Escaping is in the Air

The other day I drove up to the barn and noticed Dickie and Tari were separated in a smaller paddock attached to the barn. I thought maybe the herd wasn't getting along and figured there was a good reason for it so I wasn't concerned. Later on I found out that it had nothing to do with herd drama. The hot ribbon wire wasn't hot (a certain bay horse may have been involved with t-post cap removal) and somehow got caught around her leg. Again I blame Dickie because he for some reason thinks white hot tape is super fun to try and pull off the fence. Poor mare panicked and went through/over the wooden fence and down the street. Dickie went with her and the big mares stayed behind. Big Mares called for their friends and paced in front of the fence that was low enough to step over but were smart enough to stay home. The two hooligans took off down the road and luckily before hitting the main street saw some horses and went to meet them. Tari went through barbed wire to get to those horses. She is pretty banged up but no stiches were needed and she wasn't lame just swollen. Arabs might get themselves into crazy stuff but at least they are as tough as nails.

Dickie was entirely unscathed. Not a single scratch on him or even a hair out of place. They went over every inch of him with a headlamp and so did I. I think he just went along with the girl who was having the most fun but had enough sense to avoid the fences. For all his baby goofiness he is pretty level headed and doesn't panic. More than once he has had blackberries wrapped around his hind legs and wasn't the least bit worried. He just walked slowly like he was hobbled then stood cool as a cucumber while I untangled them. Why my horse feels the need to climb through the blackberry patches that tower over his head is a story for another day.......


Then tonight (about midnight) I went out to love on them. My pre work ritual is to stay up all night the day before I work. That gets me used to overnights again after flipping to a day schedule. When I am up I groom the kids then hang out at the restaurant Josey's mom works at. I was greeted by the four faces peeking out of their stalls. Then I went to the tack room to organize and had a strange feeling someone was watching me. It was totally silent (silence with four horses should have been my cue that something was up) and I turned around to find ..........

"Um, got any treats in the tack room?"

"They didn't tell you I now sleep with my stall open? Don't you know it is bad for  young horses to be in a stall all night?"

Yesterday this was several bales of neatly piled hay. 

Not sure why I didn't notice the halters strewn about and the poop in the hall when I first arrived. 

He was very nonchalant about his new choice of sleeping arrangements. Usually when Bre escapes she knows right away she has been bad and starts to scramble and get excited. The chase is part of the fun of escaping for her. The thought that he wasn't supposed to be out making messes didn't cross his mind. He had no interest in leaving the barnyard. Why would he when he had three girls begging for his attention, access to a paddock full of green grass, and bales of green yummy orchard grass hay? He sauntered (yes sauntered) back into his stall with me when I rattled the grain can. I caught him working the door open again later but ruined his plan by making sure the snap was clipped.

I guess the longer sunny days have the horses thinking they need to be free like mustangs. I need a wild mustang to come over and let these beasts know there isn't orchard grass hay, Redmond rock salt licks, milk jug toys, jolly balls, strategy grain, curry combs, mint horse cookies, or blankets anywhere to be found out there on the range. Stay home ponies it is much better here.