The Hello Ritual is alive and well. Every morning I go into the peach paddock to open the gate into the dam paddock. If I've rugged anyone I remove the rugs, say hello, have a quick look to make sure nothing untoward has happened overnight then let them out. In the winter the horses are usually standing side on to the sun, waiting like lizards to warm up after a frosty night.
This morning I did my usual, walking forward until someone looks away and then retreating, then taking another step or two forward until I can smell noses with the nearest horse. Today I placed myself roughly in the center of the group and just stood with them like I too was waiting for the first rays of sunlight. After a minute or so Pagan walked over to greet me followed by Balthazar. It sounds so simple but it was really touching.
We went for a ride on DGR. Some trotting, a little canter. Still having trouble with the darn booties. The offside front twists as does the nearside back. Thought the problem was solved with the inclusion of the pads. Unfortunately it isn't. Otherwise they are perfect. He doesn't feel the stones, is surefooted, and the extra padding will surely help with concussion on hard surfaces.
We had to pass a dead calf. This orphan calf was on his own for weeks, very wormy, rough coated and lonely. He joined up with two other calves that frequent the road although their mothr (they're twins) is in one of the paddocks. But he didn't stay with them. Then I saw him near his owner's house. The owner knew about him. We made sure he knew. Thought all would be well. But the day before yesterday there he was dead in the grass on the verge. The owner, thinking one of our fast driving neighbours had hit him, pulled his carcass onto the road. If he'd gone to that much trouble when the calf was alive...
So Balthazar was on his toes when he saw this dark red and white lump laying in the dirt. He could probably smell it too. I just kept grazing him forward until he was relaxed enough and near enough that we just walked past. On the return trip he got a little excited and rushed past. Wasn't hard to pull him up once we were past.
I started this blog yesterday and now it's today and I've just come in from the most delightful morning ritual. I stood with the horses again then left them to stand in the sun (all three of them had ventured forth to rub noses with me so to speak). It was 1 degree this morning and after feeding the birds I was stiff with cold. Balthazar followed me into the sun, actually left the others and came to stand with me. He mouthed my scarf but not like how he used to when we were c/t-ing. It was a friendly gesture. We shared breath. I cuddled him, wrapping my arm around his head and he didn't object. On the contrary I'm sure he knew where that cuddle came from. It was beautiful. I laugh a lot with him now, not forced but bubbling up because he's so funny. When he started to walk towards the gate I companion walked with him.
Yesterday I got him out of the paddock, groomed him and then took him for a pick. The idea is that every time I come to get him doesn't mean work. He was fine with being caught, made faces while I groomed him and thoroughly enjoyed the grazing. We went across the road where that delicious vine horses love grows in profusion. While we were there a dingo started howling. It was close. It was sad. Such a lonely sound. Because it sounded so close we walked up the first rise to see if I could see it. We were standing there, well, I was standing, Balthazar was eating when I saw the dingo come out of the bush, through the fence, scramble down a nearly vertical face of eroded dirt where the road was cut through, all this with a hurt left hind leg which it held off the ground. It didn't even glance toward us but turned south on the pavement and headed down the hill. I assume it was after the water in the creek.
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