Walkabout pony style

In all the pony drama this morning, I...

...well

...I...um

...left a gate open.

Cringe.

Josie and Annie, BFFs in crime, got to take their own little walkabout. Unlike the chickens, the ponies chose to take their spin at high speed.

It was Shadow who clued me in. He was racing in circles around his paddock. Something he normally only does during high winds and thunderstorms. Um, no storm in sight.

Oh, wait.

What's that big hunk of spotted appaloosa butt doing OUTSIDE Shadow's paddock fence?

Cr*#p.

I didn't have my iphone on me when I spotted the two fugitives, though I doubt I would have stopped to record the highlights anyway. Too busy kicking myself. But I could have gotten some great shots.

Like, their christening foray into the new pasture, sans fence. They've been standing in their bare, muddy paddock watching me clear brush out there in the grass for days. It must have been killing them.

Their visit to Tyche's paddock on the other side of the barn. Josie was a broodmare in her former life. She pines for Tyche across the barn aisle, but never gets to touch.

Josie crashing through the tree line at a canter only to discover the sagging forty-year-old wire fence buried in the undergrowth. Sheesh. Thank you, Josie, for stopping.

The 80 lb 12-year-old single-handedly guarding the bridge over the creek as 1600 lbs of marauding ponies headed out to the road and an even bigger adventure. That is one pony-savvy 12-year-old. :)

Like a lot of ponies, food was their ultimate downfall. Give me liberty or give me grain. Josie took the grain. And where Josie goes, Annie goes. So that was that.

Really, I need some new fences. And a new stall. Oy.

Josie enjoying greener pastures in years past.

Mama P

Mama P arrived last night. She is one glossy little chunk of pony. Her foster family took such good care of her.

Naturally, I didn't get her stall finished. So we had to do some last minute pony shuffling and double-bunking. This caused lots of pony drama. Ponies who should have been fine on the shed porch, banging on the doors, demanding to come in. (You know who you are Tyche.) Ponies nipping their temporary neighbors' bums over the walls. (I'm looking at you Shadow.) Ponies kicking said walls (Tigerlilly, take a pill please). Lots of mare-squealing (Again, Tiger, not necessary.).  Oy. I do love ponies. :)

The best arrangement didn't dawn on me until this morning, so more shuffling, more drama. But I think I found an arrangement that will last indefinitely. At least until the new stall is done.

New arrival

Been b.u.s.y.

We have a new pony arriving this afternoon. She's a lesson pony retiree (reject?) who belongs to our trainer. She's the first pony the 12-year-old ever cantered on, way back when. :)

Sadly, she's a bit too stubborn to be a reliable lesson pony. The owner of the lesson program dumped her on craigslist a year ago. For $50. Our trainer knew her (and loved her), so she paid the ransom and found the pony a foster home. Now that foster home is leaving the state and the pony's coming here to stay.

I need to finish her new stall.

Yesterday.

Walkabout

Sometimes, the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence.

In anticipation of spring, I let the jungle chickens out of their pen to explore before Virgil arrived. 

They had places to go...

Things to do...

 And trouble to find...

After their adventure, they went home for a nice nap in the warm sun and dirt... 

...and finally bed. 

Night night little chickens.

It's a good life.