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11/04/2002: "I’m NOT Making This Up - HONEST!"
Where to begin? Perhaps with yesterday afternoon… A little explanation first. We tend to separate the poop from the pee when we muck the stalls because our spreader is small and gets filled up very quickly, especially in the winter. Not to mention the fact that there are spells of snow in the winter when we can’t get it out at all and have to compost the stuff for spreading later.
Actually, neither Indy nor Ami normally poop in the stalls anyway. Most of the time, Indy doesn’t even pee in his shavings unless the weather is very bad. (Is there no end to the ways this body is JUST LIKE DJ?) So, I pick up what poop they put in their paddocks and put it in the spreader. I muck the wet shavings and spread them on the spots around the paddocks that tend to get sloppy and/or slippery.
Back to yesterday. Indy and Ami were hanging around while I was cleaning up. I brought the muck bucket - about one third filled with shavings - out and set it down to pet them before I spread it around. I use those muck buckets with the rope handles, and Indy has shown “interest” in these before - to the point of actually picking them up. He picked this one up, and, since we were outside the barn and there was only a small amount of shavings, I decided to leave him alone and see what he would do. These are the times you would sell your SOUL for a camera.
Indy carried the bucket out into the paddock and started swinging it around. When Ami stepped on out to see what the heck was going on, he started chasing her with it, trying to bump her in the butt! They went trotting around the paddock with Indy swinging the muck bucket at Ami’s rear. The look on her face was indescribable - I wouldn’t even TRY. Meanwhile, I was SHRIEKING with laughter. I’m sure I’ve never laughed harder in my life. A camera! A camera! My kingdom for a CAMERA!
Then there are the gates. Indy doesn’t want to go anywhere; he just wants to understand how EVERYTHING works. More than once, he has had his lips on my hands as I open and/or close the latch - obviously trying to learn the technique. If you don’t believe that’s what he has in mind - you don’t know Indy. The other day, he put his head over the top of the gate and tried to pull it open! And I thought DJ was nosey!!!!! Indy, Indy, Indy…
One thing’s for SURE - If I’m feeling down, all I have to do is go to the barn and watch Mr. Indy do his stuff. He’s pure gold in more ways than just his gleaming coat.
