If it's a bone-chilling cold howly-wind winter day like today, you bundle up well, and carry an old holey tarp out to the horse herd, who's spent half the day spooking from Horse Eating Wind Monsters, a day I wouldn't for any reward take my chances riding a horse in this wind.
I knew some of them wouldn't be bothered - Stormy, Jose, Mac, and Finneas, each of whom I've been mounted on, ridden up to a tarp hanging on the fence, picked it up, and passed it over their necks and butts to the other side, dragged it around off their sides, and tossed the tarp back on the fence. (Don't try this at home with just anybody!)
But what would the rest of them do, including baby Luna, who gets jumpy when I gently swing a small noise-less rope around her body…?
I thought for sure there would be a few rodeos… but the horses all came up to the flapping tarp to check it out like bees to honey, led by Luna!
Jose's reaction didn't surprise me - he cared less that the tarp was there, flapping in the gusts.
You can see that while the ex-cow horse Mac is afraid of cows, he's not afraid of a potentially scary Horse-Eating Monster Tarp, even when it blows up and wraps around his face.
I was surprised the rest of the herd was just as brave as Luna.
Luna wasn't scared at all. In fact, she pinned the tarp down right away and had her way with it!
Even when the wind whipped it up off the ground and it suddenly cuddled Luna with its crackly embrace,
she wasn't scared and she stood there till Smokey spooked and took off, taking the herd with her.
I followed the herd, then led the horses further into the pasture, dragging the flapping tarp behind me, with the horses again following the tarp with interest,
and Luna was the first to eagerly approach again.
She gave the tarp what for again, showing it who was boss,
and who not to mess with on a cold and windy day in Owyhee.
They like to keep you guessing, don't they. If it had been something you were sure wouldn't bother them, you probably would have had that rodeo.
ReplyDeleteThey constantly amaze me. By rights some of them should have spooked just a tiny bit but no they tackled the "scary" monster.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a nice post! I love to see their reactions to the tarp, it didn't bother them much,
ReplyDeleteJanneke
thanks Janneke. they surprised me!
DeleteI wish my dogs were that calm about scary monster things. Harry and Zoe bark and lunge at every new thing that comes into the house. Your horses are smarter than my dogs.
ReplyDeleteEquine curiosity knows no bounds. Great training exercise. I need to do some similar work with my Boys.
ReplyDeleteThat was awesomely photographed....too funny, like they decided, let's blow her mind
ReplyDeleteSo funny! My baby also is much more interested in stuff that the other horses usually stay away from. Luna's adorable. And did I also say Jose is adorable???
ReplyDeletethat Jose is adorable is simply understood : )
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