A Wild, Wild Day

Name This Photo!

The afternoon was so lovely that I just had to move sheep and let Quiet Storm out to play for a while. I thought you may enjoy seeing Darling's Muddy Monster at play.

Let's run this a-way!

Now we'll trot that a-way...

Snort! I'm done now.

We had issues today. Not that Quiet Storm was bad, she was just feeling good and showing off. City Boy was out working on the gate between paddock and pasture; Quiet Storm felt it necessary to stand nearby and do her Lipizzaner tricks. This created a somewhat nervous City Boy! I didn't blame him, to be honest (and perhaps that's why I was on the other side of the fence?)

Once Quiet Storm settled down and went back to her placid self, I began contemplating allowing Sunny out. Mind you, she hasn't been out of the paddock since she's been here, which was Feb 4. And while I can get her to walk up to me while I've got grain in my hand, she's not the easiest catch in the world.

For those of you who've not read about Sunny, she's our most recent adoption and still a bit on the wild side. She doesn't like to be touched, but she knows who carries out the hay in the morning! I decided to take my chances and bring her out into the field. I've got to tell you, it's a scary thing letting go of a horse after they've spent time cooped up; scarier still when they're wild like Sunny. You just never know if they're going to slow down for fences.

Sunny sniffs green grass for what is probably the first time in over a year.

At first I held onto her lead rope. She snorted a bit (she always snorts), holding her head high. Every muscle was tight as she walked into that pasture. She doesn't lead very well, but she did manage to follow me as I showed her what the fence looked like, praying she didn't just rip right through once loose.

Light on her feet, but listening, she followed me to the front of the pasture, looking at sheep and watching Tait. Then she saw the neighbor's horses, and despite my best efforts, off she went, lead rope flying alongside!

Of course, I was totally calm, cool and collected as she flew down the length of the field, then came back straight at me at a dead run. Totally!

Okay, well maybe not totally. But what could I do? She was loose, she was running, and the only thing I could do was take her picture! So I did.

After several minutes of racetrack action, she finally slowed to a trot and made her victory lap.

Hey, Mom, did I have ya worried?

I let Sunny hang out in the field while I finished up a few other outside chores. She didn't want to be caught and I think it took half an hour before I managed to snag that lead rope. Once I had it, though, she followed me placidly back to the paddock where dinner was waiting.