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LaTigresse -> RE: Critter stories (2/27/2008 1:28:26 PM)
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I've had animals around my whole life. So many stories I could, quite literally, write a book.
I will tell one that stands out at the moment. I currently have two horses at the farm. The one I am riding in one of my profile photos is Maj whom I have had for years. When I moved to my own farm I decided that Maj needed a companion so I bought Mo, a arabian yearling.
In my upper pasture there is/was a PVC vent for our septic system. For the first two years both horses ignored it as though it was not even there. Then, for whatever reason, Mo decided it was something of interest. This is a horse that has unlocked the doors in the barn, likes to chase chickens, then pick them up by the tail feathers when he catches them, AND, has drowned one in the water tank by playing basket ball with the chicken while pretending the water tank was the net. No, that is not the funny part.
Mo became fascinated by the PVC vent, rubbing his head on it, straddling it to itch his belly, chewing on it, etc. I decided that he was dangerously close to breaking it and I began seeing $$$ to have it repaired. So, using some fencing material I built a small fence around the vent. Knowing my horses are shy of fencing (electric fence) I thought I had the perfect solution. The next day when I came home from work, there stood Mo, straddling the vent itching his belly with fencing material laying on the ground beside it. Then I reassembled the whole thing and ran a strand of electric to it. Voila! Again, the next evening, disassembled AND the vent was broken off at the ground. Lord was I pissed. It is late fall, cold and wet and DARK out. I am trying to dig through my building supplies, dragging out a shovel, so I can to try and repair this vent before A. a horse sticks a foot in the hole and hurts himself, B. clogs up the vent.
I get it temporarily fixed until I can get to the building supply store the next day, and build a stronger barrier around it. All while working by the light of a flashlite in cold mud. The next morning it is still standing and I am so proud of myself! It was Saturday and I head out to buy new and heavier PVC. Back home, and off to my repair job, shovel in hand, new pipe, saw, glue for the PVC.........I am SET!
After an hour or so of digging really deep down in, cutting the pipe and gluing the whole thing properly together, filling it back in. All with the supervision of two curious equines, of course. Taking down the temporary fence. I stand back and look at my work of art, gleaming white against the dead grass and mud. There is much prancing, snorting and head tossing (arabs think they are the shit). Ohhhh, new boogie monster in the pasture.
I head off to put away my supplies, contemplating how I can really put the fear of god into the brat horse. Ah HA!!! plastic grocery bags! I know how they fear those erratic crackly things. So I decided to go dig a bunch out and tie them together in a big long string, take them out and tie them around the top of the vent to keep them away. Knowing that our constant wind will keep the bags flapping and noisy. Off to create my monster. I take it out and tie it on. LOTS of snorting, head tossing and prancing, far far away from the scary monster.
Now I am feeling REALLY cool as I head up to the house, so proud of myself. Not only had I fixed the vent, better and stronger than it had been previously but I also solved the horse problem.....................so I thought.
My kids had come down to spend the weekend. While I was in changing and cleaning up my daughter bellowed "Moooooooommmmmmmmm!!!!!!! Come look!" inbetween laughing like a mad fool. I came out of the bathroom to see my daughter standing at one of the big bay windows pointing and laughing. I looked out and there was Mo, running like hell back and forth, up and down the fence past the house........with a nice long strand of grocery bags clenched in his teeth, flapping back over his butt and trailing behind him. I swear I could hear horse laughter.
Out the door I ran, fearful he would get the plastic tangled in his teeth or even swallow some. Flying between the strands.of electric fence, (still barefoot in very cold November mud) trying to get him to stop so I could get the bags away from him. Mo being Mo, kept running back and forth past me, flipping his head, tail high in the air with a "Catch me if you caaaaaaaaaaaan." attitude. Finally, on the last pass, he decides to drop the strand of bags on the ground in front of me as he continues on at a dead run.
Needless to say, I was back into my work clothes and outside, building a permanent fence across that end of the pasture. It is now a garden and play area for the grands and their trucks.
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