Caught in the Act!

Hokey sure looks innocent, doesn't he?

He and Diablo have been squeezing through that narrow opening to get to the west field! I saw Hokey coming up today when I arrived to feed everyone, and so I hustled out into the pasture so I could see how he was getting in and out. He has pushed over a post that was there (and supported by concrete blocks).

Mystery solved!

They're Ba-ack!!

I went out this afternoon to feed and check the horses, wondering what I would find after yesterday's game of "pasture roulette."

Sure enough, Hokey and Diablo were back in the west pasture again! But Sultana was where she belonged, thank goodness. I think I know how the chain on the gate broke yesterday - she rammed the gate hard enough to do so. I saw her run into it today. It happened shortly after all the horses' heads snapped up and every one of them froze.

Sultana and Trouble

I suddenly heard a tremendous crackling sound in the underbrush north of the pasture and along the grain elevator property.  At that, all the horses bolted and galloped around in a frenzy, including Tanna who rushed the gate and rammed into it.

Out of the underbrush emerged one of the largest dogs I have ever seen, and it was loose.

His head was massive, and I felt uneasy and afraid myself. The dog pushed through the brush along the fencerow, making more noise and causing continued chaos among the horses. As the dog got closer, he paused, and eyed me for what seemed like an eternity. I turned and quickly hustled toward the safety of the barn.

A man at the grain elevator realized the dog was bothering the horses and called him to heel, then shouted an apology to me across the field.

While I am not happy to have a dog bothering the horses, especially one that large, at least now I have an idea of how Tanna got in with the other horses yesterday.

Now, if I could just figure out Diablo and Hokey's trick for getting into the west pasture...

Horse Wrangling

Tim's out of state, and I am in charge of the barn for the week. And wouldn't you know, there was a problem the very first day.

Sultana, Dolly's yearling filly, is home and in a separate paddock from the older horses to keep her from getting injured while Tim is gone. The other horses are in the pasture right next to her, so she has company and isn't alone.

Sultana

But, when I arrived this afternoon to check the herd, she was out in the main pasture with Abby, Trouble, and Persuasion. And Diablo and Hokey? They were in the west pasture that Tim has closed off so the grass can grow up.

Naturally, I was wearing a dress and sandals - I'd come straight from work and had thought all I'd need to do was throw some flakes of hay out and check the water troughs.

Slogging through the mud catching horses and switching up pastures was not on my agenda!

I went home to change and to recruit Craig to come back to the barn with me and see if we could get the horses juggled back into the correct pastures.

First, we got Abby, Trouble, and Persuasion out of Sultana's paddock where they'd gone while I'd been home. Craig held the gate while I led each horse through. Abby saw no need to leave - after all, she is usually my shadow, so why did she have to go?

So, she hung around and helped me repair the gate closure (the chain that holds it closed had been snapped in half - one of them must have run against it to do that!)

"We" worked hard to secure the gate with a lead rope, wrapping it several times around the post.

I sure love this girl! Even when she's more in the way than a help.

Next, it was time to go get Diablo and Hokey out of the west pasture. Just in case Tim had changed his mind and put them out there deliberately before he left, I checked the water trough. It had been scrubbed clean and overturned; no, he did not mean for those two to be out there!

With help from Craig who again did gate duties, I rounded the two up and shooed them into the right pasture. Craig closed the gate, and everyone was back where they were supposed to be.

But how did Diablo and Hokey get in the wrong pasture? I walked the fence line to find out. All the gates to the west pasture were closed and chained shut. All the boards were up on the paddock fence and in good repair. The high tensile wire up and in place. Everything checked out as it should.

So how did they do it??

I don't know, but it will be interesting to see if they're back there again tomorrow when I check the herd. Only this time I'll be ready and have barn clothes and boots in the car!

"My Tins Horse"

These two are twins.

When I was hauling Abby home from Indiana Horse Rescue on April 27, 2012, my phone went off. It was Kyle, informing me that Ashley was in labor. A few hours later, Corinne was born.

While visiting them in Florida for spring break, I told Corinne that she and Abby shared a birthday. As a joke, I referred to them as twins. She is soooo excited to have a "tins" and keeps asking me to show her pictures of "my tins horse." 

Corinne doesn't quite understand the concept of twins, but she sure knows what a birthday is, and is thrilled to share hers with "my tins horse," Abby.

Melting My Heart - Redux

Nearly three years ago, I wrote a post called "Puppy Eyes and Horsey Hips." It was about an incident that happened with Abby when I was trying to decide if I should get her or not.

She and I were alone in the round pen at Indiana Horse Rescue, and she was initiating contact as she wandered the pen, culminating in coming over, cocking a hind leg in relaxation, and leaning a hip against me, then standing there with me contentedly as I spoke with one of the ladies in charge of adoption. (Go here to read the post.)

It melted my heart and was what ultimately led to me deciding to adopt her.

Fast forward to yesterday, and I had a similar experience with Abby melting my heart.

Usually when I arrive at the barn, I whistle or call Abby by name to let her know I am there. Yesterday, she saw my car arrive and came up without being called.

She was so happy to see me, she didn't wait for me to walk down to the gate; she came down the fence line to where I was getting out of the car.  So, we visited there, instead of at our usual meeting place.

Surprisingly, Diablo did not come with her. Nor did any of the other horses who will usually come over to say hello. Just Abby and me? That's fine by me!!

At this point, my heart was melting that she was so glad to see me. We visited a while, and then I had to leave as I needed to take my mother's clean laundry to her at University Place. So, I gave Abby a final pat, turned, and walked back to my car.

But she did not turn and walk back to the herd even though that final pat is routine and she knew I was leaving.

She simply stood and watched me until I left.

I love my horse.

Some Late Winter Sunshine

Yesterday the sun was shining and the temperature got up into the 40s. That served to melt a lot of the nine inches of snow we got last weekend. The ground was soggy and squishy and very, very pungent!

It was a far cry from the temperatures Friday morning, just the day before!!

The horses enjoyed the sudden thaw and the glimpse of spring-like weather.

They were congregated on the west side of the old barn and soaking up the sun. The herd also was nosing along the ground, hopeful that they might find a blade or two of grass.

Abby and Diablo came as soon as I called. Look at how lush and beautifully combed Diablo's mane appeared! Odd for the end of winter and a horse who lives mostly outside.

This week's temperatures are predicted to be in the  40s, 50s, and even 60s, so perhaps we have turned the corner and winter is truly over. I hope so!

Peek a Boo!

Abby peers around the side of the old barn when she hears my car roll up.

She's hoping for something to eat!