July 24, 2008

Billie leads like a pro in her small pen. This evening, I was pulling up rocks in the round pen, getting it ready for Billie to investigate. An especially large rock would not come out with my meager tools, so I opted to leave it in place and tucked the dirt back around it.

Elizabeth came out with me just in case I needed another set of hands. I had no idea what would happen once Billie made her way into the round pen.

While Billie was distracted eating some hay, I opened the gate that connects the two pens. It didn't take long for her to notice the gap and start investigating. She made her way through, and I made my way back out, not knowing what sort of shenanigans were in store. Mostly, it was pretty boring. She pulled and ate grass as though she's not had any in MONTHS...oh...yeah...all she's had is hay. She covered the ground like a search team, working her way back and forth, left and right. Every time I thought I saw her getting ready to let it rip, it seemed a new piece of green green grass caught her attention. She would start to step over the patch, back up, grab the patch, and then continue her search. Pretty funny.

Night was descending, and I didn't want to be chasing her around in the dark, so I went back inside the pen while Elizabeth held the gate wide open. It was pretty un-exciting. Billie kept eating (I know, I should have made her pay attention), and so I started tapping the ground with my whip, slow and rhythmically. This got her to saunter in the general direction I wanted, as she continued to pull what little grass is in this pen. After a couple more minutes, it was as though she knew something was up. Her head came up, and she made as if to wheel toward me, so I shook the whip her way, and she went through the gate, by accident I think. I closed the gate behind her.

Here's where it gets really amusing: As soon as the gate was latched, she turned back my way and tried to poke her head through the panel as if to say, "Hey, wait a minute...How did THAT happen?!?!" She set to tossing her head and pretending like she was going to tear around her tiny pen. She sure seemed disappointed to be back on that side of the gate! When I picked everything up and started to head back to the house, she did her baby-buck routine. She's a fiesty little girl.

Tomorrow evening, I'll let her out into the round pen when there is more daylight left. Depending on how she seems, I may go inside and hang out while she's hanging out. Hopefully, on Sunday AM I can start some round penning exercises...we'll see.....