A New Day

Today started as cold but the wind had died down so it was not so bad to bundle up and go out to the barn. I started filling water troughs and got feed in a bucket for my gelding that gets extra every day. As I walked toward his stall from the outside, I noticed one of my pregnant Rocky Mountain mares laying beside the big round hay bale we had fed yesterday.

On second look, I realized she had tried to roll and got too close to the hay bale and now she couldn't get up. Her feet were up against the hay bale. I was a little paniced. I did not want to lose this valuable mare. Her head was laying down hill and she looked very unconfortable and distressed. Since it was morning and I had not been to the barn, I had no idea how long she had been in that position.

I knew that when we had cattle, if we found a cow or steer that was laying with feet uphill, it was critical to get them turned back down hill soon or risk losing that animal. So I wondered if horses could get into a position that would endanger their lives as well. So needless to say I was concerned. I really don't know how to drive one of the tractors. My son always drives it and says it is a little tricky so I stick to the IH. Today the bush hog is hooked to it waiting for a nice day for me to do some bush hogging.

I thought of the four wheeler but this was a new bale of hay just put out yesterday and I thought it probably wouldn't budge it. Then I thought of my relatively new 4 wheel drive pickup truck. So I decided to risk a few scratches on it to get that mare up.

So I pushed the bale of hay with the truck and got it far enough away from her that she could get on her feet. Then I smacked her just hard enough with the dressage whip to make her want to move and up she came. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when she got to her feet and walked away like it was just another day with a new adventure.

Later as I was filling up their water trough, she walked up to the fence and let me scratch her neck and make over her. Then she walked away. This has not been a mare that was overly friendly to me in the past. Yes I can catch her when I need to but today was different in her attitude. I felt she was thankful to me for helping her out of a tight spot and I was thankful I could.

Today I have another reason to thank God for his goodness and mercy to me and my farm.