Horse Antics

It's been raining here since last Friday and is expected to continue until the weekend. This is great news -- we actually surpassed "normal" year-to-date rainfall today. Hopefully, the reservoirs will start filling and the snow pack will deepen. Meanwhile back at the farm, it's been very wet. The horses have been in the barn; even Pistol is in. She usually stays out in the pasture where she shares the run-in shed with the goats. We stopped leaving Lucy out with her because two mares crammed into one run-in shed may have been warm and cozy but it was also a stinky pee and poop filled mess. So, Lucy has been coming in and Pistol has been complaining. With Flash at UC Davis, we put Pistol in his stall. I'm sure he'll love all the girly smells she is leaving behind when he comes home.

There was a break in the wet weather systems on Monday; a small window of pasture opportunity; less than 24 hours. Brett put the four of them out so they could stretch their legs and relieve their cabin barn fever.

Jackson went first. As soon as he was in the pasture, Jackson walked to a nice muddy spot and had a good roll. Then he heaved himself to his feet and bucked in place a couple of times.

Brett told me that Lucy went code three (that's lights and sirens in cop-speak) across the pasture, scattering the goats in her wake. Pistol let Lucy chase her for a few strides, then ducked out and headed for the hay that Brett had thrown in their feeder.

Mufasa was the last to be taken from the barn to the pasture. He engaged in a blending of the other's activities. He ran laps around the pasture, threw in a couple strong bucks and then rolled.

The horses stayed out all afternoon and that night. We woke to drizzle Tuesday morning so they were promptly marched back into the barn.