*sigh* I'm loosing my touch. (Warning: Hi-jacked by Em)

[EmtheFishLady]

Has anyone seen Spook? I know he fell off a ladder..but the other day we played phone tag. :/

 

[sourland]

Em, Spook has not been online here in two weeks.

Safe trip to Terry, Gus, and you.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

George, there's an update in the Gus thread.



All packed...now just to get Terry in gear.

 

[Tanichca]

I'll be a'praying to Sts. Francis, Anne and Christopher (patron saints of animals, horses, and travelers, respectively) for a safe trip for everyone!

 

[eenie114]

Has anyone seen Spook? I know he fell off a ladder..but the other day we played phone tag.

Spook does have a tendency to go all ghosty and invisible on us.

 

[Bunnylady]

Baby

impressed me last night.

The barn owner has brought a couple of his Appaloosa mares over to the barn, and Baby

went with me to see them. I don't feed these two, but every horse loves a feeder, so they follow me along the fence. After a bit, as we were standing near the gate, the 6-year-old mare put her head over the fence, and Baby

put her hand up to pet her. The mare pinned her ears and tossed her head slightly, bumping Babybunnies' arm with her muzzle. "Hello," I said, in a warning tone of voice. When the mare did it a second time, I said "AH-AH!" and glared at her . When she did it a third time, I said, "That's it! Get outta here!" With aggressive body language, I stepped toward the mare. She backed away and moved off a little distance and started grazing.
"Do you know what that was all about?" I asked.
"Yeah. She didn't want me touching her face," Baby

said.
"Do you know why?"
"She wanted to show dominance."
"Yup. Is that allowed?"
"NO!"
"Do you think she was trying to bite you?"
"No. She was just warning me."
"Yeah. And because she kept warning you, I was afraid she might escalate. So I did instead, to drive the point home. If she didn't like it, she could leave, but she's not allowed to threaten you."

A few minutes later, the mare came up to the gate again. Baby

petted her. The mare had one eye and one ear on me, but she kept her ears up, her expression pleasant and her mouth to herself. I said, "Good girl!"
I asked, "Do you think she's learned anything?"
"Yeah. She learned she can't get away with threatening me."
"Is that a mean horse?"
"No. Just a badly trained one, to think that she can tell a person what to do." (actually, that one is barely more than halter broke

)
"You know, most people would have seen what she did, said, "Ooh, that's a mean horse," and backed away from the fence. What would she have learned then?"
"She'd have learned that she's in charge."
I laughed, and she said, "You know, she'll probably try it again."
I said, "Oh, yeah, she will, but for right now, she's learned the right thing." Sounds like Baby

has, too!

 

[sourland]

Some have it, and some will never have the ability to 'read' animals. Baby

, very evidently, has it.

 

[Tanichca]

Good for Baby . Sounds like she's got the touch! What does she want to do when she gets older? With animal sense like that, she'd make one heck of a horse trainer or vet!

 

[sourland]

Rumor is that she's going to become a psychiatrist. She is in contact with a wide patient base.

 

[Wisher1000]

She'd be rich! (and warped for life.)