This weekend was a little bit of a bust as far as horse "work" goes but labour day held a pleasant nugget of horse activity for me. It seems that all the girls, including a QH mare which sometimes is put in with mine are in heat.
I kinda feel sorry for the gelding, so many advances every hour have got to be tiring!
I was out in the paddock with the girls just checking feet, picking out hooves and the like. I bought out a halter to put on and throw the lead rope over their back, just as a nod to safety. I'm comfortable with my girls but when in a herd situation I take extra precautions.
It was amazing to watch, everyone was trying to get close to me, carefully. When one of the boarders came out with a fly mask for the other mare. I watched him march straight up to her and, at about six feet she'd finally had enough. She spiralled around to come join me. It was my impression that it was me she was looking for as she could have gone off with the gelding. Well, Cayleigh was having none of this at all. She violently defended her space. It was interesting to watch as never a blow was landed but there was no question in Cayleigh's mind she wasn't going to have this interloper around.
So this boarder keeps chasing his horse, and Cayleigh keeps running her off. I'm sure he was thinking it was Cayleigh's fault, so I asked her to me and transfered the halter from Sun to Cayleigh. The boarder never did get the fly mask on his horse.
Besides feeling really in control of my girls and very grateful at how much they are attached to me it struck me as how interesting that he did not see his horse yell at him to give her a moment. If he had stopped at 10 feet and maybe turned away a little I am sure she would have turned towards him and given him permission to approach. As it was I knew easily at 10 feet that she wasn't going to get a fly mask put on her.
It is small, but like my now loose pants, it is something!
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