You know, there's always SOMETHING we need to do to keep our animals in check -- dogs, cats, horses, mule . . . it never seems to end.
Remember those ropes we put up to contain Lizzie in the front? Well, she figured out how to get under them (or over them, we're not sure - we never actually SEE her get out . . . but she does!).
And remember Duke escaping by breaking down that side gate?
Well here's a picture Mark took with his phone of Lizzie grazing outside that gate after she got out of her space, while Duke and Arthur stare out at her wishing they too could escape! (Note that those gates are now fastened to the posts not just with hinges, but with heavy duty chains, so that (we HOPE) if he manages to pull the hinges out again, he still won't be able to get out since the chains will hold the gates in place.
You probably can't see them, but there ARE two of those ropes across that space just behind Lizzie to keep her from getting back to the holly bushes that are back behind the horse trailer -- although I doubt that she would eat those. That's a Duke thing. But (so far) she hasn't gone through that rope fence . . . yet.
At any rate, the new "list" item? . . . Mark is going to add an ELECTRIC wire to those rope "fences" when he comes home next time. There's always a "list" for him - poor guy. But in the meantime, Lizzie is going to have to go out there in back with the boys to graze. But I'm putting THAT off until the weekend when I can keep an eye on them when they first get back together.
All of them have been locked in their paddocks for more than a week because of all the rain and they were all hot and bothered and ready to throw a fit. So I turned the boys out yesterday and the two of them were a hoot! I let Duke out first and he raced around for a minute or two, then just went down to that gate shown above and began grazing. THEN I turned Arthur out! He went kicking and bucking and racing full speed all the way around the back pasture over and over, he even charged through the pond full of water! And eventually he raced over to Duke and began running around and around and around him -- I think trying to get him to come run with him. But Duke just looked up and watched him race around him for a little while, then just went back to eating grass. (Food is ALWAYS number one for Duke!) But the two of them soon got back to moving around together. So I'm hoping that when Lizzie gets turned out this weekend they won't harass her for too long since they've had a chance to wear themselves down again. We never did find out how the heck Lizzie got that awful cut, so I really don't like turning her back out back there when it's just me at home, but hey -- if she won't stay inside the ropes, well . . . no other choice. But it's not going to happen until I can be there to watch out for her. But maybe I'll come home from work early tomorrow and turn her out then so that if anything DOES happen Anne will still be at the vet clinic at LSU and can come out and rescue her! You just can't be too careful. Horses may LOOK indestructible, but I've found that they're a lot more accident-prone than dogs ever thought of being!
Okay - that's a plan. Oh - and I just realized that it's only going to be three more weeks 'til we get Daylight Saving Time back! That means it will actually stay light for several hours when I get home on week days. Yippee! I can't wait!
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