Lucy gets the Hiccups

Sunday morning, Cara Choy came to give Lucy her massage.  You would think that Lucy would be thankful for a massage; I sure would be.  But, no, Lucy was far from happy.  To start with, the horse trailer was still out with the back doors wide open.  Brett has been practicing loading Mufasa in advance of their clinic next weekend.  Lucy thought FOR SURE she was going back in the trailer.

I walked out to the pasture to get her and give her a nice groom before Cara arrived.  Lucy was standing in the far back corner, under a pine tree.  She saw me coming.  She knew there were cookies in my pocket.  She didn't care.  Pistol looked at Lucy, looked at me, looked at my lumpy pocket, and ambled over.

Excuse me, if Lucy doesn't want those cookies I'd be happy to take them off your hands.

Did Lucy care that Pistol was eating all her cookies?  No.  I had to walk all the way to the pine tree.  Lucy didn't move one inch in my direction.  She didn't run away either, and for that I was thankful.

She walked docily behind me to the pasture gate but once outside went into high alert.

Don't put me in the trailer!  I'm too tired and sore to go anywhere!  No! No! No!  I won't go.

"Lucy, you aren't going anywhere.  Eat some grass and calm down while I shut the gate."

"I'm too nervous to eat.  Don't make me go in there.  Pleeeeeeze."

I groomed Lucy at the tie rail and when Cara arrived, I led Lucy into the barn.  Last time Cara came, Lucy scooted around so much that we had to put her in the tie rail/wash stall so Cara could work.  We decided to start there.  We had to walk by the trailer on our way to the barn.  Lucy danced.  She wasn't any happier in the wash stall.

What is this person doing, pushing and prodding my sore muscles?!  I don't like this.  Lemme outta here!

After fifteen minutes, when Lucy didn't come back out of the barn, Pistol got worried.

Pistol screamed for Lucy -- Where are you?  When are you coming back?  Are you leaving me again?  Girlfriend, where are you?

Lucy: I'm in the torture chamber.  This is undignified; it hurts; and I'm sure I'm going back in the trailer when they finish.  Help!!!  

...and then Lucy started to hiccup.  It wasn't cribbing and it wasn't thumps (she was well hydrated).  It was hiccups and Lucy didn't like it.  Lucy let loose with a hiccup (not gentile in a 16h horse) every few minutes.  They annoyed her no end and she tossed her head around, each time, in response.

Pistol kept calling.  Lucy kept shifting around and hicupping.  And then Lucy started answering Pistol, loudly.  The hiccups went away.

After her massage, I took Lucy back to her pasture.  Pistol was waiting at the gate; waiting for Lucy and waiting for more cookies.  Normally, I walk Lucy into the pasture, then turn her to face me with my back to the gate.  She lowers her head, I slip off the halter, and she gets a cookie. Then she wanders off to roll or nibble grass and I slip Pistol a cookie.  This time, she jerked her head high in the air the minute the halter was off and spun away from me.  As she left she bucked, just in case I had missed the message that she wasn't happy with the morning's activities.  Temper, temper Lucy.

I think next time we will try doing her massage at the tie rail where Pistol can see Lucy. And hopefully, the trailer won't be out.