Monday, July 14, 2008

Attack of the biting flies

Hadn't seen Bestie since Friday morning and boy did she let out a whinny when she saw me. That always makes me laugh. I opened her door to put her stall guard up and saw that she was a total muddy mess. She hasn't been too bad about rolling in the muck over the last couple of weeks, but I guess yesterday's rain left some spots that were just too enticing.

I decided to take her out and let her graze for a bit before she got her dinnertime hay. Dude had just come in so he was kind of in la-la land from the sun and heat, and I let him nap.

We only lasted about ten minutes outside. The biting flies swarmed in, only on her. That always kind of surprises me, how they go for the horse and not for the human sometimes. Other times, they attack both of us. I can't ever predict it. Bestie is pretty complacent about bugs, but today even she was kicking her legs and rubbing her head on her front legs when they'd get near her eyes. I had sprayed her, but hadn't put her flymask back on because I'd had to wash it to get all the mud off.

I was trying to curry her while she grazed, but after almost getting cow-kicked when she kicked at flies on her belly, I decided it was time to call it quits.

As soon as I said, "Come on, we're going inside," she started trotting toward the barn. I guess she wasn't too thrilled with the bugs either, but didn't want to tear herself away from the grass until I made her.

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