Jose's New Play Toy

Thursday December 29 2016

Since Mac, Jose's bestest playin'est roughhousingest friend crossed the Rainbow Bridge, Jose's been short of a hard-playing pal.

The Owyhee Social Director still tries to stir the pot, running around on his own if necessary, biting his ankle, nipping and teasing with some horses, but he hasn't had much luck the last year or two.

Enter Hillbilly Willie. The Standardbred came to the Owyhee herd about a year ago, and spent most of the year very slowly melding with the herd. Owyhee Social Director Jose shunned him like the rest of the herd… but it was all part of his big hard-playing plan, you see.

Willie is possibly not the brightest bulb on the Owyhee Christmas tree, and he's not the lightest and quickest on his hooves, but Jose chose him to be his next horseplay accomplice. All it took was a good first dash of winter and a hair-raising breeze that got the entire herd a bit excited and in a rompus mood. And Jose got Willie to start playing.

It starts with an instigating bite on the ass

then a little romping.

then a little "bite my ankle" demonstration

Teaching Willie the Strike

The advanced bite and dodge move

Once Willie catches some air, Jose's got a willing new play toy!

Willie Wants to Be A Bad Boy

Wednesday December 21 2016

In the mornings, I lead the two Hoodlums - Dudley and Finneas - up the canyon and lock the green gate on them up there. If I don't, those two will hog the hay feeder - Finneas on one side, and Dudley on the other, with the rest of the herd standing around waiting and hoping one of the Bad Boys will get thirsty and leave the feeder to go get a drink, so they can slip in and get a few bites.

Willie the Standardbred has started following me as I lead Dudley and Finneas up to the green gate. He wants to be a Bad Boy with the two Hoodlums.

I don't know Willie well enough to know if he can handle being separated from the rest of the herd - I don't want him trying to go through or leap the fence if he decides Dudley and Finneas aren't the best company after all. So, after I lock the two Hoods behind the green gate, with Willie looking on, I start walking back down to the herd. I gesture to Willie, Come on, and he starts ambling back with me, his head right over my shoulder. 

As we walk down the little Roll Hill (where everybody likes to roll), I start trotting… Willie starts trotting… and we come around the last sagebrush and I start running, and Willie falls into a pace, then in a split second he's racing past me in a kind of pace-a-lope, sprinting to the herd with his tail waving over his back like an Arabian. He turns his head back to look over his shoulder at me while he's frolicking like a jackrabbit.

I don't know if he'll ever make a real Bad Boy, but he enjoys flirting with danger.

Manesicle

December 15 2016

And here I was all worried that we wouldn't get any real winter weather (although winter doesn't technically start for another week), and we got a good 6 inches yesterday (!!!!!!!). Temperature close to freezing, and the sky dropping tiny little ice slivers, so it was a wet snow, which slowly piled up during the day.

Made for scenic icicles in horse manes. Stormy sports his with a dash of flair.

Belesemo Snow Dude

December 11 2016

It's our favorite time of the year. Cooler weather for Belesemo Dude (Dudley), and WINTER and SNOW for me, The Ice Princess.

Call me nuts, but you'll at least agree that this video is fun and the country is beautiful and the beast I'm riding is magnificently marvelous.

Hallelujah!

or video link:

https://youtu.be/Y1fs-oYA8q4