Ah, Freedom

As I mentioned in my last post, the horses were in the barn during the Thanksgiving week storm.  By the time we returned home Saturday, they were getting restless but the storm continued with heavy rain and wind through the weekend.  We decided to put the horses back out in their pastures on Monday, when the rain let up.  Moving Lucy in bad weather is a bad idea.  Walking 1500 pounds of levitating horse isn’t my idea of fun.  Monday afternoon, the rain finally stopped and I started moving the horses.

First, Lucy.  I move Lucy first so she doesn’t get excited watching the others race around in the pastures, which is what they all do when first turned out after a long stint in the barn.  I hope for a calm horse and prepare for an animated one...  As it turned out, she was pretty mellow on our walk to her pasture.  Once inside the gate, I took off her halter, gave her a cookie and she trotted away.  She took two steps of trot and then exploded, hoofs thundering, and mud flying down the length of the pasture.  She slid to a stop, blew like a freight train, and took off again.  Sage immediately joined in the fun, racing alongside the fence, barking and jumping in circles.

Second, Pistol.  When I approached the back of her run-out with her halter, Pistol came flying out of her stall at a canter and slid to a stop at the gate.  She had her head up and a bit of spring in her step as we walked but she behaved.  She’s always a good girl.  Once she was in, and had her cookie, she gave a huge yee-haw buck and took off at a lope to join Lucy.

Third, Tex.  I take Tex before Flash because it I take Flash first he hangs by the pasture gate and tries to bite Tex on the butt as I bring him in.  Tex was an angel on our walk over.  Sage followed us but kept her distance; I think she remembered Tex and I herding her around.  Tex politely took his cookie, walked over to a smooth, wet, muddy area and dropped to his knees and then rolled.  He rolled on one side, then flipped to the other, then balanced on his back and ground the mud into his butt and back.  He flipped back to his front, got halfway up and then changed his mind and rolled six or seven more times.  Once he finished rolling, he stood, shook, bucked and took a lap around the pasture.  The goats scattered.

Last, Flash.  Normally, I can count on Flash to be a gentleman when walking him.  He’s 23 and has a “been there, done that” attitude about things.  Sage was following us, as she had done with the other horses, and Flash took exception to her presence.  Or maybe it was anticipation of being in the pasture with Tex.  Whatever the reason, he decided to rear and buck.  Fortunately, it was more thought than execution and some stern words from me kept all four of his feet on the ground.  Barely.  Once in the pasture, he jumped, kicked back while airborne, and then hobbled a bit when he landed.  He didn’t stop though.  He started squealing like a pig (honest, he squeals) and running around, still a bit gimpy on his hind.

Eventually, they all settled down and ate their dinner.

Leaving the Animals

It is difficult for us to leave the ranch.  I know we aren’t alone in that space.  We wouldn’t trade our life here, with the animals, for anything but it does make it very difficult to travel.  Unlike some of our other retired friends, we can’t take off at the drop of a hat and go hither and yon.

Fortunately, we have two very good people who take care of our animals when we do leave.  They both are experienced with horses and we trust them.  Of course, we still look for the daily text telling us everything is okay, but we don’t worry too much.  Laura also sent us photos which was really nice.

Pistol

For Thanksgiving, we traveled to my father’s home — about six hours away by car.  Laura stayed at the house and took care of everyone, in the snow and cold.  We had the horses in their stalls in the barn so she didn’t have to slog out to the pastures.  The first day that Laura was here, Lucy got a bit impatient while waiting for dinner and was demonstrating all her athletic moves.  Of course, all the bucking and leaping about didn’t make Laura want to go into the stall but Lucy did, eventually, chill.

Lucy is also a pig.  She poops and pees in her bedding, unlike the other three who do their business outside in their run-outs.  Flash takes big mouthfuls of his hay and dunks it in his water.  As a result, the area around his water is always wet and the water in the bucket is a lovely shade of green.  Unless the weather is really bad, or the snow is deep, it’s easier for us if they are in their pastures and they are happier there too.

Laura stayed at our place, but she had additional places where she was feeding pets and livestock.  She had asked us about taking the dogs with her and I said that Sage hates the car and it isn’t fair to leave her behind and just take Kersey so we expected that they didn’t go with her.

Kersey loves the car.

She took them both.  And, Sage was fine.

Not thrilled, but not unhappy either.