I wonder how many of us nowadays remember The Sound of Music and the Maria song?
In case you’ve forgotten, here it is.
I thought of it while I was trying to figure out where Isabelle should live. Which paddock and with whom.
SHE WILL NEVER BE MY RIDING HORSE, SADLY FOR ALL INVOLVED.
For several reasons, it was decided that she should not be ridden. Mostly because her left eye has clouded over quite rapidly since her first exam a year ago, and Izzy is reactive with anything new on the left. Not good. So far, we can find no reason for the cloud. I just hope it doesn’t happen on the right as well.
SO WHICH PADDOCK? WHERE SHOULD SHE LIVE?
My first thought was to put her into Finn’s pasture to make up for the huge holes left by Wrigley and Beautiful Girl. There were five in that paddock and now there are only three. Surely they would accept a new horse, especially a mare!
But I was wrong. Even though I had her in the barn for 24 hours (right next to them… as close as possible without being with them), Mo and Missy Miss chased her around like she was a coyote. They were horrible to her!
Luckily, I called them off with some yummy hay while I opened the gate and grabbed Izzy. She didn’t seem too upset, which surprised me.
Next I put her in with Dalton. She was not impressed. He tried and tried… but she just didn’t have any interest. So, he decided she wasn’t that special. The two had a truce in their shared paddock for another week… until the new Mama and Baby came.
My next idea was to put her in the same paddock with Mama and Baby – but outside their panels. I figured since Izzy is older and has had babies, she might be a comfort to the new and very young Mama.
Well, I was wrong again. Izzy definitely wanted to take the baby for herself. Both mares constantly pinned ears with each other – yet they stood near each other at all times. It made sense in that I think they would have been friends, if there wasn’t a baby involved.
I thought I could give it a week, but it was clear after three day… No dice. It wasn’t getting better. Izzy wanted the baby and the Mama didn’t want to give up the baby. Someone would get hurt if I put them together.
Oy.
This is Dalton responding the the skirmish that is happening between Mo, Missy Miss and Izzy. I had turned towards Dalton because I thought he was going to crash through the fence.
Here they are after a few days… some sort of understanding but not a love match
I tried putting her in with Dominic but that turned into a fight between the boys…
Here are Mama and Baby flexing next to the panel with Izzy on the outside. The mares were OK with each other, as long as Baby wasn’t around. If Baby came over, they started fighting. Izzy wanted that baby. I don’t blame Mama for being upset. –And here I thought Izzy would be a calming and motherly influence…
MY LAST IDEA.
For the entire season, I have not been able to put anyone in the pasture next to Finn/Mo/Missy Miss because they fight with everyone. They fought with Dalton, they fought with Dominic, they fought with Rocky… so the entire summer, that huge pasture was left – full of dry grass.
I decided to try putting Izzy in there because I knew she wasn’t a reactive mare and would probably just go deep into the paddock and not fight back – which she did.
So far, so good. No fighting.
Alas! A solution for the abandoned paddock!
Izzy won’t be rideable, but she will be a great mower. Win-Win!
Here she is, in the paddock between Finn’s trio and Dalton. I thought Mo and Missy Miss would still fight with her, like they did Dalton when I put him in there… but they are leaving her alone. Now she has 2 acres of uncharted territory (at least this year) that she can explore and eat. She could use the calories. Win-win!
NEW BUTTON. DIFFERENT FUND. LET’S DO THIS!
FUND TOTAL AS OF TODAY: $25 (Thank you!) We’ve saved POWDER PUFF 2/7/22 ($800), EDDIE 2/9/22 ($1200), SURSHA 3/16/22 ($780), BABY FRED 4/7/22 ($650), “CC” Close Call 5/17/22 ($550), PACIFICA 5/22/22 ($780), DONNA 7/25/22 ($600), MAXIMILLIAN 11/8/22 ($1300), “TJ” 1/8/23 ($1000), SWEETIE 1/8/23 ($700), MAMA and BABY 5/9/23 ($500), SHANGHAI 8/23/23 ($1200), VICTORIA AND PIXIE 10/8/23 ($1000)
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