When I open the cupboard in the morning, bleary eyed as I wait for my coffee to brew, I don’t just grab the first mug in front of me… I always scan the available prospects and pick my favorite.
I bet you do, too.
In fact in our household, Hubby and I both favor the same mug – which isn’t really a problem since he lives in Paso Robles all week – but if he didn’t, I’d make him toss a coin for it every Sunday morning.
I like what I like… So does Hubby.
And I think horses are the same.
The favorite mug…
HORSES HAVE PREFERENCES. OR, AT LEAST MAMA TESS DOES…
We all know that our horses prefer to eat in their eating place and drink out of a preferred trough and do both of these at specific times.
But what about ‘things’? Do they have favorite objects like we have our favorite mugs…?
Well, I’m not sure why my horse has favorite objects but I know she does.
For example, Mama Tess loves to ride her Theraplate. I find her on it all the time, whether it is running or not… I think she either associates it with food or pleasure – or both.
Why she would stand on her Theraplate when I’m not around baffles me. Perhaps she hopes that somehow she will get some food and someone will turn on the motor. Dunno…but I find her on it all the time when she has no idea that I can see her and she hasn’t heard me approach.
She also prefers one particular, beat up, torn, shapeless fly mask. The black one, please, and none other.
This was Tess tonight. She is wearing her favorite (and tattered) flymask. The rejected flymasks hang on a hook by the stalls. She has just mounted her Theraplate and has aggressively pushed open the feed room door with her nose (which Whacks against the refrigerator) to let me know that the Queen is ready. And, that she eats first, with her food in the big rubber bowl – please.
DON’T MESS WITH HER STUFF!
Although MT will allow me to put another flymask on her – if I haaaaave to – in order to wash it or something… but I am absolutely not allowed to use the wrong bowl at feeding time.
If I don’t use the large rubber bowl, she will toss whatever bowl I did use.
Why? I have no idea. The alternate bowl is clean. It is rubber. But, it isn’t large and I guess she likes a big bowl – just like I prefer a large mug.
I also cannot shut the gate to her favorite stall. If I do, she bangs on it until I open it. However, it doesn’t mean she wishes to go through the gate, she just wants it open – the way she wants it.
Same with her favorite stall window. I am not allowed to shut that window unless she says it is OK – like on a really stormy night. Otherwise, MT will kick the wall below the window until I open it again. Trust me, this has been a big issue with some horse feeders who cannot remember which window to leave open…
Oh and don’t even think about using a nylon halter on her precious head. Nope. Leather or nothing. MT will raise her nose to the rafters if she even suspects nylon is approaching. Now, I think she is smart because nylon won’t break under pressure – but it could be that she prefers natural products.
She is a bit sweaty here, but you can see her favorite window that is not to be closed and the stall gate that must stay open is the far gate.
DON’T DO IT OUT OF ORDER!
Getting back to making my coffee in the morning, I always do it the same way. I put just the right amount of coffee and the right amount of cream (off white – Hubby says I drink coffee in my cream instead of the other way around…).
Tess is the same way. I must allow her to get onto her Theraplate and feed her first. The meal has to have Renew Gold (no affiliation) in it and it has to be mixed in appropriate proportions so she cannot taste her medicines.
After that, I can feed the others. However, when she finishes her first ration, I am to notice that her bowl is empty and therefore feed her the beet pulp – or else she kicks the wall and dismounts the Theraplate, threatening to take off her boots and unwrap her feet.
Tess: I’M READY FOR MY SECOND COURSE NOW, WAITER HUMAN!
ME: Just a minute, I’m feeding the ponies.
Tess: WHAT?!! DID YOU DENY ME, LITTLE HUMAN?
ME: Huh? I’m feeding the ponies. I’ll be right there. Just hang onto your forelock, eh?
Tess: THE NERVE OF YOU, LITTLE HUMAN! FINE, MY BOOTS ARE COMING OFF AND THEN I’LL WRECK YOUR WRAP AND YOU WILL HAVE TO REDO THEM AND I WILL BE INSUFFERABLE THE WHOLE TIME AND…
ME: Fine. Here’s your stuff, Queen. Sheesh. It is a good thing I love you because you are almost intolerable.
Tess: I love you, tiny human.
I’ve created a monster.
MORAL OF THE STORY
Well, next time you grab your favorite mug and sit in your favorite chair and open up your computer to your favorite pages while you wake up – or do whatever routine you do… just ponder that your horses find peace in the same sort of comfortable routines as you do.
And, my horse is spoiled. For sure.
Our other favorite mugs, in order of preference, that we use in our daily morning, comforting, ritual.
The Bucket Fund is growing for the Morgan Hill 50! I will give you updates as they come in. Click here to read the story!!
Too bad you couldn’t install a motion detection switch on the Theraplate so MT can treat herself…or teach her how to turn it on. Course, you could create an even bigger monster! LOL
Yes. Cashels. Since MT doesn’t roughhouse much, hers lasts fairly long. It is the sheer, lightweight mask.
Thanks for the well-wishes! MT is still sore and lame, but it doesn’t seem to bother her much… she keeps on keeping on!
Interesting about the fly masks. I cannot keep a fly mask on my two minis because after ten minutes of parading around they remove each others mask. My Arabian removes her own mask before the day is over unless it is what I call her Fredericks of Hollywood mask. This mask looks very much like the one that your Mama Tess favors. It is sheer black without ears. I actually cut the ears out and she needs a new one. I am looking for the sheer black without ears. I think Cashels makes one but that brand doesn’t last very long.
Is that a black sheer that Mama Tess is wearing and if so where did you find it?
Thanks for your wonderful blog and I am so happy that Mama Tess is doing so well.