Mustang Saga

Tonka didn't poop all day yesterday, but in the night his digestion got going again.  I opted not to sleep in the barn because I was so exhausted, but I got up and checked him at 1:30 and 5:30 and both times found a  pile of poop.  Hallelujah!  He was also demanding food and looking much more alert.  This morning he seems pretty dull, but not the head-hanging, miserable creature he was yesterday.  And he is drinking and eating.  He especially likes eating grass while I hose his leg.  I think it's hard for him to go from pasture to dry hay so suddenly.  It just doesn't taste as good.

Some photos from what should have been a fun trip.

The welcoming committee - "Moo!"

The boys settling in to their corral.

Ready for a blue moon ride:

Lovely, but I barely got to see it:

Tonka was terrified, (turns out there was a bear nearby), and we went through a meadow filled with critter holes, and he fell down twice, not watching where he was going.  The first time was very spectacular and I was proud of myself for staying on, but he hurt me pretty bad.  I was having shooting pains in my pelvis and wasn't sure there wasn't real damage, but I rode on, hoping to "ride it off."  And I couldn't walk out there in that bumpy ground, my knee was already pretty screwed up and now this.  Then he fell again, but not so bad, and was about ready to lose his cool, so we went back.  I did have to walk part of it.  BUT he did do an awesome job getting me across the water on the way out and on the way back, in the dark, in a place he's never been.  I checked him over really well when we got back, worried those falls had caused tendon damage.  No problem there though.

This was a pretty dawn picture but the colors just didn't come out well here:

I zoomed in on the above picture, and you can see the spot (but not the actual incident) where Tonka got hung in the fence the next morning, to the right of the black horse's butt.  You might have to click to enlarge.  The green gate there.  His right front was stuck at the top, head was to the left, and all four feet in the air next to the gate, and kicking through the gate when he struggled, which thankfully he didn't do much.  Horriffic.  I'm so glad I'm starting to get some distance from the actual incident, and seeing my horse doing so well helps ease the horror.

 

Scout, being cute in the dawn light:

  

He still has such a babyish expression.

Blue, looking like a disreputable character.  The dogs had a blast.

This was Tonka yesterday, head hanging in misery.

Doesn't look like much, does it? 

 It does look crooked, partially because of bad camera angle, but partially because he has crooked legs.  It's not part of the injury.  He has other scrapes and a small cut, but nothing major.

This is Tonka this morning, head hanging only because he is eating.  He is much more perky, but still not quite himself.  And there's his wonderful poop!  I can't tell you how happy I was to see that.

This beautiful flower sprang forth from a pile of crap, all by itself with no help from me.  Isn't the color just amazing?  Isn't life just amazing?