I realized just now that I forgot to post this photo of our Christmas celebration. We cooked our dinner, then loaded it into a crock pot and went to the barn. We brought Galahad in and let him just wander around the barn with us.
It was quite a special dinner. Galahad was cheerful, hungry of course, but curious and friendly. He had beet pulp in his stall, and lots of hay, while we ate. It was pretty cold in the barn, and we didn’t stay too long.
When we got ready to head for home, Galahad didn't want to leave. He was more interested in hanging out with us (and maybe getting another handout, of course) than in going back out to be with the other horses.
Eventually we coaxed him out into the pasture, then walked with him down to the creek. He was playful, trying to herd us around or get us to run with him. After his drink, we all walked back toward the round bale hay feeder. I gently pitched a snowball at him, but he didn’t like that game and trotted off. Then my friend said, “Run toward me and see what he does.” I did, flailing my arms playfully, as though I were scared. Galahad started to trot in our direction.
I never would have expected what happened next: Nemo and Gracie, two of his pasturemates, had also wandered down to get a drink. They looked up and saw Galahad headed toward us. All of a sudden, they came charging up from the creek at full gallop, ears pinned back, straight at Galahad. He just looked at them for a minute, apparently surprised, and when they got close, he turned and trotted away at a pretty good clip. Honestly, it seemed that the two other horses were protecting us from him. Did they interpret my mock fear as the real thing, and take action? Stranger things have happened in my dealings with horses!
We were surprised, to say the least. Galahad didn’t seem upset when the mares put him in his place. But how strange!
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