This is my great big mud puppy.
Here in New Mexico we’re finally getting our much anticipated monsoon rains. I thought they might never come as we expect them in July and August, not usually as late as September. It’s been so dry here, though, that we’ll take whatever moisture we can get.
My mare Baby Doll has been back home, for over a week, from her two month stint on the several hundred acres of pasture we were leasing from a neighbor. I’m happy to have her home again, even though I’ve noticed some behavioral changes in her.
By the way, is my horse the only one that seems to actually prefer standing out in the rain, instead of heading to her nice, dry stall in the barn?
I don’t like to keep Baby Doll locked up in her stall and pen all the time, not even at night. I like to see her walking and moving freely, so I tend to keep her in the smaller paddock or I open up both the smaller paddock to the larger pasture (approx an acre and a half) so she can have access to both areas.
She also has access to her stall and pen in the barn, which she’ll rarely go into unless there is food in there, she wants to take a nap, or she knows I want to groom her. But unless it is raining buckets, blowing hail or snowing hard, Baby Doll prefers to stand outside in any weather.
And why is it that, at the first sign of mud, most horses morph into big hairy hippos and have to go roll in the muck?
(Who me?)
Well, after some quick currying and a few swipes of the brush, I can say that at least she cleans up good.
From the Tower of,
26 comments :
Most of mine are that way...If it's really down pouring they might get under shelter but for the most part they enjoy it!
I love how clean you got her LOL!!! She's beautiful!
Lisa, mine are the same way. They don't have a barn, but they do have a run-in shed, which they never use. Sometimes they'll back into the cedar trees if it's cold and windy, but mostly they just stand out there.
Baby Doll looks good. So what kind of behavioral changes have you noticed?
She is very pretty all cleaned up - but then I like muddy horses too (as long as I'm not the one that has to clean them!)!
Welcome home, Baby Doll. Mine go in the barn when the flies are bad and that's about it.
The bad thing about having a paint horse is that any white they have shows all the dirt, my one that has more white than anything shows every ounce of dirt possible!! But she will roll in the mud one day and look like a mud puppy then the next she is back to being white again!! They are sooo funny, I think if it is hot out that they love the cool rain coming down on them to cool them off! have a good day.
Baby Doll does clean up good! I remember the two paints I used to have, they were always covered in mud too. Now I have Gilly who is a bay so the dirt doesn't show so much! LOL But he loves mud too as does Pokey!
Good shots of your beautiful girl, mud and all! :-)
~Jane
Mine stay out in all kinds of weather too. And roll in the nastiest, smelliest, stickiest stuff they can find. At least their some shade of brown - hides the dirt!! She looks good after being in her summer haven.
She sure does clean up GOOD!
She is gorgeous - she and my Billy look so much alike! Everyone of our horses turn in to those big hippos you mention, usually right after a good grooming or shower. Seems they prefer to be dirty, LOL. My boys though throw a fit to come in at the first raindrop - you would think I was torturing them...the girls would much rather be out though.
Awww, I'm glad you have her home! And she certainly cleans up good.
I've noticed that our little herd prefer to stand out in the weather too. Nevermind that they have a nice, long loafing shed to get under.
Awww, I'm glad you have her home! And she certainly cleans up good.
I've noticed that our little herd prefer to stand out in the weather too. Nevermind that they have a nice, long loafing shed to get under.
Indigo prefers being outside. I purposely put straw outside the door of her calf barn and she sleeps on it more than she does inside. I come out at about 10 pm in the winter when it's storming and shes standing there with an inch of snow on her back and the rest of the horses are tucked away in the sheds. She is also made of teflon. She rolls in the mud and once it's dry it just flicks right off. She has the softest coat ever.
Ha, she does clean up good! I would've thought in the clean pic maybe she got a bath - my compliments on your grooming skills.
We'd bathe our two Paint girls and they'd head straight for the dirt and roll in it. Before a ride, we'd wash 'em, then tie 'em up to dry so they'd be clean and we wouldn't be embarrassed on the trails.
When I was a much younger person than I am now, my sister had a retired cow pony, a Quarterhorse named 'Loki.' He didn't live up to his name; He was as steady and reliable as a brick wall, and the only thing that ever made him flinch were the little signs that hang on electric fences, warning of their nature.
Loki would stand out in the weather, and watch all the other neighborhood horses act like fools - He couldn't be bothered to flip out over small things like snow, hail, rain, or lightning & thunder. He saved all his energy for staying away from electric fences, and barrel racing. He'd only head in to shelter when led, fed, or when weather approached what mere mortals might call 'apocalyptic.'
Yes - she's still very beautiful under that coat of mud! You mentioned behavioral changes - good or bad?
Hugs to you both,
Nancy in Iowa
she is a mess isn't she...lol
Oh Star is the same way, she is the nastiest grosses horse ever...
if there is mud, poo or pee, shes rolling in it.
I'll never have a white horse again!!
I am soo glad she is home now! I bet she does miss that grand turnout with horse friends though. mine has enjoyed her time off and has gotten some better behaviour from the time down, I have noticed. How about BD? you mentioned some changes...maybe she liked the time out and wants even more?
well the pics angles were cool and she looked mildly amasued. Wow!elbow greese...awesome cleanup!
I have realxed on mine...since I am not in a stable where she needs to impress anymore..she just needs the right spots clean- for tack and leggings-as she hates to be brushed so..she likes my new lax grooming!
Looking forward to seeing more of you tow together maybe huh?!
"New perspectives and no pressures"...are my motto with the Wa mare. I know most of our sour issues and her tendancies so..go-with-the-flow is my road of travel.
Love ya's Liss!
Kac
Our horses do the same thing even though they have stalls they can go into. My only two guesses are it feels good and they don't like the sound of the rain on the stall roof.
Dan
Lily likes to come in out of the rain. She's sensible that way.
Don't know about Cibolo yet...
I'd imagine BD doesn't like to be away from her young gelding. :)
Horses were made to live outside! They are more comfortable at temps/conditions that make us run for shelter :)
And wow does BD ever clean up nice. None of the horses that I've had with any major white clean up that easily.
My 2 horses love their barn!! I mean they stand outside in the rain, but they usually do go inside. Brandy is pretty sensitive to cold raindrops. She'll start to shiver so she always goes inside. Now, my sisters boy, he never goes inside. We could be having the worst downpour and he is standing outside in it!
BD really cleaned up well!! You did a great job. I can never seem to get all the mud and dirt off of mine!!
Stylin will run to shelter when it rains hard, but does love to roll in the mud. Dixie will stand out in the pouring rain....
Baby Doll sure does clean up nicely. I'm riding in the morning and will probably hose my horse off instead of spending an hour trying to brush the dirt out.
Somehow the white horses get the dirtiest!! LOL!! My light colored palomino filly is always "green". LOL!! She did clean up really well. You must have been a bit dusty after all that dirt!!
Lisa, have you ever tried EZE All? I have seen that on TV and watched Dennis Reis use it at the clinic. I have to get some and try it on Gil and Pokey!
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