Let's mix it up

Normally right around 5pm or so everyone comes in for dinner. Lately whether we're coming in from the pasture or the yard, everyone goes to their respective stalls, where hay is waiting, with little to no mishap. They usually see me getting hay ready and putting it in the stalls. If they are in the yard Katie is almost always the first to notice and head in, Amber typically follows then Tex. Patch kinda hangs out watching until we go up to his stall. If they are in the pasture it's Texas, Katie, Patch then Amber (because Patch tries to follow Amber out).

Everyone knows where their stalls are and generally they go to the right one, if there is anyone that goes in the wrong stall it is Texas. He does not do this because he is confused about where his stall is, he does this because there might just be the chance of a better place to hang out and eat.

He did this once in the shelter, he loves the shelter, so long as he is in it and everyone else is standing outside looking in or just generally hanging out right beside the window and or the doorway. One evening he decided that he'd stay in there even though he knew it was time to go in so I went ahead and let him. He was completely fine until he noticed that everyone else was not standing vigil, they were going into the barn.

I gotta admit it makes me chuckle, Texas rarely has any reason to be even remotely close to upset. He was none too pleased with how kicking everyone out of the shelter and insisting on eating in there actually turned out.

Tonight he went into Amber's stall and I went ahead and let him stay there. He was perfectly fine with that outcome. His stall and Ambers are on either end of the barn with Katie's stall in the middle. The two end stalls are rather large, so really Tex didn't care. Different view, convenient window, and an opportunity to poop in a newly filled water bucket! I walked toward his stall this evening, saw his water as I got closer and honestly all I could say was "really Texas?". He perked up and sorta sidelong glanced at me as if to question why I was surprised that he had christened the water bucket, it was after all a different stall.

Amber was a little confused at first, that lady does not like change. She saw Texas in her stall this evening and looked right at me. If I were to put it to words I'd say she was asking me why the hell anyone puts up with this handsome lug that thinks he can go nearly anywhere!

We ended the evening by playing mix and match blankets! I had hung Patch's blanket on the front of Amber's stall when I took them off this morning. This also happens to be right underneath a gutter that well, has twine holding it together in places. Patch's blanket was wet. Patch can't have a wet blanket, I'd lose sleep over it. I went back to the barn and grabbed Katie's blanket, no one was using it, Patch is like a woolly monster, the blanket is mid-weight, perfect.

I went to put Katie's blanket on, she's been wearing Texas's green one which looks smashing on her and is nice and toasty, it was flippin was wet! The entire front and that wouldn't work. So we grabbed the blue stable blanket she was wearing when she came home from Sarah's.

Amber, in a different stall, has her normal jammas on. Hers were hanging in her stall and for about 10 seconds I thought about putting them on Tex just so I didn't have to drag blankets back and forth! I couldn't do it though, Amber's jammas have pink stitching and I just couldn't do that to Tex.

Tex, in a different stall, with newly replaced water, has his normal jammas on and seemed quite pleased with himself at lights out; he has better access to Katie in Amber's stall and was taking complete advantage of that as I left the barn.

Every once in awhile it's not bad to mix it up, even if that mixing is not your idea.

Posted in: