WHEW!!! Horses out – and they’re NOT MINE!!!!!

Maybe I shouldn’t gloat, but for once it’s not my problem. I have terrible luck with deer taking down my fences, and I must admit to having occasionally left a gate open.

For a long time I was one of the only two places on the block with horses, so folks would automatically call me when they saw loose horses. Plus, my mare, Cynnamon, is a wanderer at heart. Anytime there would be a breakout, she was not content to just munch grass in the front yard – nooooo, she had to go on a vacation and drag everyone along with.

Many times Cynn would lead them down the block to visit the other horse(s), whereupon the owners would kindly feed the travelers hay and grain, and put them in a corral until I got home. Sometimes they would not even call me, since I automatically check their pens as I drive by, and once in a while I would just stop there, tie one horse to my truck bumper, lead another one out the window and the last [however many] would trot along behind. (Before you get excited here, this house is only about ½ mile from mine and we live on a country road with virtually no traffic). The neighborhood got pretty used to seeing my old scabby Dodge truck ponying several equines.

Back to the above kind neighbors, it was kind of a double edged sword – yes my horses were safe, and the people were very generous, but the horses got to thinking, “Hey, it's getting boring here at home. Let’s go down the street and have milk and cookies!” Funny in retrospect.

One time, the horses got out at night. I knew this because Zyggy is always the last one to know that an escape has been planned, and I am usually awakened by a frantic “Where IS everyone?” whinny as I hear one forlorn set of hoofbeats trotting down the road. At this time I had 3 horses – Zyg, Cynnamon and Sparkle (Zyg’s little sister). Okay..... old hat here, I stumble out to the barn sans flashlight, drag out a couple lead ropes and a bucket of grain (not always needed but can come in handy). Walk down the road to the corner. Neighbors have a zillion dogs out back all barking and raising hell, but they must know what is up because they don’t even bother to come to the door, they know I’ll get it taken care of ASAP. I can find my way around in the dark here.

I go up and softly call out, and here comes Zyggy, rather abashed at being taken in (again) by his mother’s scheme. She crowds up right behind him, pretending that nothing is amiss, and where the heck is her treat, thank you very much? Hmmm, I can’t find Sparky. Remember, it’s pitch dark and I’m looking for a black horse with a star. I feel around and finally locate her....in the round pen? How did she get in there when the others are just hanging out in the backyard? Maybe she got out first and the others came after her later...that’s not her usual modus operandi, but who can say?

I shrug and open the gate. She sticks her head in the halter as if to say, “Sorry Mom, I’m ready to go home”. I lead them all back down the road. I get about halfway home, and suddenly there are FOUR horses in my train. WTF????

Sparky trots out ahead of the group.... so who is at the other end of my lead rope?!?!?!?! I look, it’s a black mare with a star....? They don’t have a black horse....did they get a new one? Talk about embarassing.... yet thank the powers that be... NOBODY SAW ME. I marched right back to the neighbors house and deposited said horse back in the round pen. We then crept back home. What is so wierd is that she was so ready to go home with me, and none of my horses even gave her a second thought.

There are a few more good chuckles here but I’ll save them for later. To get on with today’s story, I was sitting at my computer and my cell phone rang. I don’t answer it if I don’t recognize the number, I’d rather screen my calls via voice mail. By the time I check the mail, there’s 2 frantic messages. The first one is from my ex-next-door neighbor. They sold their dairy farm, moved ½ mile down the road, and built a very nice home with nice landscaping. The first message is Linda screaming into the phone, “Laura, I think your horses are out, there’s four of them and they’re tearing up my nice yard and they’ve trampled my husband’s garden to bits! You have to come RIGHT NOW and get them out!” On and on in this vein.

My heart SANK....eeeuuuuuwwww...... this is gonna hurt. My horses don’t make a habit out of being destructive, but if spooked they could do some landscape damage for sure. I try to call Linda back but can’t connect, as she is apparently leaving another message at the same time. I rush out to my car and figure I’ll just have to call my boss from the road, as I live almost 30 miles away from work. As I try to call again, somehow I end up with my voice mail instead, and I’m talking to it thinking it is my neighbor...... she then says that there are 2 sorrels (light brown) , one bay (dark brown)and a palomino (yell0w). HOLD ON – I have 2 paints (white and brown), a black and a palomino!!! Thinking fast about the 3 other families that now have horses on my street... one has 1 bay. One has 1 paint and 1 Palomino. 1 has one palomino only. One has about 10 mostly paints and greys.

So we finally connect voice-to-voice, and she apologizes for the screaming but says she is VERY upset and now is late for work. I tell her they are not mine – she says she *thought I had paints but thought maybe I was boarding some others? I reassure her that I am not at all upset that she called me, and we both try to figure out where the strays came from. But you have NO IDEA how happy I am that they are NOT MINE!!!! Yippeee!!!