Friday, January 29, 2010

Lady's Escape

Lady will usually go from stall to paddock or from paddock to stall without being led, so I give her a lot of freedom. She recently made it quite clear, however, that she still has a mind of her own. Her stall door was open and her hay snack was inside and I expected her to follow the usual routine. It was a complete surprise when she walked past her stall and headed for the back door of the barn, which was still frozen only partly open. I was sure she couldn’t get through, but she proved me wrong. She stopped just outside the door to munch on hay droppings, and I tried to grab her halter. She resisted and took off across the road toward the farmer’s gate. As I walked after her, she seemed to be looking for some tasty grass, and perhaps decided it wasn’t there after all. Before I could get close to her, she came back to the barn in her fast gait and a bit of canter, back for more of that hay dropped outside the barn door—where I was able to capture her. You see, when horses are not under human influence, they do whatever comes naturally, which could be dangerous to themselves and others. Although Lady is about the most reliable horse I know about some things, she does have a mind of her own. I'd love to hear about other mares and their special ways!

2 comments:

phaedra96 said...

My fat Lardini is boss mare, subject to my approval. I love it when, in the morning, I open her gate and she waits...for me to scratch her ears and pet her face. Then she moves out. I did not do it once and walked away to open another gate. She stood there waiting. I have made sure to always love on her before I move away.

Betsy Kelleher said...

Loved your post! I like to say that within each mare is the heart of a woman. Treat her accordingly for best results! And what you shared, is just what I mean by treating her accordingly...with love and attention!