I haven't talked much about Katie and Texas lately however the last few days I've been watching them settle in and made a few observations.
My mom and I talk about the interaction animals have that we, as people, tend to discount. Recently her dog got hurt while playing with another dog at the dog park and now Tink won't play with the other dog (which makes the other dog upset). This has been going on for nearly a week I think. I think Tink has decided Abbey is just no longer her friend, Abbey however has yet to accept this.
Tex and Katie have always sorta been in love with each other and they are also pretty strong personalities. They chased and bossed Patch around as often as they do Leo. It'd go a little like this, Tex would push Katie up the hill, around the barn, away from me, etc... Katie would push Patch out of her way and if Leo was around Patch might make a play for pushing Leo out of his way. The trickle down affect (or is it effect?).
Now when I say "push" I mean a flick of the head, a "mean look" that included pinned ears and a slow trot in the general direction. More like Tex told Katie what to do, having no choice she listened, to prove Tex wasn't the only boss she'd tell Patch what to do and well Patch then had no choice but to tell Leo what to do.
Oddly enough Patch was the most "vocal". Tex and Katie were anything but silent but it was Patch that nickered loudly first thing in the morning. It was Patch that you heard when "they" discovered hay was being delivered for lunch. Katie and Tex followed suit but it was Patch you heard loud and clear, not to mention first.
Tex and Katie don't seem to push each other as much these days. Perhaps cause there is no third for Katie to trickle down to. I think it is because they are still finding their balance, their herd dynamics have changed and they need each other while they figure them out, as a result they are all but stuck together these days. They certainly are more aware of each other. I can watch them keep an eye on the other and if one gets too far away the other moseys over (nonchalantly of course).
They are both more vocal come morning. Texas, my big strong cowboy looking man of a horse, nickers like a little girl and finds me giggling up the stairs the last two days. He really sounds so very sweet. It reminds me of a young boy being hit with a squeaky voice right as he asks the girl next door to the spring dance. He is also way more attentive the last couple days. He's always been friendly, he has always greeted me as soon as he saw me (unless he was eating haha), he's always wanted me to stand there and rub his teeth (yes rub his teeth), and we've laid together while he napped. He's never been shy about attention and he has certainly never been lacking in it either. Today though he did the funniest thing, I was standing in the pasture giving him a carrot and he licked my friends hand, stuck out his tongue (holding it in his teeth), curled up his lip, and blinked his beautiful eyes at her as he rested his mouth in her hand; teeth against her palm, tongue sticking out and goofy look on his face! Now she had NO CLUE what was going on and looked at me like "Oh my god?". I just told her "He wants you to rub his teeth".
After a second he came over to me, I am an expert at rubbing Tex's teeth, and rubbed them for him. I even made the squeaky noise that he loves so much. You have to be careful though cause the more Tex gets into this teeth rubbing session the lower his head drops and his head is ummm heavy. If I am not careful I end up with his head clear to my knees and me struggling to stand upright, it's a lot of weight and I'm not terribly big!
Today after a minute or so I told him enough and turned around. He decided that perhaps we could do the teeth rubbing game on my shoulder. I was standing there talking to Angela, she was gushing over their beauty and their peacefulness/calmness around people when I feel this lick on my shoulder! I turn my head and there is Tex looking right at me as he licks my shoulder again, as I turned around to say "No you will not lick my shoulder" (and yes that's what I said) I could feel him stick his tongue between his teeth and gently lay his teeth against my shoulder and move up and down once. I was trying so damned hard no to laugh the only thing I could say was "Do not be a freaky pony, you can not do that on my shoulder". Why I said "freaky pony" I will never know. Standing there trying not to be embarrassed (he did this in front of company), and trying not to let double over with laughter I reverted to junior high school talk I suppose! However I must admit it was perhaps the funniest thing that happened all day, if not all week.
With Patch's passing, I've tried to give them space and reassurance while the new dynamic falls into place. My place in the "dynamic" has not changed, Katie's and Tex's they have changed. I've tried to let them have the space to figure that out.
I think they'll be ok. I do, for the record, know that shoulder licking is not something a "good mannered" pony does and will correct the same as soon as I stop laughing!
My mom and I talk about the interaction animals have that we, as people, tend to discount. Recently her dog got hurt while playing with another dog at the dog park and now Tink won't play with the other dog (which makes the other dog upset). This has been going on for nearly a week I think. I think Tink has decided Abbey is just no longer her friend, Abbey however has yet to accept this.
Tex and Katie have always sorta been in love with each other and they are also pretty strong personalities. They chased and bossed Patch around as often as they do Leo. It'd go a little like this, Tex would push Katie up the hill, around the barn, away from me, etc... Katie would push Patch out of her way and if Leo was around Patch might make a play for pushing Leo out of his way. The trickle down affect (or is it effect?).
Now when I say "push" I mean a flick of the head, a "mean look" that included pinned ears and a slow trot in the general direction. More like Tex told Katie what to do, having no choice she listened, to prove Tex wasn't the only boss she'd tell Patch what to do and well Patch then had no choice but to tell Leo what to do.
Oddly enough Patch was the most "vocal". Tex and Katie were anything but silent but it was Patch that nickered loudly first thing in the morning. It was Patch that you heard when "they" discovered hay was being delivered for lunch. Katie and Tex followed suit but it was Patch you heard loud and clear, not to mention first.
Tex and Katie don't seem to push each other as much these days. Perhaps cause there is no third for Katie to trickle down to. I think it is because they are still finding their balance, their herd dynamics have changed and they need each other while they figure them out, as a result they are all but stuck together these days. They certainly are more aware of each other. I can watch them keep an eye on the other and if one gets too far away the other moseys over (nonchalantly of course).
They are both more vocal come morning. Texas, my big strong cowboy looking man of a horse, nickers like a little girl and finds me giggling up the stairs the last two days. He really sounds so very sweet. It reminds me of a young boy being hit with a squeaky voice right as he asks the girl next door to the spring dance. He is also way more attentive the last couple days. He's always been friendly, he has always greeted me as soon as he saw me (unless he was eating haha), he's always wanted me to stand there and rub his teeth (yes rub his teeth), and we've laid together while he napped. He's never been shy about attention and he has certainly never been lacking in it either. Today though he did the funniest thing, I was standing in the pasture giving him a carrot and he licked my friends hand, stuck out his tongue (holding it in his teeth), curled up his lip, and blinked his beautiful eyes at her as he rested his mouth in her hand; teeth against her palm, tongue sticking out and goofy look on his face! Now she had NO CLUE what was going on and looked at me like "Oh my god?". I just told her "He wants you to rub his teeth".
After a second he came over to me, I am an expert at rubbing Tex's teeth, and rubbed them for him. I even made the squeaky noise that he loves so much. You have to be careful though cause the more Tex gets into this teeth rubbing session the lower his head drops and his head is ummm heavy. If I am not careful I end up with his head clear to my knees and me struggling to stand upright, it's a lot of weight and I'm not terribly big!
Today after a minute or so I told him enough and turned around. He decided that perhaps we could do the teeth rubbing game on my shoulder. I was standing there talking to Angela, she was gushing over their beauty and their peacefulness/calmness around people when I feel this lick on my shoulder! I turn my head and there is Tex looking right at me as he licks my shoulder again, as I turned around to say "No you will not lick my shoulder" (and yes that's what I said) I could feel him stick his tongue between his teeth and gently lay his teeth against my shoulder and move up and down once. I was trying so damned hard no to laugh the only thing I could say was "Do not be a freaky pony, you can not do that on my shoulder". Why I said "freaky pony" I will never know. Standing there trying not to be embarrassed (he did this in front of company), and trying not to let double over with laughter I reverted to junior high school talk I suppose! However I must admit it was perhaps the funniest thing that happened all day, if not all week.
With Patch's passing, I've tried to give them space and reassurance while the new dynamic falls into place. My place in the "dynamic" has not changed, Katie's and Tex's they have changed. I've tried to let them have the space to figure that out.
I think they'll be ok. I do, for the record, know that shoulder licking is not something a "good mannered" pony does and will correct the same as soon as I stop laughing!
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