Horses Think They’re Funny

Nov
18

We had a big storm overnight and I was in the upper pasture this morning checking on fences. Not unexpectedly, I found a tree down on the fence in one spot. We had high winds, so I was lucky it was only in one spot. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky as to still have two horses in the field.
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Shortcake had taken a walk over the downed fence.

Fabulous.

Coaxing her back over the fence on my own, even with feed, is not an option. Shortcake is of the suspicious nature. I knew I needed the lead horse on the job. (Zip.)

I went back to the house for a can of feed. Back in the field, I showed the grainy goodness to Zip then led her up the field. Shortcake, of course, followed along the fenceline, unwilling to let Zip out of her sight. Once we got to the spot where the fence was down, I started taking Zip away from Shortcake, across the field, down, down, down, disappearing from Shortcake’s sight. Unfortunately, this didn’t entice the sugary Shortcake to step back over the fence. Or I didn’t wait long enough. Yeah, I think that’s it. Because next I went back to the barn for a halter and lead, deciding to take Zip down out of the field, through the yard, past the studio and the house, and out onto the road. We’d get Shortcake from the other direction, where she didn’t have to step back over the fenceline. She’d come down off the bank and onto the road and follow Zip back to the field from there. A long walk, sure, but we do what we have to do, right? So, first, I brought the wrong halter. It was too small for Zip. (Sigh.) So I just wrapped the lead rope around her neck and told her to c’mon. Zip’s pretty cooperative. Except she really liked the grass in the yard. After insisting quite a bit and wearing myself out, I got her down to the road. So here we go, me and Zip, clip-clopping on up the road to find Shortcake.

Oh, what is that I see on up at the gate to the upper pasture, through the trees, from the road? Why, that’s Shortcake, who has clearly stepped herself back over the fence and is now standing at the gate looking plaintively for her Zippy.

FINE. JUST FINE.

So I explain to Zip that this was all an exercise and we go back up the road, up the driveway, and why, of course, Shortcake has now DISAPPEARED again. Because I’ve just never met a horse with a better sense of humor than my Shortcake.

I get Zip back to the gate to the upper pasture, which involved some tugging and begging since she really did like the grass in the yard, only to discover that Shortcake is now down by the gate to the lower field–outside the field, in the yard. Because I left the upper gate unlatched. This involved an incident with Poky and don’t even get me started on that story, but Poky by now was wandering around the front yard and I was completely ignoring her as I was rather tied up with Zip and Shortcake.

Lest this tale continue until it stretches into a book, let me simply say that they are all back behind fences now. Not necessarily where I want them to be, but behind fences, and the upper pasture is shut off until the tree can be cut out and the fence repaired.

And I am tired.

The End.

*****

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Comments

  1. ibpallets (Sharon B.) says:

    Never a dull moment at your house 🙂

  2. brookdale says:

    No wonder you’re tired! Quite an adventure. You are lucky Shortcake didn’t hurt herself on the fence going through (and back).

  3. Faith says:

    I never think about these things when I see beautiful horses behind fences. I just assumed they stay where they are suppose to be…sorry about your chase, does telling you that it made a great story help?

  4. Journey11 says:

    Horses can be so neurotic sometimes. I watched my paint gelding once try to stick his head UNDER a strip of electrobraid fencing that was down in the pasture, rather than just step right over it! They worry about getting their legs caught and becoming supper for a wolf, I guess.

  5. holstein woman says:

    I’m so sorry, where is the help? I suppose at school. BLESS your heart.

  6. Glenda says:

    I hope you have a small chain saw you can start and use………the tree doesn’t look too big.

  7. steakandeggs says:

    I just had to laugh. You know the old saying Been There Done That. Makes me think of the time years ago when we had 3 calves in the pasture. One being a little black Angus. That calf could get on his belly and crawl under a barb wire fence. They just kept getting out. One day they got out and with the neighbors help we were all out looking for the calves. I got tired so I said I’m going back to the house. When I got there guess what I found? All 3 calves grazing in the pasture like they had never been gone. NOT FUNNY then, but later it was. :cowsleep:

  8. morningstar says:

    No wonder you stay so beautifully slim xx

  9. native daughter says:

    Wake up and life happens :snoopy:

  10. halftall says:

    This all sounds very familiar from the 45 to 50 years I spent on a farm. Always a lot of fun. I remember once when I had a calf, about 6 mo. old get in the middle of a big batch of poison oak & I had never been bothered by poison oak before, I jumped into the middle of it cause it, (the calf) was about to go through the fence, & yes I got the worst case of poison oak the doctor had ever seen. I haven`t done that since, I learn fast. halftall

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