when in doubt, move on, no need to sort it out

Pie reminds me of Vincent Van Gogh sometimes. (No, Sovey hasn't bitten off his ear.) He is just very sensitive to energy currents. I like to tell my students that Van Gogh would paint the invisible air currents that flow around us all the time. He was particularly known to capture musical currents (Wagner), in his paintings. Pie doesn't paint or listen to Wagner(!), but he does react to weather currents like he can see things that I can't. Our sunny skies were replaced with rain today and Pie felt it coming. He was antsy when I was grooming him. I tacked up anyway and tried to calmly walk him around before getting on. Sovey was quiet and content in the paddock, but Pie was a Nervous Nelly. He pushes me with his head when he is upset. I walked him for a few minutes and it started to rain. We circled anyway. I thought I would just untack if it rained too hard. Then, Pie gave a calm, relaxed snort so I got on. He was wonderful as we headed out through the trails in the woods and I felt mad at myself for thinking he might be a handful. He visited his apple/barstool station and continued on. The next thing I knew he spied something very dangerous in the air. I am not sure what he saw because I saw nothing and it was on the path we had just been on, but he was certain something was there. I encouraged him to walk back that way to see that there was nothing. That was a mistake, I guess. We could have walked home easily, but I wanted him to see that it was ok. He started jumping straight up in the air (all four feet off the ground) and humping his back in little hops. At first, these jumps seemed naughty and playful, but when he would stop and stare, his heart was beating so loud and fast I could feel it. I felt so sorry for him, but I couldn't seem to reassure him and we were out in the middle of the field. I really didn't want to let him turn toward home because I thought that was a bad precedent. I pushed him forward toward the invisible monster. (That is a trick when you can't see what it is that is so scary!) He would walk and then try to turn toward home and then half-buck, half-rear. I kept my posture completely over his neck with my left hand and rein in his mane and my right rein down low on his neck as I stroked his neck. He responded well to this, almost as though I was protecting him. Actually, I was just trying to keep my weight forward. I did get him to retrace our path completely, and he stopped the antics, but he attempted to jig at the end. We walked a few minutes until the jigging stopped. He was still jumpy when I untacked and grazed. The air was full of grey mist and I really think he felt the rain storm approaching. Last spring, during a sudden thunderstorm, neither horse reacted, but today Pie sure seemed sensitive. After I turned him out, I was picking manure out of the pasture and Pie came over and loved me all up like he was trying to apologize. Poor honey, I wish I knew what he saw.

No sweeping exits or off stage lines

Sunshine is my excuse for not blogging for a week! We have had warm temperatures, sunny days, and many, many Pie and Sovereign rides. (Insert contented sigh.) I do have lovely new posters to share, fun stories about our new 24/7 turnout schedule, and a possible implementation of "wild horse pasture" ideas. I promise to catch up when I see the first rain drop!

thank you for being a friend

Thursday was warm and sunny and it was Sovereign's turn to go for a ride. I groomed him while he grazed in the sunshine. He stands like a statue in the forebay when I tack him up, even though Pie is heckling him in the paddock beside us. Pie, understandably, does not like being left behind and he acts like a spoiled child, squealing and stamping his feet and bucking and racing and rearing. I keep the horse that is left behind in the small paddock with hay and water because they really can't get racing too much and I hope to avoid injury. When I ride Pie, Sovey stands quietly in the paddock and only whinnies once, when we return. When I ride Sovey, Pie throws a wing-ding. I know this is a difficult thing to overcome because it is their herding nature to stick together, and when I leave Pie behind his nature is telling him that he is vulnerable as a single unit. I hate to go against nature, but short of adopting a herd (which I am not ready to do yet!) I have to juggle two horses and their natures. I do think that Sovey is uneasy for some of our ride because of Pie's antics. This is something that has only developed recently. Sovey acts like he is getting buddy sour, but I am not sure that is it entirely. I rode a barn sour/buddy sour mare two years ago. I could "make" her walk quietly by circling, but she still was focused on getting home. Sovey seems more upset by Pie's worry than his own. He has long stretches on a loose rein when he is enjoying himself. Then, he will hear Pie squeal and he hurries. He will turn to look back at the paddock and if he sees that Pie is calm, he will face away and walk like he is ready to head out again. I wonder if my worry about Pie also influences Sovey's worry. A two horse herd is not natural, but that is where we are now. I hate to do anything that causes worry in a horse's life. I hope with consistent riding days two things will happen: a.) Pie will learn that he is safe and that Sovey will return, and b.) Sovey will see that Pie isn't too worried.

Sovey is a sensitive boy. He is a real helper to me. Last night the winds and the rains came. I went over after dark to bring the boys into the barn but they were in their shed. I am gradually going to transition them to living outside 24/7, but I am not ready just yet. They look at me like I am nuts because I am trying to take them out of their warm shed to walk them through the wind and rain to put them inside a barn! That is where their hay was for the night so I felt like I had to do it. I put Pie's halter on, but he would not budge. Sovey was behind Pie so I said, "Sovey, tell him to go." Sovey reach down and bit/nudged Pie on the butt. Thank you, Sovey! Pie walked in.