Yesterday afternoon Julie called to see if I'd want to go for a short ride. SURE!!!! It wasn't horribly windy yet and Rilda didn't have time for a ride today, so what the heck. I'd gotten the transplanting of some sedum and hostas done early, so I saddled up Adam and headed down the road to Julie's.
Julie was feeling brave, so she saddled up her old "retired" barrel racer, Sonic. Sonic is in his early 20's, but you'd NEVER know it. He's ALWAYS ready to go. We decided we'd just ride around her dad's field and of course as we got about 1/2 mile from her house it started to rain. UGH!!! So we headed back to the barn. It was a slow trip back as Sonic is also a bit "barn sour" and would have loved nothing more than to race back home. Of course after we arrive, it's nice as can be. I tell Julie I'm going to head down the gravel and she has some things to get done, so she passes.
Adam and I head West. I thought we'd head down to the Watkins blacktop, which is about 2 miles away. We moving at a pretty nice pace, some cantering, fast trotting. Adam had to test out his NEW SHOES he got on Saturday and I wanted to work on my posting. Everything was great.
When we get to the highway, we turn back East to head home, (the same way we came) past Sara's house (a black lab "real lab" that always barks "hello" and I always promise dog treats to....but always forget). Adam canters along the dirt "B" road, across the old bridge, cross 27th street, past John's house (he's out mowing his yard)...another 1/2 miles and then we heard that terrifying noise!! The noise that makes your hair stand on the back of your neck!! Adam freezes, ears pricked forward, nostrils flaring and he does that snorting nose blowing thing that sounds like some kind of sick air horn gone bad. What could it possibly be you ask??
(Picture by Meme - http://www.weaselsinflight.blogspot.com)Yes, it's true. The Canadian Goose, actually, it was geese. A pair. Poor Adam, he was sure they were NOT honking at each other, but at him. They apparently hadn't eaten brown ponies ALL winter long and they were preparing for a FEAST!
BH!! Now, you try rationalizing with a 1000+ pound frightened pony. I can honestly say that he would have LIKED to have gone by, as we were just little over a mile from home and who doesn't want to go home?? I had a couple choices. Turn around and go back home the LONG way, 4 miles. UGH!! It was getting darker, cold and windy. Get off and lead him by....did that with hogs once and will NEVER do that again. Go back to John and his zero radius mower (insert bitterness HERE!!!) and ask him to take a 4 wheeler out and shoo the Pony eating geese away, resulting in all of Benton County being made aware of the situation. (Not that he didn't notice the "Mexican Stand off" just down the road"...or should I say, "Canadian Stand off". Or .... just tough it out and "MAKE" Adam go by them.
I decided we'd stick it out. Given enough time, I was pretty sure I could "talk" him into it. It took a good 5+ minutes, several spins and some degrading comments regarding "balls" which he does NOT have!! G We finally made it past the frightening creatures. HONESTLY!!! He sees chickens and ducks EVERY DAY!!!! UGH!
So the list of things that eat "Brown Ponies" continues.....
* Sheep
* Hogs
* Canadian Geese
Who knew they were so TASTY??
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