Predicting Mission Success, Morning Walk Stories

Words of the outside world. Merriam-Webster: Is it ‘St. Patty’s Day’ or ‘St. Paddy’s Day’?.

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At the morning pasture walk, both horses now walk at liberty. Halters on. No leadropes. Of course, this means they have the ability to vote no. We have gotten good at predicting when that is likely to happen.

Milton, is motivated by food. No surprise. One morning the horses got a pre-walk snack. When we started the walk, Milton still had a bite left. There was still. hay. to be. eaten. Milton never let it go. On the first lap, he walked to the far corner, turned around, and marched right back to the barn. No flair, just purpose. Rodney and I did a second lap while Milton was fetched. Third lap Milton attempted – came close – to blowing past the barn-side cookie stop.

Usually Milton chugs along and Rodney is the one who brings the drama. Before you credit Milton with too much of an angelic nature, when I was injured, Milton was the one who put his hind feet in the air and said, We don’t have to listen to you. That’s Milton’s MO. He’s flawless. Then the lid blows off the kettle.

“No one seeing Milton that day would believe until that moment, we HAD an easy horse.” [I am not back. This is not a post., Milton The Driving Horse]

Sigh.

Anyway.

Rodney on the other hoof, reacts to weather. A common pattern around here is to be too warm for blankets at dinner and then have the temps drop over night. It is cold by morning.

“Rodney would very much like someone come out in the middle of the night to dress him suitably.” [Rodney Lives With His Life Choices]

In the morning, they get sweatshirts for the walk. [New Equipment]

Rodney starts off walking calmly. By about the third lap, he starts trotting ahead, or hopping, or flinging his feet. If he’s going to run home, it’s usually around then. His latest trick is to take a hard left (or right, depending on direction of travel) up the hill and swing around to the barn, bypassing near side stopping/cookie point. He is still cold from the night? He is starting to thaw? No idea.

Onwards!
Katherine