MISSING HORSES!

MISSING HORSES

I guess it was probably in January; it’s all hazy now.  I was quite traumatized by the ice storm of 2013.  Let me start at the beginning and tell you how I came to such trauma.

It was early in the morning when a client came to pick up her horse from training, I was in a hurry to get my son to school and get to work.  I cheerfully waved at my client and her horses as I scurried away.  I finished work at a very late hour; it was quite dark outside.  I noted that the horses were happily eating in the big pasture as made my way down the drive on my way to weedy flats.

I stayed the weekend at Weedy Flats getting some packing and cleaning done there.  I arrived back at Windy Hill Sunday night, in the dark, during an ice storm.  No surprise there.  What was surprising is that when I pulled into the drive I did not see any horses in the big pasture. 

No horses photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbnunley/with/6939424308/

 I made my way slowly up the drive, peering into the sleet that was hitting my windshield with glee.  Hmm no horses… perhaps they are all in the corner covered in the darkness and sleet ~ which is getting heavier.

After slipping and falling on my porch not once, but twice, I managed to get the key in the door, let the dogs in and turn off the alarm system.  I put on my snowsuit, hat, gloves and scarf and went to look for the horses with spot light in hand.  I took my trusty mastiff as well.  I searched the property in vain, hoping against hope I would see the horses.  I didn't....

I called the neighbors to see if they had gotten any calls.  He tells me they hadn't gotten any phone calls about missing horses, but mine are there at his place.  (whew) 

He proceeds to tell me that he “tried to catch them” but he wasn't able to.  This man is a professional trainer and he was trying to “catch” the three most in your pocket horses I have ever had..?  

Neighbor:  So, I just left them where they were, you can go on over and turn on the lights if you want and find them.

sleet

Me: Okay great, thank you so much for your help.

It is now around 10:30 at night, pitch black and the hail is producing a steady tick, tick, tick sound on my windows and doors.  I gather the mastiff, forget the spot light and go to my car.  I open the rear driver side door to let the mastiff in the back seat and when I close the door, it won’t close.  What?  Why won’t the door close?  The darn latch is stuck!  NO amount of poking, prodding, praying, whining or pleading will get the latch un-stuck.  So, fine, the door doesn't shut.  Whatever, I tell the dog to stay put.   Dog stays.  I get half-way down the road to on the way to the neighbors house when I realized that I had forgotten the spotlight.  I console myself with the fact that he said I could turn on his lights to find the horses in the darkness.  I drove very slowly due to the door issues and the fact that I was basically sliding on ice the entire way there.

frozen light switch!

I get to the neighbors, find the outside light he told me about, only to discover that the switch is ice-covered and frozen in the “off” position.  I am afraid to force it as I do not want to break the neighbors lightswitch.  I can see NOTHING.  Even with my car headlights shining forth highlighting the hail that is pelting me from the sky.  I take note of what the horses located there are doing.  Half of them are eyeing me curiously from their shelters.  The other half are looking in another direction.  AHHA!  My horses must be that way.  I shuffle hesitantly further into the darkness, trusty mastiff by my side, halter and leadrope clutched firmly in a gloved hand.   I briefly wonder if the neighbor has dogs…

Shivering against the cold despite my snowsuit getup, I call out “Liiibbby”  and I am rewarded with an answering whinny!  Oh!  My wonderful Libby, always so faithful.  I turn towards the sound and begin walking that way with my hand resting on the mastiff who seems to be leading the way. 
”Lib ~ you sill there?”  I ask into the darkness…

The reply is a soft nicker and the sound of  shuffling feet.   Soon enough I see the dark outlines of three shapes.  There they are!  Libby steps forward to greet me, practically putting the halter on herself when I show it to her.  The freezing rain has already covering the halter and leadrope in a thin sheet of ice, and I felt very bad placing frozen halter over her head.  She didn't seem to mind ~ this is the same horse that normally stresses over her ears being touched!

Dark and icy!

 I gazed at the environment the horses had chosen to place themselves in.  They were in a little “cubby” behind and between my neighbors very lovely barn.  It was something close to “snug” in that location.  No wind, so shelter from the hail and sleet.  For a brief moment I considered letting them stay right there…maybe they were better off? Safer?  No wind and all.  I decided against it.

Continued next time.