Well, as I had posted in my Catch-up post, I was to be bringing my broodmare, Babe, home from summer pasture. Babe came home on the first of November and on Sunday she got to meet Argo. To say she was not impressed is an enormous understatement.
Babe is a grand old girl at the age of 16. She has given me some of my finest horses. She is a "No Fluff, No Muff", kind of mare, the perfect horse for me. Babe started out her younger years as a bareback bronc horse, traveling from Rodeo to Rodeo for several years, before coming to me at the age of 7, after being rehabbed by a dear friend. She has for the most part been the foundation of my breeding program. Believe it or not her sons and daughters do not share her love of throwing their rider and then trying to snuff the life out of them, hence why she was cut loose from the Rodeo string.
Babe is what every barn owner wants and desires in a herd leader. She has a commanding presence to her and is a wonderful mare for the other horses to look up to. She is fair in her dealings with squabbles, but will not spare punishment for those horses that need a good butt whooping. Just a flick of her ear and horses' stop and rethink what mischief they thought they were going to get into. Babe has also been a fantastic mother. She teaches her foals to respect her and humans, and puts a good willing mind on them as well. All of these traits made her the perfect choice to be a pasture mate for Argo during the winter months, while I continue to debate how and when to introduce Flash into the pasture with Argo.
Argo, once he saw Babe in the pasture was stoic in a sense. He basically wanted to see what she would do. Babe walked in, glanced at Argo and kept walking past him like he didn't even exist. I think if Argo could have, he would have shrugged his shoulders, as if to say "so what, she's a chick!" That was until she went to his hay, now you're messing with Argo's stomach, and he does not like to share. He marched right over there and told her off! Kind of. With a half hearted kick that he gave, he was quickly reduced to shrugging his shoulders again as Babe squealed and double barreled at him. Then as if she could care less about his hay, she walked off. Poor Argo…. Later in the day though the two of them were working out the hierarchy of a herd of two, Babe not allowing to be pushed and Argo willing to share his hay.
Babe has also happily shown him that the shed in his paddock is not an evil, Argo eating black hole, but a fine place to dine on what the food lady has lovingly placed out for breakfast.
Yes, Argo is pleased with himself, as Malarky and Flash seethed over the fact that he was seen smooching a girl.
