horses at home and had to go out in every kind of weather to feed, water, and check on them. While that can be hard work, you also get the bonus of seeing beautiful sights like this one.

 And funny ones, too, like this photo of Nancy's horse, Winston (love that name!),

and Gus at feeding time on a snowy day.

Thanks, Nancy! It may not really make sense to celebrate the advent of spring with winter photos, but these are crazy times.

Snowfall in March

The first day of spring may be getting closer and closer, but it is still winter in Indiana. Today we had another snowstorm barrel through leaving behind a heavy, wet snow. 

Fortunately, the temperature was in the high 30s, so while the snow was falling and sticking to the fields, it was melting on the roads.

I had no hesitations about attempting the drive up to the new barn - even though the lane was snow covered, I was able to drive right on up.

 Tim was also at the barn, but he was out in the west pasture hauling up some hay with the tractor.

 Abby loves to roll in the mud; she was filthy!

 Sultana's foal is due in May and she is starting to look like it.

Trouble and Hokey together by the gate - none of the herd took shelter from the snow despite the fact that they have three places that they can go to get out of the weather.

 The horses at the neighboring farm were out, too. 

 And at the farm further down the access lane they were out as well.

Their barn matches their house and hay barn, although I didn't get photos of those.

Sultanna, Diablo, and Abby.

I gave Abby her peppermints, but I didn't go in with her or stay too long for our visit. It was just too muddy and with the heavy snowfall, I was getting soaked and cold.

Here's hoping that this is the last snow of the season!

A Sunny December Day

Today after doing a little Christmas shopping, I drove out to the barn to check on my girl.

As always, she was happy to see me, and I got a full fledged whinny when she saw me walking out to visit.

Diablo and Abby, the BFFs.

It's been dull and dreary around this part of Indiana for over two weeks, and so the sunshine was very welcome. I was also struck by how good the horses looked despite being in full winter coats (and a few had obviously had mud baths.)

 Trouble looked quite handsome!

 Diablo and Sultanna side by side at the water trough.

Tim (who no longer has his arm in a sling and is feeling much better) has gotten the water heater for the  trough connected, but it hasn't really been needed as it hasn't gotten too cold yet.

 Was Hokey standing under the hay mow window when Tim threw down a bale? Sure looks like it!

Sultanna is a gorgeous gold in the summer. Her color is dulled by that heavy winter coat, but she still is a pretty girl.

We are supposed to have a very short spell of sunny weather for another day or two and then winter will hit with a vengeance. It may be difficult for me to get to the barn, so I plan to enjoy things while I can.

The Current Herd

Since I've been with Tim the past six years, his herd of horses has changed occasionally. Mason, Dolly, Yukon, Thunderbolt, Snickerdoodle, and others whose names escape me at the moment have also shared the barns and pastures with Abby. Four of the five current herd members have been with Abby since she arrived.

Trouble
A massive Quarter Horse gelding, Tim bred and trained Trouble. The name is tongue in cheek, although he does like to get into everyone's business. He's a beautiful chestnut and is about 10-12 years old.

Hokey
He's my favorite of Tim's horses, and is also a Quarter Horse gelding. Hokey loves to be petted and is quiet but friendly. He's not afraid to leave the herd and go to a different corner of the pasture or to be outside when they're all indoors. I think he's in his teens.

Diablo
Half Tennessee Walker and half Arabian, Diablo is small but she is also the herd alpha. She's in her late teens, maybe early twenties and you can ride or drive her. She is Abby's best friend, and so Abby gets the rewards of buddying up to the alpha.

Sultanna
Dolly's foal, Sultanna is five and was also bred by Tim. She's a Quarter Horse and a gorgeous palomino color. She tags along after Abby who tolerates her. Sultanna was born while Tim was in Qatar advising the king on turf management for his golf course, so Tim took the word "sultan" and feminized it for her name. (It is also a type of grape.) She was born after Abby arrived.

 These horses are all very familiar to me, too, as you might imagine. I enjoy their company and am very comfortable hanging around the pasture and barns with them. Tim trains and treats his horses well, so aside from Trouble being a bit nosey occasionally, I have no problem walking among the herd and socializing with them as well as Abby.

I love being surrounded by horses - such a wonderful feeling.

Charge!!

The horses were a little restless and short tempered tonight, probably because Sultana and Snickerdoodle had been introduced into the herd and that always means some shuffling of the pecking order.

When I arrived, instead of just Abby coming up as usual, everybody came.

 And they didn't amble up...

 ... it was as though they were racing to be first to get to me. Which is funny since Abby is the only one who gets treats from me.

There was snorting, milling, and some minor kicking and chasing off of lesser herd members.

 A rare photo of Diablo with her ears pinned. (Sultana is to her right off camera.)

 At one point, Abby even pinned her ears and chased off Trouble and then Diablo, too!

And that meant Abby had me all to herself.

Not that I minded.

Anything Better?

Is there anything better...

 ... than being smack dab...

in the middle of a herd of horses??

Ice cream and chocolate do not even come close.

Will Move Fast for Carrots

When I arrived at the barn tonight, none of the horses were visible. They were all out in the far west pasture and out of sight.

Not wanting to hike all that way out to them, I whistled for Abby, and then unlatched the green gate and stepped into the pasture to wait for her arrival. The trough had overflowed and there was quite a bit of mud on the ground. I was figuring out a way to negotiate it when I looked up and realized that all five horses, not just Abby, were thundering my way! They'd heard that whistle and come running, hoping for a treat!

Now, I don't mind being surrounded by horses at all, but when five are stampeding your way with food on their minds, it's a good idea to be wary. I put my hand out and said, "Whoa" and Hokey and Trouble, who were in the lead, slid to a halt and sidled up to me, poking their noses out, searching for a treat.

Diablo, the herd alpha came in behind them, and that started some ear pinning and milling about. I thought it best to get out of the middle of that, so I slipped back through the gate, barely beating Trouble who thought he should accompany me.

Of course, then their heads were stretching over the gate, hoping, hoping, hoping for a nibble.

Abby always gets the first, the last, and the best treats. She knows it, and so do the other horses. She was behind them, standing by the trough, watching me intently. As soon as I stepped in her direction, she began nickering softly - my favorite sound that she makes.

She got two big carrots and then I gave everybody a sugar cube. (Hokey cracks me up - he does not know how to take a treat from your palm. He makes clumsy, sloppy, lipping motions trying to grab the snack!)

 A long draught from the tank before heading back out into the field for the evening.

From the left: Hokey, Trouble, Diablo, Abby, and Mason.