She nodded at me and continued eating the day lilies just peaking up. I lead her back to the field gate and put her back in.
Thinking surely there was a place where a limb had fallen and pushed down the fence, I found nothing when I searched the short section of fence from the barn to the driveway gate.
The next day, two were in the yard. So I checked the fence again. I found a low spot and even though I can't imagine a 3 foot tall mare jumping over a fence I pulled the fence up and tied it with baling twine. You know, one of the those temporary permanent fixes.
The next day, the same two were bad horsies, again.
Stormy and Teddie who is as cuddly as her name were peacefully weeding the iris bed. This time they evaded capture for a bit, but then grudgingly did their horsie duty and went thru the gate.
Ok, what was going on?
I went into the field and looked at the fence from their point of view, and what I saw was more than a bit surprising.
While I was watching, another one climbed a partially eaten round bale and then slid down and thru the gap on the other side into a space along the fence behind the bales...and at the end of the bales was a gap just barely wide enough for a horse to fit!
I went to get tools, and by the time I was back, 3 were in the yard. UGH!
I gave them a scoop of grain in the barn thinking they would be occupied for a while. Before I could get a good look at the problem, there they went, up the hay bale and over the other side. This time they were NOT going back in.
Rufus is absolutely no help with this. He is a great dog, but he thinks they are all his buds and this is play time. He soon had them running circles around the house while I pulled a twisted cattle panel out of the hay and attempted to reset it as a barricade.
Ok, two back in the field, again. The stud colt absolutely refused. No way was he going back in there. He just glared at me "Make me!"
Round and round the house, almost to the barn and then bolt away with a snicker and tail held high. What attitude.
Finally, tired and wanting to go home he tried to find his way back the way he had come...and I cornered him in the space between the bales.
OMG you would have thought he was being murdered. Squalling and squealing and kicking like a tiny bronco. I got a rope on him and he about dragged me across the yard. You would not think a 6 month old mini would have that kind of power. Lots of stops and starts, complaining and snorting (him not me) he was in a stall tied to a post.
Well, yeah, I complained.
Halter time for this pipsqueak. What a baby. He wanted to play with the "big" horses, he can now start to act like one.
I took his little head in my hands and looked him right in the eyes. I calmly told him he had been very, very bad and that he was now going to learn a lesson. You know the mom voice.
He was very submissive as I tried on several halters to get the right fit. Mamma is mad!
Yep, he will think twice about doing that again. Training 101.
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