Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Horses Have Left


Back during the heat of the summer the trainer who pastures his herd of broodmares on our property began taking them to his barn without bringing more back.  He said he will bring the young ones when they are old enough to leave their mothers.  


He would show up with a trailer and a crew then try to catch whichever ones were due to deliver next.  It never was easy.  The ladies would take one look at the harnesses and gallop away into the woods.


Next came a wild, yelling, chasing whirlwind as the crew tried to drive them to the front corner of the field.


The horses never tired but seemed to find it entertaining - it was a different story for the humans.  Their exhaustion was obvious.



Eventually, the herd would be cornered beside the watering trough.


Then they would be carefully driven into a makeshift corral.


Those they weren't after would be released back into the field so halters could be slipped on the desired ones.




After a few exhausting failures, they wised up and brought a four-wheeler.  The horses didn't have a chance.  Combustion engine vs. horsepower...no contest.


Now, the last two horses have left.




It is quiet outside again.  No sudden thundering stampedes, loud neighs or crushing footsteps behind me.  I miss seeing them moving through the windows and observing their different personalities.  My fields will be empty for a little while so the land can recover from being overgrazed.  However, we are already looking forward to more surprises in the future.


Additional Links:
Introducing Our New Roommates
The Stork Paid Us a Visit
The Stork Returns for Another Visit
The Last Straw...Hat!

8 comments:

  1. Oh how I love horses! They are such magical creatures and have such different personalities! I am sure you will miss them.

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    1. I do miss them. Today I went out to the garden to pick a salad and was startled when I heard leaves rustling. It was only a squirrel but if the horses had been here, I wouldn't have even looked up. It is too quiet.

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  2. Beautiful photos of the horses! I love seeing horses in the pasture, too. We only ever had one, but she was a spirited thing. Our youngest handled her well enough though. She is buried near the barn where she loved to hang out.

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    1. As you know, they are quite a bit of work. The trainer told me he wanted to get them into the barn before bad weather arrived, can't blame him. They check on them once, sometimes twice a day while they are here so having them close by his house definitely saves him work.

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  3. Oh, I would so miss them...horses are such beautiful creatures. Love that last photo especially.

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    1. What was funny about that picture was how these last two horses hated each other. This was the only time I managed to snap a picture of them close together. They were walking over to the trainer, curiously listening to the sounds of the bucket of grain being rattled at that moment. Normally, they were on opposite corners of the field. The last two left and they both were stuck with someone they hated.

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  4. And maybe, now as the horses have left, it could be your turn to take a wheelbarrow and collect
    some of the "inheritances" of the horses to use as a very good natural manure. Your garden would
    benefit from it. Also good for a cold frame in spring.
    Christel

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    1. I slipped out into the field with my wheelbarrow and Scooter to see what my "inheritance" might be. I am extremely rich! There was more "wealth" left behind by the horses than I could have possibly imagined. One load has already been added to the compost pile and it looked like another load was washed down the bathtub drain after I gave Scooter a good wash.

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