Ok, so we've been at the new barn for three weeks now, and I am still needing to do deep cleansing breaths over the turnout. Well, really, not over the turnout itself, but over my horses' reactions to the turnout, and their sudden irrational attachment to each other.
I've written before about the scary stuff that is new to them: dogs on the road, cows running in the field across the way, etc. The other issue with turnout has been fear of separation. Hilarious, considering that Bestie has always looked on Dude as the lowest of the low, not even worth a glance from Her Highness.
I developed a plan for Saturday, a gorgeous sunny day in the 40s, a perfect turnout day. All the equines were very happy and dozy, so I decided to try and bring Bestie in without getting Dude. Laura, horse psychologist, suggested bringing one of the really beautiful fresh flakes of hay out to Dude and Ben, who are in adjoining fields and have kind of bonded over the fence. So I placed hay in the corners of their pastures so that they could happily munch in close proximity to each other. The hope was to distract Dude with great hay and his new gelding friend so that he would not miss Bestie as I took her out of the adjoining field.
The plan worked ... to a point.
Bestie came in, unworried about Dude remaining in the field. And Dude did indeed munch on his hay happily, not even looking up as I got her and marched her down the lane to the barn. I peeked to make sure. (I don't know why I always feel that if I don't make eye contact with them, they won't notice what I'm doing.) I got her into the barn and into her stall without a peep from him.
Unfortunately, the peace lasted only as long as his hay did. It was like as soon as he finished chewing the last bite of hay a big alarm went off -- "Bestie's out of her field! We repeat, Bestie's out of her field!" -- and he started running the fence line, pausing only to drop, roll in the mud and jump up with a few "something's clearly NOT RIGHT" snorts. So back out I trudged to fetch him. I'm sure some people would say disapprovingly that I should've just left him, that he would've settled down. But the memories of a year of handwalking from his hip injury are just too fresh. Can't chance it.
But here's some good news. Caroline turned them out today at noon, and they stayed out, happily, until AFTER 4 P.M.! No meltdowns, no appearing stressed, just a "yep, we're ready" look about them when Cory and I went out to get them. So there's some progress. Deep cleansing breath, ahhhhhhh.
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