Teddy and the "Horse-Getter"...

From Jim: There's a story that the American Indians believed that horse's could see things that men couldn't. A while back, I wrote a series of blogs on the sensory perceptions and capabilities of equines and there's no doubt that they can see, hear, smell, taste, and sense things that we can't. That's not what this blog is about. This blog is about a "genuine, for real, scary horse-getter". Teddy is a very senior Thoroughbred. Big ole guy-17-2. He's a great horse with a super personality. He's found a corner of his backyard turnout that lets him get close to the herd in the upper turnout. He likes that. The problem is there's a horse-getter that lives there. Well, it doesn't actually "live" there, because it's a dead tree branch. At least that's what us twoleggeds see. For Teddy this is a transmogrifying getter. It's an OK dead branch going into the corner, but becomes an object of pure terror if any attempt is made to come out of the corner. We've had to lead our old friend out of the corner several times so that he can eat and get a drink. The first time we saw him standing there, in the corner, we thought he was missing someone from the upper herd. Not so. He was unwilling to face up to the getter reaching out from the tree, ready to grab him and do the worst. This is exactly the same branch that beckons him into the corner with a friendly wave and happy greeting-I guess? Anyway, Teddy sees it for what it is and without a reassuring hand and the protection we offer up, there's no way out of the corner. I suppose the getter will be chainsawed into submission this weekend. There will be other getters. I'm sure of it. Teddy points out, quite clearly, that just because we can't see it, that doesn't mean there's nothing there. I try to remember that horses, like us, can have real fears that others don't understand. Times like that, you need a friend. You sure don't need someone telling you you're being silly or getting harsh. I think I'll take care of that getter sometime tomorrow-not wait for the weekend. Wouldn't want to take a chance with Teddy's safety.