Dysfunctional Equine Relations

Right, I go to feed the horses tonight. I forget to turn on the barn light, which in winter is their supper bell. I whistle the horses up instead. They don't come. Get to the barn, turn on the light, and whistle. Galloping ensues. Mickey Joe trots up nicely on her side of the pasture. Hers is separate from Jack and Seeker's pasture because MJ is given to founder, that is she will eat herself to death, so smaller pasture. All good. Hay for MJ, no worries.

Galloping continues, and Jack all but body checks Seeker, heads up the hill to me and the barn at a dead run, stops dramatically as you have often horses do in westerns, and turns to, I am not kidding, guard the barn. Seeker gallops off into the dark. I recriminate Jack while also pitching him some hay in the barn. Jack doesn't so much as look at it, no. He's staring off into the dark with his ears back.

Yes, you're right, no one actually rides Jack. He's retired for reasons of personality.

So, I walk over to Jack and nudge him in the direction of the hay, patiently explaining that there's lots of it, and it's just as good, the same bale in fact, as the hay Seeker is about to get. He looks at it, at me, and stands his ground. I go back to the hay room, fork up another serving, and walk outside the barn to the spot by the trough where Seeker likes to eat -- where he can easily run away from Jack.

Jack saunters over and chows down on Seeker's hay. I walk about half way down the hill and whistle for Seeker. Jack, being Jack, trots meaningfully past me to the bottom of the hill and glares meaningfully out into the dark. I whistle for Seeker and call him, and Jack comes back up to resume his post, now guarding all the hay. Meanwhile, MJ is over on her side of the fence, content with her dinner.

So, I go back in the barn and move Jack's hay out and around the far corner of barn where there is no way he can both guard his pile and run Seeker off of the other. Whistle. Nothing. Seeker will have none of it.

Turn to close up, and Jack, I swear, gave me the evil eye.