2013-12-30

A Winter Moment with Mouse

"Be Careful AJ!" next Roomie told the highlight of her day.  A farm owner was running past the open door to the arena, as her little buddy was spooking within it.  She had been done lungeing, and, about to mount.  First they'd heard some human yelling, tensing him up at the mounting block and then the thundering horse hooves, which had inspired him to drag her into the arena.  What was going on? As the bay took another big spook, freak out, making him hard to hold, AJ whipped off his tack.  First saddle, then bridle.
Resting them safely out of such a chewers reach on the viewing chairs in a swift, effective movement, AJ locked the arena gate closed behind her and jogged out the snowy laneways between paddocks.
Three horses were loose. 2 year olds. A bay, dark bay and the super excitable leader, a chestnut with an amazing white marking on the barrel.
By the time she got close, chore girl had one in hand. She'd brought a halter along with her lead shank.  They were all calmly walking towards AJ, who had a leak shank in hand.  "Want me to try and catch the other bay?" she had gestured with just the rope.  "Na, you can just kind of herd them from behind," she was instructed, standing back to let the herd pass by.  And then, the two loose horses began to run again, trotting at first and picking up speed through separate fenced aisleways between the other paddocks (containing equally excited equines), as the other farm owner was arrived calmly on scene.  "There's a halter there, if we need one," AJ gestured to the nearest fence post.  "What, they won't let you near them?" he asked, grabbing the halter, she'd finally realized was there. 
A.J. was useful in containing the loose two, as he haltered the troublest-maker, and as the farm hand rejoined her fellow humans, having successfully enclosed the other horse in its originally intended paddock.  She caught the darkest bay with the re-useable halter, and soon after the 3-some of 2yr olds was successfully "turned out" for their shift.
When A.J. had returned to her charge in the area, she could tell he had done quite a bit of running around, and then also, calmed down.  She put his bridle on and sat on him for a minute.  This moment of riding bareback was a beautiful intimacy.