Well, I've been off Facebook about a week now. Really simple..it just didn't make sense. Some things are like that...I abruptly stop doing one thing or another and sometimes I know the reason, other times naught. I am soo not into explaining myself these days anyway. Sharing is not on the menu. I can hear doors slamming shut.
I've had a most unique opportunity to get away from home and family and house/farm sit for a friend of mine.
I have discovered over the years that regarding brand new experiences...that I am completely clueless as to anticipating how I will feel and how it will go. Case in point, coming out to the farm I thought I would go here and there visiting nearby friends...but...I experienced the exact opposite. The first couple of days, I cared for and interacted with the horses and animals but I wanted absolutely nothing to do with anyone.
This is really my very first time off on my own for a few days...I harkened back to my bachlorette days of single hood and I deeply enjoyed my solitude. The absence of worrying and caring for family...the stress of home daily maintenance....all gone. I ate what I wanted, when wanted, slept, napped whenever I felt like it...pursued my research and horse play whenever it suited me. My daily chores here are extremely simple and highly, highly enjoyable. I wander out to the barn or the pasture at least a few times a day just to interact with the horses. I learned to be careful doing these new things as horses are very large, strong animals. In the pasture I am most careful with one filly as she is young and exuberant and runs to greet me. Then she follows me around like a puppy which is very, very cool.
I've learned basic barn/ animal maintenance, the care and feeding stuff without any problem. I don't mind feeding or cleaning stalls and I love grooming. Every horse and pony has been groomed at least once.
A couple interesting things I learned...the horses love having their hooves cleaned and usually give a heavy sigh when I am doing that. I am still skittish and sometimes forego the rear hooves depending on the horse/pony and my comfort level.
The other area that surprised me...the hoofed ones usually love their manes and especially their forelocks, the hair between their ears, when brushed/combed the horse calms right down and seems to love it.
Okay, so I had quite a thrill when the ponies breached the fences and escaped. I was reclining on the couch when I kept hearing a horse heavily, loudly call. Okay, the first call I thought..well, some horse greeting thingy. The second time I sat up and decided that f I heard it again it would warrant an investigation.
Sure enough..on time three I got up, looked out the window to see one pony racing in circles in his pen, frantic and another one was in an area way off limits. I ran out to find all four nearby....but, I could not figure out what to do next as I knew not where the fence was breached and who to gather first and where to pit them. So I used the phone a friend and got a fellow horsemen to come over in about thirty minutes. In the meantime I had roped one pony and brought him in. After help arrived, everyone was in the barn albeit in odd places. Not only were the ponies upset but the three horses nearby were distressed as the ponies were now in their stalls.
