Here are my brumby and Ruby down at their watering hole. They drink from a stream and I almost never see Lilly down there drinking. So on Sunday while Bill was clearing the ring with his tractor, I spied her down there and trekked through the snow to get a picture.
Bill got this picture of Cody (the yogini) getting some water....
...and also this one of my brumby taking a sip. Or a gulp. Or several gulps. Bill has figured out how many gallons of water the horses are getting by observing their throats when they gulp the water. Did he say 22 gulps equal one gallon? Have you ever watched the space between the underside of the jaw when a horse is drinking? Gulp gulp gulp it goes!!
After Saturday's deposit of ice everywhere, it was dangerous just moving around. I thought it would be OK, but when I go to the barn, it was all very slick. Luckily, Bill was out with his tractor, creating some texture with the chains on the tires.
This part of the pasture leading down to the ring and the watering hole was like a sliding board. Whooosh!
While Bill was working, I lounged in the snow. There is a layer of ice on top of the snow so when you walk on it, it sounds and feels like you are walking on porcelain china. And then sometimes you break through and end up trapped waist deep in snow.
Here is the path down to the ring after Bill was done. Much better. Because if you can't wade through the icy snow, and you can't walk across ice, what can you do? A whole bunch of nothing, that's what. The actual road was too icy itself, so I didn't take Lilly to the barn. I just took her to the ring for some tarp work. I did grab a bridle though.
I climbed on her bareback for a few slow loops around the ring. Bill had churned it up pretty good, but we didn't do anything fancy. Can I tell you how thankful I am that my brumby stands as still as a statue while I oh-so-clumsily crawl my way onto her back? It is hard to mount a horse with no stirrups, especially when you also happen to be wearing so many clothes you are essentially as round and cumbersome at the Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man. It was not pretty, me getting up there, feet flailing, hands clawing my brumby's neck and mane. I also know I accidentally whacked her hip with my boot. Oh Lilly, how patient and kind you are.
After riding, it was back to tarp training. Lilly did really well walking over the tarp. I also walked with her while dragging it next to me. She didn't like that but went ahead with it. I kept saying, You've got to trust me, Brumby!
She was interested enough in smelling the tarp. She kept sniffing at it. Her cute nostrils would flare out and she'd make little blowing noises. Then she honestly seemed to lose interest.
Next time, I'll get out the really crinkly, scary tarp and keep on training.Hope everyone is safe and warm, including all brumbies.
Up next, Ruby gets her sarcoid removed. Spoiler alert: bloody photos!
Giddeyap!
5 comments:
Nice bit of work on a cold winter's day! I often count the number of swallows a horse takes when he or she drinks - they often do up to 21 swallows in one drink.
Those are great shots of the horses drinking from the hole. Interesting how they almost get down on one knee.
that was interesting...21-22 gulps equal a gallon! never heard of that. your pony is such a good girl and very brave at that!
21 gulps? I watch Laz too, and I swear he is soooo quiet as he sips in his water. No noise other than the gulps, but I usually only see him take about 10 gulps at a time. He does it in such a way that I think he creates a vortex b/w his lips and the water, so no air gets in...b/c as he gulps the bucket goes DOWN DOWN DOWN.
I LOVE that picture of downward dog Lilly drinking!! She's so rustic for a pretty girl :)
Lilly and Cody are so cute drinking. That is very cool how they find the watering hole through all that snow and ice. I can't believe Bill counts gulps. That sounds like something I would do and people would say that I am crazy. I like Bill more everyday!
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