So today, after dealing with Skye (more on that below), I filled my pocket with apple cookies (In my defense, they are all I have left as I prefer to use carrots, apples or the carrot cookies since none of those things make Skye crazy) and headed into their little pasture. They immediately swarmed me with cuteness. Bravo, the second in command, loves the cookies and sticks his little gray snoot at me for them.
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| Bravo wants a cookie. Now. (For your viewing pleasure, note the stripey legs on the other two.) |
Bravo pretty much trades a pet for a cookie though. He takes his cookie very politely with his little donkey lips, then allows you to pat his head. No cookie, no pet. No nonsense. He drives a hard bargain.
Echo, the dominant one (and admittedly my favorite), doesn't give a blue toot about an apple cookie, but he is by far the friendliest. I have learned that in general the dinkies prefer carrots, but I had what I had. Echo did come right over and insert himself directly between Bravo and me, in a move that I interpret as wanting some attention (applying dog logic, although I don't know how far that goes). He let me rub his head and his wonderful ears. I LOVE THE EARS! They are long and soft and adorable. I also rubbed his back and withers. His fur looks a little wiry, but it is actually quite soft. In any case, he was totally up for a pretty good petting, so I considered it a success.
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| Echo lets you pet him, gratis. Even his lovely ears. |
I never got near Zulu. He is in the red halter and is the low man on their short little totem pole. I tried to reach around to get a cookie to him, but I didn't want to get them riled up as Bravo may have taken out his cookie jealousy on Zulu. I will not be deterred though. I will be doing Dinky Duty every day. I'm hoping if folks out at the barn realize they might be re-homed if they don't get friendlier they will pitch in. Let's hope. I don't want a broken heart.
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| Dinkies, don't break my heart! |
Before I embarked on my new plan though, I got out my sweet horse for a while. She had been fed about an hour or so before so she was in a grand mood. She walked quickly away from her hay to meet me at the gate. I took her in the round pen first to do some listening practice, but mostly to see if she is still limping, and dammit, she is. She limps only at the trot and only in one direction (counterclockwise), but she is definitely bobbing her head a little and is reluctant to trot when asked. Erin told me she had been cantering around in the pasture the other day, so I was very hopeful. We're going to get the farrier out there again and see if another shoeing will help. It's very frustrating.
But, she was a very good girl for me in the round pen, and we just hung out in there for a while with me rubbing her forehead the way she likes and her filling my heart up with her contented sighs. Then I took her in and groomed her, trimming the split ends off her mane and then gave her the shot. She was perfect. We did our forehead to forehead thing. Ahhh. I love that mare.
Some people were out there for a lesson and stood talking to me about how pretty she is. How obnoxious about how gorgeous she is am I allowed to be? I stick to "I think she is too!" and try to keep the bragging to a minimum. It ain't easy though. Just look at her.
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| In horse terms, that's called "a kind eye." In normal terms, it's called "take that Angelina Jolie!" |
I don't think I'll make it tomorrow, but Saturday I want a long time with her.
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