Horses In The Forest

Georgie Girl

Georgie Girl is the "boss mare" of our little horse herd. She had become the "boss mare" of the farm we bought her from, as soon as I let her go out with the other horses. She took over that herd on her own. She also bonded with Dark Shadow who is her half sister. Since Georgie Girl was a racehorse there, she was kept separate from the group of horses that were allowed to go out on the pasture. My buying her changed that.

Dark Shadow, Georgie & Tawny

In our tiny herd, Tawny is the low horse on the totem pole. She gets even with that position by attacking smaller animals than her. Like our dog, Nikita, our cat, Callie, who she attacked twice............and when we had my pet hen, Lil' Red, she almost killed her. So as sweet and cuddly she is when she is hugging on us, she has that "pony" attitude and shows how tough she really is. Now, the only cats that dare to go past her in the paddock is Hobo, who for some reason she leaves alone. Hobo spends a lot of time out in the paddock hunting, and that seems to be okay with Tawny. The stray tomcat who appears to live here too, though I can't get near him, walks through the paddock often, and none of the horses even look up.

Dark Shadow getting up

Dark Shadow is very spirited. Georgie and Tawny have calmed down with age. Not Dark Shadow. She seems to be not aging at all. If something or someone is in the woods or walking up the road, she either walks very quickly, or trots to the fence to get a closer look. She has always walked very fast. At the farm we bought her from, she would gallop right up to my husband standing out in the arena, and stop right in front of him. I think she liked doing that. He had no problem with it at that time. I think now, he'd be more careful, since he has aged since then himself.

Napping!

Living out here is very quiet for these girls. They don't pay attention to the vehicles driving by. Even four wheelers or snowmobiles. They are used to them. Hunters go by and sometimes fire off guns when in the woods. Doesn't seem to bother these girls at all. Now the only thing that actually gets their attention is stray dogs or cats, and of course, other horses riding by. When the state forest workers walk along the fence line marking the trees for logging, they pay attention to them. I think they are just very curious. Much like we are.

Jeff handing out apples!

My son has been taking care of them since he came to stay with us. He is feeding the girls and spending a lot of time with them. They are very trusting to lay down while he walks right up to them, petting them, giving them apples and talking to them. Horses don't usually stay down when someone is nearby. But our horses have been doing that for years with my husband and me. And now with my son. Must be this life out in the forest agrees with them.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole