From the Ranch

From the Ranch

Saturday, December 14, 2013

What is it About This Man???

I know you are not going to believe me, I know you won't, unless of course you own a horse like Blue too!  This morning about 7:30, Blue, (officially on her papers known as Once in a Blue Moon,) had jumped the fence again, and was out of the tack barn pen, and eating winter rye in front of the chicken pen.  She saw Randy look out the window, and froze, staring at the window.  Normally when she is out of the pasture, it is to her an invitation to play.  She waits until I am about three feet from her, then she bolts with great flare, throwing her head, making her mane stand up, and then her tail blow straight out in the wind... and then she bucks, just to show me she can, (that is one of her 8th grade cheerleader moves,) and dares me to chase her.  It is usually the beginning of an hour long persuasion session by me, where I try to lure her with grain and horse treats back to where she belongs.  (In this wet weather her hooves leave about 6X6 inch holes that dry concrete hard, and I either have to fill each one in or have a very lumpy ride with the riding lawn.)

It didn't go that way this morning, Randy just walked calmly past her on the way to the tack barn to feed, she fell in behind him, and calming walked through the gate he was holding open.  As I have said before, this sort of behavior sort of annoys me.  I demand equal treatment from that horse!  At the same time I am demanding, I know it isn't going to happen. 

Randy and I had just finished watching the movie Emperor, which is an excellent movie we both recommend, and it was about time to feed the horses for the second time today.  So he went to the window, pulled back the drape and waved at Blue who is solitary confinement in that small pen by the tack barn again, and strangely enough she hasn't attempted to get out again.  I was watching since this morning had proved a bit of a show, and to my amazement, as Randy waved from the window, Blue picked up her left front hoof and waved back.  I thought it was just a fluke, so I told Randy, "now stop waving."  He did, and so did she.  I stood there thinking a moment and I said, "wave again," and he did, and so did she.  He repeated the waving and stopping and so did she for about five more times, by then I was scrambling for the video camera, but by the time I got it, efficient man that he is, he had put on his coat and gloves and started to the pen to feed.  Once he was walking down by the chicken pen, she would no longer wave when he waved, she knew he was coming to feed her... I come to feed her every day... she has never waved at me...

You have to understand, this isn't a trick anyone has ever taught Blue, of course I wave at all of them all the time from the kitchen window, but never have any of them ever waved back... especially repeatedly on the cue of me waving at them...

The man is home four times a year, for three or four weeks at a time.  I want to know how he forms such a relationship with those animals, seemingly without even trying, when I work so hard for them every day, day in day out???  My inquiring mind wants to know...  

In this picture I have braved the cold to step out on the porch and called to Blue and see if she will wave at me... and called to Blue...  apparently she doesn't want to come to the gate...  That's alright, I'll go back in the house and take the black cat, Blue Jay, let him sit on the couch by me, in front of the fireplace,  watch movies,  and hand feed him left over bacon from breakfast...  I'll show Blue... I like cats better anyway...  Here kitty, kitty, kitty....





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