Riding Lessons, Escape Artists & Rearranging the Herd

There was another smoky start to the day. I was out tossing hay shortly after 8, leaving S to make an actual pot of coffee for the company.

Coffee was enjoyed while we visited and waited for B to arrive at 10. I had croissants warming in the oven while S cooked sausage on the BBQ. Paired with salads and fresh fruit, it made for a lovely brunch.

There was a little more visiting before S jumped in his truck and headed to the rodeo work bee around 11:30. The Medicine Hat crew packed up shortly after noon and began their journey home, leaving the four of us to brave the now 27-degree heat.

Of course, the littles continue to keep us humble. We discovered Hank can apparently walk directly under the rail by the waterer between paddocks after I put him in the barn side. And he escaped ducking back under and out the gate when B and Matt moved into the round pen. I attempted a temporary fix with some barrels, but a more permanent solution is definitely needed.

Here he is meeting the herd across the fence, or should I say eating by the herd :) 

Harley hanging with her buddy Hank

Matt had his first riding lesson with B while Shaina continued working with Mac. It was another big day for the little rescue pony. She had more of her mane braided, had her feet picked up, was flagged, had her front legs hosed, and even loaded in and out of the trailer.

And this time?

Trailer loading was easy.

Not bad for a horse who, just over a week ago, did not want to be caught.

Mac meeting the herd

Meanwhile, I spent some time hosing horses, who remain endlessly curious about the new residents. After B finished trimming Roo's feet, she treated everyone to a cooling spray as temperatures climbed to 32 degrees.

Shaina even caught Mac in the middle of the field no problem bringing her back in for B to spray her.

Eventually, we all found ourselves back on the deck enjoying a cold drink and what little breeze could be found. B headed home to tackle laundry and other weekend chores while Shaina tidied the round pen and put away buckets now that the littles have graduated to bigger paddocks.

I made the three of us iced coffees before Shaina and Matt packed up and headed to town for nine holes of golf before making their way back to the city.

With a quieter house once again, I set the robot vacuum loose and attempted to get caught up on the blog—something that seems to be a recurring theme this summer. Thursday was published.

I also spent some time writing the tutorial for my front door makeover while S returned home shortly after 5. He climbed into Big Brown and was asleep within minutes.

After a supper of leftovers, I continued working on today's blog from the comfort of the bed. Once S woke up, he relocated there as well, spending the rest of the evening watching baseball and rodeo.

I ventured back outside with what I thought was a brilliant idea: creating a temporary "wall" of hot wire and fence posts around the waterer to prevent future escape attempts. While waiting for B to arrive, I watered my pots and planters.

Once she got there, I caught Hank while she fed horses. I started bug spraying everyone down, although Bird was less than impressed with Hank being tied nearby, so adjustments had to be made.

B moved Jimmy in with Mac and finished Bird's treatments before returning Roo to her pen where Hank was released. For a brief moment, it looked like we'd successfully created two separate paddocks with two new roommates.

Hank, however, had other plans.

Apparently, he was not interested in sharing space with the new big black horse and attempted to push his way through my carefully constructed wire wall to get back to Mac.

Needless to say, I quickly decided that was not an experiment I wanted continuing overnight.

Down came the fence, and Hank was reunited with Mac and Jimmy. Please don't eat all night Hank!

B and I stood watching them for a while before she headed home and I finally retreated inside for a well-deserved shower after another dry, dusty day.

I read for a bit while S continued watching television before calling it a night.

It's been fascinating watching these little rescues settle in. Every day brings something new—whether it's Mac quietly accepting another challenge or Hank finding creative ways to remain glued to his friend. They're slowly teaching us who they are, one escape, trailer ride, and paddock rearrangement at a time. And thankfully, we're writing it all down. ❤️