Stall Rest Chronicles 18 Feb, Listening To Milton

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin]

Week 7 post surgery
Week 1 of paddock rest

One of the the daily activities around here is to give Rodney time out in the pasture. Fortunately (!!), he chooses to stay in sight of the barn and therefore in sight of Milton. Between this and being bribed with a flake of alfalfa in a slow-feeder haynet, Milton endures the abandonment.

Rodney generally wanders back in after an hour or so.

While he is out, I either do chores, or sit in the run-in area and read. Since the entire goal of the project is to keep an eye on Milton, I should sit were I can see him, right? However the most comfortable place to sit is leaning up against the wall of the stall. The one place I can’t see his fluffy gray butt.

I have discovered that while I can’t see Milton, I can hear him. Sitting on a stool and leaning against the stall wall means my ear is only a few feet from Milton’s snoot munching away on the other side of a plank of wood. Since he’s eating yummy alfalfa, the rhythmic chomping doesn’t stomp. Or it shouldn’t. If I does, I can stand up and make sure Milton isn’t stressing.

Sound. The underappreciated sense.

Onwards!
Katherine