Horseaholic Part 2

The weather, work, and other things kept us from going back until yesterday to try and bring the rescues home. For once, the weather cooperated with a planned event and we trucked south again to see if we could capture our wild horses.

This time we backed the trailer into the pasture and we were ready to stay until finished.

I walked out and caught the remaining Haflinger mare, DeeDee, and tied her up. Jim herded the wild bunch up the hill while I put some grain into the corrals. When they did come up, they all decided five in one corral would be more fun and cozy. Work with what you get, I always say. I had Jim hold the rope that formed the gate and sorted out the three we did not want to catch and let them slip out.

Jim went first and using the stick, started where he had left off with success before. It only took about 20 minutes this time to get the halter on. He lead the bay out and left me to work with catching the chestnut. I had to find a place she was comfortable again and work up from the back to the front. It only took fifteen minutes, but it seemed like forever. I had to really work on keeping my intent from showing - it takes so little for a person to focus on the goal (catching) instead of what the horse needs. They are still flinchy, but not over reactive and scared out of their gourds this time.

After the halters are on, things move along pretty quickly. We repeat the going up to the trailer. You work out here, you rest near here. Some hay and spilled grain on the trailer floor adds to the pleasant time they are having when by the trailer. We wait and let them explore and then walk away.

When they are becoming bored by this, we ask for more, until they try to get into the trailer… and then walk away again. Finally, with some rump tapping, my filly jumps into the trailer. We walk around in there. Have some good scratches and come out again and go for another walk while Jim tries it. When his filly decided to jump in, she did so with drama. She was airborne, looking like a Pegasus, when she realized what goes up must come down and decided at the last moment to put her feet down and land in the trailer. Same deal and out again. My next time at the trailer, a couple taps and she jumps in. This time I take her up front and tie her and close the stall gate. Jim’s filly decides she has had enough for a day and tries to convince him that it would be much more fun to drag him around in the muddy places instead of going anywhere near the trailer. She changes her mind quickly. These gals are so poorly, they don’t have the stamina to put up much of a fight for very long. She decided the trailer is a better deal and jumped in.

We stopped in the little town of Exline for an ice cream to celebrate and then brought them to to the pasture with nothing note worthy to report. We bedded them down in the round corral. Shared a tube of ivermetic paste wormer between them and called it a night. All in a day’s addiction for a horsaholic.

I have found I have another addiction. I decided to clean up my paper files to see what I had in stock for drawing. I found I have been hording bristol paper. Like a lot. I had not been using it lately because I did not think I had any. Of course, I had just ordered some more the day before. So, now I really have a lot. I need to make some art on it now and use it for the book I want to try and finish! More on that later!!

~ by bethanycaskey on April 22, 2008.