Zooey

Another mouth to feed!  I've heard the expression, that you always have one more horse than stalls, which must be what happened at our place.  I finally got the fifth stall readied for our five horses, and my husband decides to add another member to the family!!  So that's right... we now have six ponies in the yard.  What can I tell you about this mare.  Well, she is very respectful to her human owners.   But, out in the pasture... OMG... she is the devil-incarnate.  We were told by her previous owners that she was  pretty head strong, but I didn't grasp the full extent.  Not until I let her out to meet the other horses for the first time.  I kept them seperated for the first 4 days or so, just allowing them to look at each other, and nothing more.  Sometimes a herd can "bully" a newcomer, and I didn't  want that to happen.  So, on the day I let them meet each other, I threw out some hay, in hopes of distracting the herd.  Which worked, they were pretty hungry, so continued eating while the new mare worked her way into the pasture.  So, I think to myself, wow, that went smoothly!!  Needless to say, I was just about to step into the house, and I hear a high pitched squeel.  Sure enough, the new mare made her way over to the feeder, and started kicking the other horses!  Like what they call "double barrel" kick, with both hind legs!  My poor Maya got the brunt of the attack :(  Luckily she was fine, and not marked up at all.   So, I go out to the pasture, and start giving Zooey some much needed reprimanding!  Which of course, did nothing because as soon as I get in the house, she goes after Bella.  And I'm thinking to myself, how can a horse, who should be low man on the totem pole, walk into a strange herd, and decide that she is going to be "top dog".  It just doesn't happen.  Erik can't understand why I'm so disturbed by this.  But it doesn't realize, it's just not natural...  So... hopefully soon the herd will settle down.  I mean, this mare makes Velvet look like an angel!!  I kid you not!!   Hopefully I will post photos soon :)

Good Day, from Small Wonders

(PS... was it not the most beautiful day yesterday? I split some more wood yesterday, in my t-shirt...) in November... what a gift