The Horses: No.1
☆ March 27, 2010
Houdini IS horse No.1; Boss, king, head honcho ~ it pulses from his very being. This is the horse who, the first time I rode him, tried to decapitate me by running under the low end of a power pole guy-wire and, once I was off balance from leaning sideways to avoid the wire, started bucking wildly until I flew off. Then he peed on me.
It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Houdini is in his late 20’s, very old for a horse but strong and capable and he had always been Mike’s working horse. Sunshine, Houdini’s younger brother, is an angel but not fit for working ~ he refuses to go anywhere unless he’s following another horse.
Last summer, Houdini went blind in one eye. He spooked too much to ride after that, so Mike got another horse, Kota. Kota was cheap because nobody wanted him; he was young, green, and castrated late so he looks and acts very much like a stallion. Around that time, I was given a young mare, Flicka, by a neighbor who could no longer keep her.
Ranger, Kota, and Flicka became a tight little horse gang while Sunshine and Houdini remained a clique of two. But horses have a hierarchy within their herds, whatever the size, and Houdini, though the toughest, was the oldest and the most disadvantaged and he was beat up, pushed to the edge, and starved out as Kota, Flicka, and Ranger kept him from the hay.
Within weeks, Houdini was skin and bones. He was despondent and often stood alone, away from the others. I took it upon myself to get him back.
I moved him over with Daisy and Sir Baby where he could get special treatment and plenty of food. Horses have a natural air of superiority over cattle and Houdini immediately began bossing around Sir Baby, and nipping at him to keep him away from his food; Sir Baby idolized him in return. This did wonders for Houdini’s ego and general morale, and he regained his status as King of the corrals and looks better than he has in years. He has learned how to work with his blindness and is as comfortable when I’m on his blind side as the other.
Over in the other pasture, Sunshine became the one to be ostracised by The Younger Three. So, I brought him over to join the corral bunch as well ~ he and Houdini have spent their lives together, and deserve to remain together. They have the bulls to boss around and the best living conditions. Ranger, Flicka, and Kota run in the other pasture….. more about them, later.
Pockets of Blue
☆ March 25, 2010
a good roll after a good ride ~
☆ March 23, 2010
3 months old & nearly 400 pounds
☆ March 22, 2010
Methinks he is going to be huge.
Budding
☆ March 20, 2010
Frisco has Daisy’s smile. He has a coat of velvet. He is living up to his name: Independent. Intelligent. Strong and fun. Horny.
Do you see the tiny horn buds? I always suspected Daisy had horns ~ she has a callus on her forehead that she always wants to scratch, and I’ve wondered if it was the result of an imperfect debudding or removal of horn.
When Frisco was born, I could feel perfectly symmetrical, tiny, bony knobs the size of pencil erasers on his skull under the skin. And I wondered if they would grow…..
Ten days old. Horns not yet showing.
The skull-nubs grew larger, wider, and then, after a few weeks, they emerged and were undeniable horn-buds. Which continue to grow, visibly, every day.
I sat in the straw and debated the horn situation ~ this is a topic on which people seem vehemently opinionated, but I believe a suitable answer depends on the situation. Because Frisco would be castrated; because I hope to train him to be an ox (horns are a boon with the gear, based on what I have read); because animals know themselves: they know how use their natural-born weapons or defenses, and, likewise, they know how curb them to be gentle; and because I have successfully trained Sir Baby, an intact bull, not to headbutt me, I am leaving Frisco with his horns.
I’m quite thrilled about them, really.
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