The Face of Homeless............Time with the Horses

Part 1

Other than those two incidents it didn't really look to me like our backyard guests were having much interaction with the horses. We do turnouts each day so they were pretty much surrounded by the horses during daylight hours but the horses seemed to be doing their thing while this family did theirs.

I'd offered to spend some time teaching S about the horses. I knew how much see loved animals after all her dad had thought she'd make a good apprentice. Even though her time her was going to be limited, I thought maybe we could take the focus off of being homeless and put it onto something more positive like the horses.

I'd planned on taking S into the stalls to help me work on brushing out manes and tails and spiffing them up a bit. J was wanting to take some pictures of the horses playing in the fields. All I could see was too long bridle paths and some matted manes that needed to be addressed before any kind of pics.

I figured doing some grooming would be a good way for S to meet some of my herd. It would also be a good way to learn a little bit about moving the horses around and keeping them in their space. There's nothing the horses like more than grooming even when they must stand still for the time it takes to detangle those matted manes.

The horses fidget just enough to teach someone new about how to keep them in check. It would be a good way for S to establish some kind of identity so she could start off on the right foot. With that done she might be able to help with turnouts on some of the more broke horses.

I wanted to work o this in the morning hours before things got heated up. It turned out however, that S was still sleeping each time I was ready to work with her. By the time I knew she was up, I was onto working inside on my computer. We never did get out to the barn together other than one trip to introduce her to Solidare's baby.

As it turns out S is painfully shy. If I could get her started in a conversation she would sustain it ok but getting her engaged was difficult. I'm sure she wasn't avoiding the horses but I think she was probably avoiding me. Now she's gone to camp for a week and she'll be leaving for CA soon after her return.

I did find out that she and her mom have been making regular trips to the barn. J even has a bruise on one arm to prove it. They were evidently grooming on Solidare's foal when he decided to groom back. The colt nipped her right on the inside vulnerable part of her arm. I cringed just thinking about it. That part always seems to be so tender.

J knew that she shouldn't have allowed the colt to groom on her. I think maybe because he is small she thought she'd probably be ok. When the colt did nip her J scolded him with her voice but that was the extent of the correction. She figured it was really her fault after all.

She did say the colt reacted immediately like he knew he'd done something wrong. I just hope the little varmint doesn't think he's gotten away with something. He's got such a big attitude the last think I need is him thinking he can do naughty things.

Still this misadventure hasn't swayed my guests from visiting the barns. I've never seen them out there but recently I've heard stories of their trips. So far there is just the one incident where anyone has gotten hurt and J seems to wear that bruise like it's some kind of badge of honor. I guess that's a good thing. It's pretty clear these people believe being around horses means things are probably going to happen and they are willing to take that risk.

To be continued..................

NOTE: The little monster looks fairly innocent in this picture but innocent is the last thing he is. LOL

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