You have brought a lot of joy to a group of people who really do agree that Haflinger horses are just amazing in every way. Both those rascally individuals and those model citizens. (sometimes those rascals that stir things up can bring the most joy!)
Thank you for proving that not all throwing of s**t is bad, sometimes "we" can learn from it, if "we" are willing to really listen and learn. ;^)
Your Haffiefriend,
~Kiola~
Brier, WA
--- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, Norma Roddy <nroddy98@...> wrote:
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> Hello Haffie Friends,
> > It is officially COLD here in Memphis. Yesterday it reached a balmy 36 degrees and everyone was enjoying the heat wave by flooding the grocery and home improvement stores in preparation for the arctic freeze, and in general, getting in my way and slowing MY progress in trying to "winterize" my household. The forecasters have been predicting a blizzard for last night and this morning but little more than a frosting over the grass actually fell. However, the temperature is dropping drastically. It was 31 degrees when I woke up this morning and now the temps in my area are at 22 degrees with a wind chill of 15! But the worst is to come tonight and tomorrow...lows of 7 degrees and MAYBE making it up to 20 degrees during the day. Now that is COLD...at least for this neck of the woods. This probably sounds like a mild spring thaw to you northerners, but believe me....when these temps were predicted by the weather forecasters
> there was a run on freeze proofing products at Home Depot and Lowe's. Southerners take temperatures below 32 degrees very seriously. In fact, our local schools have cancelled classes today because of the extremely cold temperatures.....really! (All of you who live north of the Mason-Dixon Line may stop laughing now.)
> > Fortunately, our Haflingers have very heavy coats and seem to thrive in this frosty, albeit unusual, atmosphere. As a matter of fact, Nashville has just finally stopped breaking a sweat when he comes careening to the barn at feeding time.
> > And speaking of Nashville, my perpetually silly, but lovable gelding....he has discovered new ways to distract his mother and escape a good thrashing. On these very cold days his stomach growls even more ravenously, since he and Cappy finally polished off the large round bale last week. He is back to his one feeding in the evening, in which he gets a considerable amount of hay and it lasts him throughout the night and a good portion of the day. He is in no way STARVING, but what do I know? I'm just a stupid human and he is sure that he is famished and will surely die if not given some morsel to tide him over. I remain adamant about his feeding time and the amount given, so he is not a happy camper when I finally mosey out to the barn between 4:30 and 5PM.
> > A couple of evenings ago I was later than usual in their feeding as I decided to run some quick errands and then swing by the barn on my way home. It was already close to feeding time when I backed out of the drive. Nashville and Cappy stood in the front portion of the pasture watching, waiting to sprint to the barn and greet me at the gate by the time I pull in. However, I didn't roll the car window down and call to them as I usually do when I'm going straight to the barn....my signal that I'm NOT stopping. But hope springs eternal in little Haflinger hearts, so off they took, with many a gleeful buck and head slinging. I saw Nashville's baleful gaze as I drove by the barn waving at him. He was one TICKED OFF pony!
> > I returned shortly from my errands and this time pulled into the barn driveway. There stood two unhappy, cold, hungry horses. I was soon forgiven once I got the gate open and made my way treacherously to the barn. The frigid temps had frozen the once muddy ground and now I must cross a very rough, ankle-turning terrain. (I don't know what is worse...the icky mud or the cement like ground!) Anyway, being in a really foul mood by this time, Nashville chases poor Cappy away from the barn, as if it were his fault that his dinner has been kept waiting. We've been trying to work on Nashville's aggressive behavior toward Cappy at feeding time, but he just couldn't seem to control the ravenous demon that now erupted from him, driven by his rumbling, shriveled up stomach. Being unable to run after him and chase him even on one of my "good ankle days", I picked up the first thing I could find to "chunk" at him. It happened to be
> a frozen manure ball, hard as a rock and just as lethal. BULLS EYE! I was surprised, myself, at how deadly my aim was and the manure missile hit him squarely between the eyes and then shattered into a puff of dirt....or, more accurately, sh**! (I was actually aiming for his ample backside, which should give you a clue as to why I was never invited to play on any girls' softball teams in my youth.) The look on his face was priceless. He stopped, shook his head, looked at me with rather an element of surprise, and then he gave me one of his biggest, cheesiest grins I've ever seen him give. I thought maybe some of the manure had gotten into his nose, but it didn't appear to have made it's way down that far on his face. He continued to grin at me until I spoke to him and told him to "behave". He followed me meekly to his stall, completely forgetting about Cappy. Believe it or not, after teaching him to "grin" some months ago, he
> will grin at people to gain their attention if he feels he is being ignored. If you discipline him for something, up comes that upper lip in an attempt to distract you away from being too harsh with him. He hates getting into trouble, but such is his personality that he is the one who usually is being scolded for something.
> > I had a brother who employed these same diversionary tactics with our mother. He knew that if he could make our mother laugh, he would usually escape punishment altogether. Do I think Nashville is smart enough to use this same reasoning? ABSOLUTELY!
> > Tonight, Nashville was a model citizen. One cross look at Cappy elicited a growl from me and a sharp "Nashville!" Nashville serenely stepped into his stall without another glance toward Cappy. Guess he figures he's not taking any chances on what his mother might hurl at him next and it was WAY too cold to expose his teeth to the elements by grinning!
> >
> >Stay warm...
> >Norma
> >
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