OK so, I didn’t get any pictures.   I didn’t have my phone.  In fact, I wasn’t even awake, really.  I was physically upright, but my eyes were at half mast and I was still shuffling along in my jammies WHEN – I walked outside to feed this morning around 5:30 am.

IMMEDIATELY, I knew something was wrong because there were 3 horses in front of me, staring me down (and one was HUGE ) – where there should have only been one tiny mustang.

HOLY CRAP!  What did they do with Dalton?!  I couldn’t see him.  I realized that gigantic Annie, little Missy Miss and devilish Mo were all in Dalton’s pasture, but there was no Dalton.

My eyes scanned the boards for the break in the fence.

Wha?  No break.  All the boards were up.  Huh?

Then my eyes trained on the gates… (heart racing now) WHERE was the break?!!!  Aha!  Dalton’s gate was opened.  Not broken… OPENED. (Eyes darting around now, begging to see an upright Dalton…)

OK, I’ll deal with that later.  First, where is Dalton?!

Heart racing as I stumble run along the fenceline.

I FOUND HIM, upright and fine, in Annie/Missy Miss and Mo’s pen.  They had switched pens.  A, MM and M were in Dalton’s pen and Dalton was in their pen.  The gates to the big field were open in both pens.

My guess is that Mo or Dalton figured out how to open the chain on Dalton’s back gate.  And the switcheroo happened.

Interestingly, Dalton didn’t mix with them.  He just switched.

THE FIX

Alas, I have no pictures…  but my first step was to put hay out for Finn, BG, Wrigley and Gwen so that they would settle down from all of the shenannigans that were going on that they weren’t a part of – but wanted to be.

Then, I put Norma and Dodger into the catch pen in their paddock with some hay.  (They were not happy about that.)

Next, I haltered Dalton and put him in Norma and Dodger’s paddock.

After that, I opened the adjoining gate between Dalton’s paddock and the trio’s own paddock – and put out hay.  They all went back into their own paddock and assumed their regular eating positions.

Phew.

OK, now I closed that adjoining gate and opened the adjoining gate from Norma and Dodgers paddock into Dalton’s paddock to let Dalton in to eat his hay in his own paddock – which he did.

Silly me, however… I let Dodger and Norma out before I remembered to close the adjoining gate, so Norma, of course, went into Dalton’s paddock.   Luckily, he was eating and paid her no mind.

I ran into that paddock, made sure to shut the gate to the big pasture (that they had opened with their little, nimble lips) and closed it with a sturdy clip.

Then, I got Norma by the flymask and pulled her back into her pen with Dodger.

Phew.  Then I closed that adjoining gate.

Everything back to Defcon 1 again.

And all this before my coffee.

Needless to say, I kinda looked messy when I showed up to work, but I made it on time.

And, when I got back home, everyone was where they were supposed to be.

Thank horsegods for catchpens and good natured horses.

AUGUST BUCKET FUND for Dorothy and Willie!  Both horses are in severe need of nutrition and medical aid.  Dorothy was eating sand, she was so hungry.  Willie has strep from the horrid feedlot.  You can read their story here.  All donations are 100% tax deductible!  Click here to donate!