Quiet

Sunday around noon I drove out to the barn to check on Asia's leg. Jenny had called late Saturday to say that she'd noticed that Asia was walking slowly, so on investigating, she found a small cut on her leg. When I went out Sunday, I noticed slight swelling in the cannon bone, but Asia was moving well, so I'm just keeping an eye on it.

But what I really noticed when I got there was Dead Horse Syndrome, which is common in winter when the sun is out and the temps are cool but not cold. India, Pony Pie and Choo Choo were stretched out on their sides, heads down flat, dead to the world for all appearances, while standing and dozing around them were the others, Asia, Wendy, Filena, Paloma, Stella, Tina, and who am I leaving out? Probably someone. No one moved as I drove up, went into the barn for Asia's leather halter, and walked out to where they all were, which was fortunately not too far from the gate to the upper pasture. They'd all enjoyed morning hay and were now dozing.

When I was about thirty feet away, ChooChoo jumped up, reanimated, but not a zombie!horse. Obviously they were all alive, just enjoying a deep snooze. When I was about ten feet away, Pony Pie sat up, rocked onto his chest, but didn't jump up to all fours until I was just a few feet away, but India? The Princess of the Universe opened her eye to look at me, but didn't take her head off the ground. Oh no, she knows her place in the grand scheme of things, which is royalty and I am her minion. I walked over, squatted at her head and rubbed her pretty star and wished that I'd brought my camera. After about a minute I left India still flat out in DHS and walked over to Asia and put her halter on, but unsnapped the lead when I didn't see a horrid wound that required immediate attention. (I knew there wouldn't be one for Jenny would have told me if there was.) Asia decided to amble over to the hay rack and I watched her walk. She's sound, so I went back to India and rubbed her head again. After a minute, she decided that she needed to roll and she had a good rub on her left side, gave a good effort and rolled over to her right (that's quality horse right there, don't you know it? ;) and then rubbed her right side until it felt fine and then heaved herself to her feet. Once up, she and I stood side-by-side for twenty minutes, me scritching her withers and she blowing softly in my face and we just were, standing there in the winter sun enjoying each other.