Hide And Seek

When they get back the morning has already turned hot. A rare perfectly still day to make us almost miss the constant howl of the wind. Almost, but not quite. The mares have worked up a slight sweat. Just a square to show where the saddles sit. It can’t be too hot then. Not as hot as we let ourselves believe as we swelter under the hot sun.

Or it could be the very leisurely pace the never default from.

Saddles off I let the old girls loose to graze. They deserve a little extra treat. They deserve it for taking care of the kids, for going out on their morning ride. They deserve it for just being them.

Jerry, the color of a newly minted penny, bright copper orange, has a temperament that matches her color, bright, cheerful, interested in everything that goes on around her. She may be aging but she vibrates with curiosity. Time hasn’t taken away her interest in all that is going on around her. Delicate, tippy ears perked forward to investigate any potential treat.

Lady is more reserved. She is zippy and alert. No old plodder here. But she carries a suspicion of people, never sure that we are something she wants to associate with. She can be hard to catch and lacks Jerry’s interest and determination that whatever we have it is going to be wonderful for her.

Both of them are light and responsive, energetic without being hot. They deserve a break from the two obnoxious young horses they are forced to share a pen with. Time alone to enjoy the green grass.

They do a good job of staying out of trouble, for the most part. The occasional foray into the alfalfa just outside the yards boundaries keeps me from getting too relaxed while they enjoy their graze. There are no fences to force them to comply. Instead we rely on their good nature, and the other two horses being confined. Surely they wouldn’t want to leave without the whole herd.

I went to check on them this morning and they had wandered. Wandered away from the place I had left them, the place they were last seen. Not a big deal, there is plenty of room for them to roam without getting into trouble. I checked the close places on foot. No horses there. So I grabbed a 4-wheeler and made a lap around the yard. No horses there.

Now I was starting to get concerned. If they damage the corn I’ll be in trouble. If they wander to the middle of the alfalfa they’ll be in trouble along with me. I watched the whole time for the horses still in the corals. They’re the best guide to finding wandering horses. They will stand at the fence like pointer hounds directing me to my prey.

They weren’t out in the big corral, so the mares probably hadn’t wandered that way. Finally I spotted them up by the barns. That was where I had looked for the mares already. Odd.

Trusting them to guide me I drove up to where the big grey horse stood, as the tallest he’s easy to spot. Getting closer I could finally see the shorter horses standing around him. Three. There were three shorter horses.

The mares had been quietly standing at the gate back into their pen the whole time. I had searched everywhere, in the opposite direction. Never once had I turned to look behind me. Behind me where the mares stood waiting wondering why I was running around instead of letting them back in their pen, where they wanted to be.