Not Even Gonna Try

It's taken a while, but the ground is drying out despite all the snow melt and then heavy rains we have had. There is still some standing water in the lane to the trough, but it's almost drained away.

Abby looks good - from a distance.

And from head on, she looks fine. But when she turns to the side,

you can see that this girl has been wallowing in the mud.

Trouble and Hokey roll at times, but not like Abby. I know that if I were to knock that mud off her, she'd just go wallow again, so I am not even gonna try.

Ah, the joys of spring and horse ownership!

Feeling Frisky

The barn was a busy place this afternoon. Tim was out riding Trouble, Grace and Jenny were on Hokey and Mason,  and I was handing out carrots to the girls. Linda, Grace and Jenny's mom, arrived with their enormous dog, Bruiser, in tow shortly after I got there. You could sure tell it was a warm Saturday afternoon!

And the horses were feeling a bit sassy. Abby chased Diablo away from me four times - I had to sneak poor Diablo carrots when Abby was otherwise occupied. (Diablo is the herd alpha; I was surprised she tolerated Abby's uppity behavior.)

 Looks pretty demure, doesn't she? 

All Abby wants are the carrots she knows I have. And she WASN'T interested in sharing - that's Diablo in the background.

Tim, Grace, and Jenny finished their rides and turned their horses loose in the pasture. This started a chain of rolling, horse after horse dropping to his or her knees and flopping into the lovely mud.

Hokey was the first. (He rolls a lot, but he never seems to get muddy like Abby does.)

Next was Trouble, while Dolly (left) and Hokey (right) look on.

 Now Diablo and Abby are wallowing.

 The girls made sure they got both sides - after all, the mud is a beneficial part of their beauty routine!

And they continue to roll.

Finally, Abbs decides she's done and heaves herself to her feet.

Then she gives a sassy toss of her head and begins cantering around the pasture while Diablo gets one last back scratch.

 Abby canters by me as Diablo rises. 

 And they all trot and snort around for a few moments.

Dolly joins Abby and Diablo in frisking around.

The girls circle by Trouble and Mason.

And Abby comes back to me, hopeful for one last carrot before I leave. 

Ahhhhh!!

A good roll on a warm summer day begins rather innocuously like this:

(Hokey kindly demonstrates for us.)

 Lying down in the rolling area, a circular spot of dirt that the herd has designated as "the spot."

 Then rolling onto your back and squirming vigorously. It helps to stretch your neck out and get the head into the dirt, too.

 Be sure to go side to side and get all parts of your body covered in dirt.

 Stick out your forelegs and give a huge heave so you're on your feet, and....

Shake vigorously!

Ahhhhhh! That felt good!

(Think this is messy? You should see them when the rolling spot is muddy!!)