The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

So something happened tonight that has not happened in a very, very long time. My horses disappeared!

I have three horses and only one enclosure for them. The two old guys get a different lunch than the fat pony, so I let them out onto the main property to eat. I forgot to close my front gate! Had no idea they left until it was pretty much close to dark and I went out to put them back in their enclosure. I ended driving up and down the road and, for the life of me, I can't understand how I am unable to see a 1000 pound animal. It was way dark when I went home. Figured I'd check later and see if they were back.

10 minutes later, there are two pairs of eyes looking in my bedroom. HAY!!! We want back on this side of the fence!!

Aww! Glad they stuck around - I probably would have been much more freaked out. We have two QHs and a mini and have the same feeding problem. Someone's gotta convince those ponies they can't eat like the rest of them We used to be able to just let everybody out and graze in our backyard without a fence, but then the pony decided it would be fun to lead everybody on a stampede down the road to a neighbors house and back. We didn't ever doubt they'd come back, but we figured 3 horses and a goat running down a state highway could be at the very least a terrible distraction to drivers. Needless to say, we now have more fences. Oh, what we go through for animals!

I still can't imagine how someone loses a horse, muchless two! I mean, they are pretty big. I'd think someone would notice.

Come on, you never got boring and want to walk away for a while
Good they came back!

It was just time for a field trip. That's all!

I think that patbunny's horses like the escape and did it again today. That's why she is not among us- she's chasing them!
It's impossible bird person have a family or a private life

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I think that patbunny's horses like the escape and did it again today. That's why she is not among us- she's chasing them!

In the beginning, it was actually kinda sad how much I had to chase them around to catch them. They weren't treated very well by the prior owner.

Today, Evil Chicken and I were at Petapalooza with the cat rescue we volunteer with, Friends of Cats.
The local radio station's photographer took some pics of Ducky. When those pics show up on their website, I'll post for y'all.

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I still can't imagine how someone loses a horse, muchless two! Roz I mean, they are pretty big. I'd think someone would notice.

I swear! I am blind! I lose them on my own property! The brown one HIDES! He kinda meanders behind some big bushes and stands really still. My husband gives me a hard time ALL the time about not being able to see them.

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pony decided it would be fun to lead everybody on a stampede down the road

Ponies are TROUBLEMAKERS! I can contain the two arabs with twine (no joke!). The pony keeps stomping down every fence we put up.

A horse can hide? Seriously?

Ever since I read Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses, I've really wanted to learn to horseback ride.

patdbunny wrote:

Ponies are TROUBLEMAKERS! I can contain the two arabs with twine (no joke!). The pony keeps stomping down every fence we put up.

You're tellin' me!! When I used to be in a working student program at the farm I trained at they had a lady there who bred Welsh hunter ponies and I was the only one small enough to work them after they'd been sent away to get started under saddle. There are just way too many stories... ungh...

It's like the amount of trouble gets condensed and concentrated the smaller the horse... just imagine how much fun mini's are. I think you need one

I want a mini SO bad. There's a local mini breeder who might want to do some sort of partial trade for a baby ringneck. I'm so tempted. Are you saying the minis are trouble makers Xs 1000?
If so, I'm good. I don't need one. I have enough troublemakers in my life.

patdbunny wrote:

I want a mini SO bad. There's a local mini breeder who might want to do some sort of partial trade for a baby ringneck. I'm so tempted. Are you saying the minis are trouble makers Xs 1000?
If so, I'm good. I don't need one. I have enough troublemakers in my life.

DO IT!! Ours is definitely a trouble-maker, but I'd take him over most snotty lesson ponies any day. Their size is a blessing and curse. They can get out of stuff easily, but ours sticks around. When we put up a temporary/makeshift tape "fence" to get our horses out of the main corral for grazing we didn't even bother putting two rows of it. The mini just goes right under it, but he'll stay round the big guys.

I think the biggest "problem" people have with minis is actually close to small birds. You'd think they'd be easier to work with, but you've actually got to be more careful, mindful, and firm when you're handling them. They're tiny, so it's really easy to let them get away with bad habits and behavioral no-nos, but when it comes down to getting trimmed and floated and such they're "slippery." You can put something that's 15.2 on cross ties, but you get a 32 incher in a stall and try to keep it in one place and it'll still run circles around you if it wants :Blech: