May

13

Pasture Privileges

Filed Under Bethany Caskey 

The early May morning sky was cloudless and bright blue. A late frost sparkled on the green grass and a cool haze floated in the valleys and creek beds. The sun had just appeared in an answer to the coaxing of the singing birds.
The night before, we had let the fillies out of the round corral and into the three acre pasture. They had earned their pasture privileges. I was up early that morning to see how they had done through the night.
As I topped the lane, I could see both fillies at the bottom of the hill. I opened the gate, slipped through and started to walk down the hill to see if they would come when I called. As I got within sight, Hope looked up and nickered. I could now see that Dulci had somehow managed to scoot under the electric wire and was on the other side of the fence in the pasture with Jim’s horses and the mule. I walked on down the hill. I had not brought a rope or even a piece of twine. Dulci let me catch her but wasted no time in letting me know that the fence would bite. Getting her back through the tape was not going to work. I walked back up the hill to get a rope and lead her to a gate. The nearest gate was the infamous mud trap and the other gate meant passing through the other herd. As I neared the top of the hill, Dulci whinnied to me. Her whinny drew the attention of the other horses on the next hill and I saw Legend snap to attention. Throwing his head high, he trotted down the hill in a straight line to Dulci. The next thing I saw was a copper colored streak with a white blaze streaking in front of Legend’s thundering hooves and outstretched neck. They made two loops before I lost sight of them.
I quickly gathered my rope and headed down the hill. Legend had trotted back to his herd with a “took care of that” attitude and I could see no sign of Dulci. I continued down the hill and called. No sign still. I feared she had been run into the soft marshy soil at the bottom and had been trampled by Legend’s oncoming blast.
I crossed the fence and kept looking. As I passed a small grove of trees, I heard a slight nicker, and Dulci poked her head out of her hiding place. I slipped the rope on her and we headed for the gate. In the cool morning air, waves of heat rose from her chestnut sides and made an aura around her. When I stopped, she would press up beside me. I decided the muddy gate was our best bet. I carefully walked across the dry spots and opened the gate. I could stand now on the solid side and ask her with the rope to come through the gate.
As we walked back up the hill to the corral, Hope trotted up behind us. Dulci saw movement behind her and bolted forward until she realized the oncoming shape was that of her friend.
While the fillies ate their morning oats, I did some adjustments on the electric tape that had been placed horse high, but too high in a low spot for small fillies that could slip under.
Since that morning, the fillies have stayed in their pasture and Legend’s “herd” has stayed in theirs. I have been fighting the effects of lice on Dulci and she looks like a patchwork horse with hair patches and bald patches. I also started her on a series of antibiotics to help get over this hump in her recovery.

©Copyright 2008 by Bethany Caskey. See original post here.

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