The friends

Sonny's back!

I've missed his sweet old man face. Banana is acting like she thinks he should be the model for the cover of 50 Bales of Hay.

Conversation from earlier:

Me: Vet, I think Banana might have ulcers.

Vet: I think Banana is giving you ulcers.

Banana's pacing is driving me nuts. Hence, Sonny coming, to see if his company might be more sufficient to her needs than Penny's. Right now I want to yell at the two of them to get a room, but that's far better than pacing.

Sonny Sunning

Sonny's mom took him home for the winter yesterday. Before he got on the trailer he gave me the slobberiest nuzzle on my cheek. I really enjoyed having him here this summer, but I know his mom is glad to have him home. He may wish he were still here since now he's back with 3 mules and Curly Boy. Living with Condi and Penny was probably much more peaceful.

Condi (and evidence I really need to kill the weeds in my arena)

First I have to convince him it's okay if I get on. Today he had Sonny to give him moral support.

Then the first few minutes he's pretty darn tense, but he calms down.

Today we had a shadow

And after I was done with him he stood in the arena and scratched his belly on the weeds

Can I rest my chin on you?

Condi is a little lazy....

Grooming

More Old Men Pictures

They're just so damn cute.

Adorable and Awesome

Yes, a 26 year old and a 28 year old still enjoy running around a pasture

Old Man Retired Dressage Horse Summer Camp

When I woke up this morning I had no idea I was going to have horses in my barn tonight. Yes, it was going to happen someday soon, but today? Surprise.

Thinking ahead to Penny's happiness, I made arrangements to have two retired horses come live on my property this summer. They can both be out on grass 24/7 and I have plenty of grass. One is Condi, who I've been riding on occasion down at Working Student Land. The other belongs to my vet, who happens to live not a mile away from me. Both are retired dressage horses. Both their owners have to feed them hay year round due to not having awesome pasture. So, I get friends for Penny that I don't have to pay to feed, since my grass is free. And, I really love Old Man horses. There's something about their faces.

Getting Condi up here was proving to be an issue, due to busy schedules. Today I called the vet, letting her know it could be two weeks. She said, "Funny you should call. I just had all my afternoon appts cancel, so we could go get him right now." Long story short, an hour later we were on our way. We went and got Condi, requiring some horse rearranging down there so his buddy could be close to some other peripheral friends, including Penny as they used to live together elsewhere.

We stopped off and picked up Sonny, leaving his two mule friends bereft without him. Sonny and Condi were instant friends. Weird place with just the two of them helped, but even under those conditions it wasn't necessarily a given.

I have to ease them onto the grass, so it'll be a bit before they can be loose. I can't wait. Old man horses enjoying grass with a beautiful view? awesome.

Sonny on the left, Condi on the right.