No pictures today. I was too busy ducking flying hooves and dodging rampaging horses to get any photos. You will have to use your imagination to see the day's events.
The day started grey and overcast with a prediction of heavy rain. We decided the "oldies" needed to be put in the barn and stable.
I must interrupt here to tell you Jim has a "man" cold. For those that don't know, there are "woman" colds and "man" colds. A woman cold has chills, fevers, aches, pains, sneezes, snuffles and general bad feelings. A woman cold does not prevent work getting done. A man cold , however, has all of the above, plus it puts the man at death's door with whines , complaints and the inability to do anything.
This said, it became obvious that I would have to move the horses by myself. OK. first step- get the barn and stable ready for incoming critters. Gates opened, water troughs filled, horses in the barn moved around. Step 2 Get the halter and lead rope . Step 3 Here's where the plan goes up in smoke. The plan was to move Charles, then move Belle. Up until today Belle was a matronly white mule who never moved faster than a plod. She stood where she was until you convinced her to move. She was a sweet, quiet, compliant girl.
Today, as soon as I opened the gate to get Charles, Belle whirled past me at a run, kicked up her heels and left the country. Poor Charles stood there, head cocked to one said trying to figure out what just happened.
He led nicely to the upper barn and started to eat the hay I had put in there. I made 3 attempts to get Belle and had to duck the afformentioned flying hooves. She was out. She was going to stay out and eat grass. OK Plan B. I'll move Cash, then Braveheart, then Breeze, Tory and Jesse.
Have I mentioned we have mud? Well , Cash moved to the bottom end of his turnout down deep in the mud and I didn't want to lead him by the others because my boots kept getting stuck and I couldn't move without losing my boots.
Braveheart was waiting by the gate so I took him first. Before I could close the gate, Braveheart backed into the fence and got stung by the electric rope. Naturally he jumped. So did Breezey, right over the wire and out. Now Breeze and Belle had a good romp, which fired up Levi and Daisy. They went nuts, leaping and hopping all over the place. Levi even did his Leapazanner dance where he stands on his back legs and hops across the turnout.
Braveheart walked to the lower barn, always keeping an eye out for Breeze and Belle who took to tearing around everywhere. I didn't know those old girls had it in them.
About that time Breeze raced to the lower barn, ran in and out twice before I could get there. Finally I got her closed her in only to notice that Ruby was in with Lexi and Grace finishing off their breakfast. Since Ruby doesn't always have good table manners with others I led her back to her stall. Jake, Sweetie Pie and Quincy had come in out of the sprinkles and were standing in a stall eating some other hay. About that time Breeze popped her gate open and was off again, this time up to Chance , Rico and Pedro.
She and Belle had the boys going, and got Daisy and Levi wound up again. I was so busy watching the fireworks I didn't hear Jake come crashing up behind me. He is the all time best gate opener. Great!! Now there are 3 out. About that time Jim stuck his head out the door and yelled, "You've got horses out." On Feb 27 we'll have been married 45 years and I don't think he's ever said anything more obvious. He pulled his head back in and put on his coat. His man cold would just have to wait.
Jesse was next and led like a gentleman to the stable as did Tory and Cash. Now for the three wild ones. Belle came up and asked to go in with Charles, but about that time Breeze thundered by with Jake at her heels and Belle took off, too. I followed Belle until she got tired of the game, then put her in with Charles.
Breeze and Jake kept it up for a while, but finally she stopped for a breather and Jim caught her. Jake had gone into the calves pen and waited to be put away. He is a BIG boy, but has the gentle draft nature and wants to please. he walked nicely as Jim put him away.
All in all it took a good 2 1/2 hours to get everyone settled.
We came in for a cup of tea and a little rest. Jim's man cold needed attention.
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