A Wild Afternoon

Click on this picture to see these beautiful, beautiful Arabian babies. 

I will tell you their story. 

Today, even though it got up to 40... it was gray and very cold out.  We are expecting 

rain tomorrow, and there was a lot of humidity in the air. 

The dogs and I went out for a run. 

I got out to close the gate... I like for people to wonder if someone is living there. 

See the next ridge over?  It almost looks like a little mountain in the distance. 

We only stayed for 30 minutes, because it was JUST too cold, and that's funny, 

because we have been going out daily in the thirties. 

So... we started home. 

We ran into these guys. 

And saw some of these guys from a distance. 

So, I need to explain something first. 

Normally, we come down 24 highway, and turn onto the unpaved 178th street, and cut across it to Leavenworth Road, which is paved.  For the last two weeks, we have turned off Leavenworth Road at 163rd street, and driven 3 miles across on paved and unpaved roads. 

I do that so I can see the wildlife. 

So.. we turned onto Leavenworth Road.  About a year and a half ago, 

a little tiny yellow house with ten acres was for sale there, and it had a cute little barn.  Okay, maybe it was 2 1/2 years ago.  

That little tiny house was bought, and the people built a huge house around that core. 

Then, six months later, they put up not one, but two big red metal barns, and an arena. 

Of course, you know I have Barn Lust.... so I slow down every day there to see if I can see the horses. 

About six weeks ago, a small herd of between six and ten horses was put out into a fenced field behind the barns.  Every day, I would drive by and slow down, and the last two weeks, would turn at the corner, another quarter mile down the street. 

So... today... I slowed down.  

I need to stop right here and tell you that the next property to the west of this one was for sale recently, and just like that, the for sale sign was down.  So I knew that property had changed hands.  It had a couple of older barns behind it. 

It also had a small pasture in between it and the red barns, but that pasture was lacking about 30 feet of fence on the west side (next to their yard) at the front.  The front fence is there.... but 

opens at the corner for 30 feet back into the yard. 

As I came up the rise... I saw two horses come tearing through that field and into the front yard. 

I thought I was hallucinating, and drove straight by. 

Then, I got to the corner.... turned... and looked over to where the red barn horses were in 

their pasture... and they were all at the fence, staring in the direction I had seen the horses. 

I pulled into a driveway and turned around.  

I drove back up to the now-vacant house... 

and sure enough, the horses were loose.  I pulled into the driveway, left Lilly and Jester in the car... and walked into the field, where the horses had gone back. 

A man was at the far side, with a bucket of grain, calling to them.  They actually went to him three or four times, then would shy away and take off again.  

Three or four times they ran towards me, but quieted down and trotted away. 

We began pushing them back toward his barn. 

He called to me that he had opened the fence up so they could get through... but... 

there was no fence in front of his barn... he was going to have to try to 

guide them into the front of the barn and run the door shut fast. 

Neither horse had a halter on, and it turned out they were unbroke yearlings, 

and only one had ever had a halter on a few times. 

Whew. 

Pretty soon, his wife appeared... and his mother, and a friend. 

We all started moving them, but I guess I left the part out where they ran into the front yard of the neighbor's house and out to the street, and yes, we were mighty scared, 

Eventually, we got them moved to the back of this property, where there was a little barn. 

Miraculously, the new owner, Mr. Watson, showed up, saw all the cars on his property, and came to investigate.  He opened up a big barn for us, because we had tried for an hour to run them into a shed. 

Oh yes, they were in the open.  There was a fence behind them, and a partial fence with a shut gate behind them. 

I was holding up a long gate with a piece of cattle panel attached to it, and standing near the barn entrance.  

Their owner, Rick, had no jacket on, and no gloves, and let me tell you, after an hour, I was shivering.  After two hours, I was frozen. 

I don't have a picture of all the helpers that isn't blurry... but they all stood out in the cold together. 

Finally, as it got dark... Rick went home and got hay and some halters, and a long rope. 

He was able to rope the smaller of the two girls, and then we worried when she got tangled.  However... the rope slowed her down... and we moved them SLOWLY towards the barn entrance. 

Finally, they were caught.  JUST AT DARK. 

Or, let's put it like this... they are in the barn, loose.  There is no pen around this barn, on two sides. 

He is going to have to figure out how to move them WITH HELP tomorrow.  

The alternative?  He was going to have to shoot them, so that they did not get hit by cars, or cause someone to be hurt or die.  We were praying he would not have to. 

I snapped these pictures fast, as I pulled up to help. 

You can tell from this one how beautiful they were. 

This makes it look like there was fence all around, but I was standing in the opening. 

They soon went past me!  (but we got them turned around again) 

Everyone introduced themselves and we all thanked each other... Keith pulled up just before we caught them, and brought my Carhartt, thank heavens.  

I am going to gather my courage in the next few days, and stop by there, and ask to see them again, and see if I can get a good picture. 

I was so grateful they were caught safely... and I have to admit that standing for over two hours in the cold wore me out!  

When I got back to the car... Jester and Lilly were both in the front seat, both excited... but they had not done any harm, and were glad to get home.  

We all were! 

I love adventures that have happy endings!