Horse Sense....

 

I swear, hand on heart, there was a gunshot last night.

Apparently, the ducks agreed with me because there was quacking and flapping and, Tarn!  Tarn!  There's a man with a gun!

Pretty sure it was my neighbour having a mad ten minutes trying to shoot the rabbit, which I totally get because our rogue rabbit now takes the p*ss by lying out in full sight during the day sunbathing.  And staring at me as if to say, What are you looking at, this is my home too. 

Well, actually...

But anyway, back to the ducks, I was like, Sshhhhh now, roll over and go back to sleep.  They did eventually and when I got up this morning, I did a head count and everyone was accounted for.

They're still sulking though.

And on another similar but different note, do you remember me giving the horses a growl during feeding time because they would crowd me?  Well, Caps took that on board and now he pins his ears back and slowly walks forward.  It is the oddest thing to watch.  The other horses move, Caps doesn't exert too much Energy and I'm totally safe.  The first time I saw it happen I thought it was just a random thing but now I realize that it's a chosen behaviour.  

Controlled dominance.  

Communication, processing and then action.

****

I really need to stop using the phrase, I wonder what would happen if I did this... because now I have a double float with no divider.  I know!  

And it goes like this:

I looked at the big bit at the top of the divider that stops the horses biting each other and wondered if it came out.  I had a hunt round and saw a pin type thing so took it out.  Then gave everything a bit of a push and nudge and then Hello! the whole bloody divider thing came out.  And it's heavy.  So, then I couldn't both hold it up and squish it back into the hole type thingy that it came out of and pin it back.  Bloody knew I shouldn't have touched it.

On a positive note, Sequoia has heaps of space, can look out the window, has hay and it should be a breeze tomorrow.  I actually love the extra space and I'm pretty sure Missy will, too.  

On a less than positive note, Sequoia is filthy.  I'm so embarrassed.  However, she is beautifully natured and her horse/human door is open so that's worth a whole heap more than my ego.  I have had to battle very, very hard though not to put on a jacket so she looks clean and I look better.  I'm batting 50/50 at the moment. 

****

Woke up in a panic this morning thinking, You have dividers in floats so that as soon as the horse is in, you snap the divider into place so you don't get trodden on or squished.  

Breathe.  Breathe.

However, when I had calmed down I went outside and had another look and it's perfect, no problemo.  So, we should be fine.  However, it was like Spirit were standing with me talking me through the whole process today.  1) Feed the horses their Lucerne.  2) Separate the horses.  And so it went.  Very pleased with Spirit some days.  Or should I say, super pleased.

Just loaded Sequoia.  30 seconds from start to finish.

 

 

Well, we got down in excellent time.  Might have been a bit quicker if I didn't take the Ngatea turn off instead of Matamata but seriously, I was hungry and I was so close to the Copper Kettle.  So, what technically (by that stupid GPS) should have taken me 10 minutes out of my way somehow became 45.  I know!  

However, didn't notice that I had looped the rope too long until I got out to check on her (and buy breakfast/brunch/lunch and most probably dinner) and there she was standing there looking at me, I'm stuck... Easily fixed, and she was fine after that.  However, super interesting news from Kirsty from her American peeps.  Sequoia turned herself round like Ralph facing the back not facing the front and apparently with all the surverys or tests or whatever they do over there they are finding that every single horse, given the opportunity will travel like that.  Super interesting because she did it herself not me but there was no trauma for her, she didn't sweat nor did she try and rush out.  It was the easiest trip EVER.  

 

 

 

 

Just heard from Kirsty, Sequoia all happy, settled and making friends with Storm and Cracker.   

Oh yeah, almost forgot, Kirsty took one look at Sequoia and growled at me.  Apparently, she's fat.  Not juicy.  Fat.  With fat bulges.

Everyones's been put on a diet.  Apart from me.  And Caps.  Well, definitely not Caps but maybe no more potato top pies for me.

**** 

Ok, we need to talk about this.  

The dynamics here at home have changed dramatically.  I cannot believe it.  No one and I mean, not one horse is talking.  It's silent and a little eerie.  Caps just stands at the gate looking sad.  

 

 

And refuses to move.  Or talk.  It's the weirdest thing.  Even Az is quiet and he never shuts up.  But it's like I am watching their emotions which is playing with my head a bit.  Because if I can see their emotions then their processing ability is far deeper than we are aware.  In the end I said to Caps, I'm going down to see Sequoia on Wednesday.  Leaving in the dark, home in the dark.  3 hours down, then I will play with Sequoia, ride on you then 3 hours back.  If you want to come, come otherwise you can stay at home.  But you have to voluntarily get on the float.  I'll let you know whether he comes or not.

And I've found a super cool thiing!  

I have noticed that a lot of horses that talk with me put his or her head on my left shoulder looking over - so they're facing one way and I'm facing another.  My head resting against their neck and their head resting on my shoulder but in a way that we're all tucked in together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.  I never instigate it but it is a common behaviour trait that horses who talk do.  I have no idea what it means, just that it's good.  

Super good.

* I am trying very, very hard not to text Kirsty.  She does not have to justify to me when her and Sequoia work, how long and/or what they accomplish every day.  I knew that when I signed on and I trust her process.  Apparently, I'm still a nosy cow though but I am working very hard at showing extreme self-constraint.  Go me.

** The horses are not happy with this, You're all on a diet until you drop weight lark and show their displeasure by eating the Lucerne and spitting the other hay out.  Nice.  You're still on a diet.

*** You know, the more I'm with the horses the more I believe that many, many moons ago when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, horses and humans walked together in peace.  

I also believe this horse/human door that I speak about, and links us together is the language of the old people - lost but not forgotten.  

The DNA remembers.

**********

Oh, almost forgot, you want to know how Wednesday went with Caps, me and Sequoia...

It didn't.

Caps was fine, weather was fine, I was fine but it was all wrong if you know what I mean.  So, I said to Caps, I'm sorry, bud, I'm not taking you today.  Nothing wrong with you, it's just not our day.  

Wishing you much love my friends, and of course, my humans

Caps, me, Spirit, Sequoia, Ralph, Chew and Az

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