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| Some of the Yearlings |
It was an extremely cold December evening. I had
put the ewes out in the back paddock while I prepared their area of
the barn for the night. Suddenly the sound of little hooves on icy
ground caught my attention. I looked out over the dutch doors to see
that my girls had divided into two groups along the opposite fence
lines of the paddock. They were all taking turns prancing and dancing
across the front of the paddock, as if they were on a stage.
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| Nefertiti |
I had looked out just in time to see Nefertiti skip across from left
to right. Her long copper locks turning fiery as she caught the light
of the setting sun. Then it was Pocahontas’s turn. She danced
across with sideways steps from right to left, her oatmeal colored
fleece also glowing in the sun’s ruddy light. As she joined the
group on the West side Nanci Drew took her cue and dashed to the
right , spinning in circles as she went. One by one the girls took
turns ‘dancing’ back and forth from side to side. Meanwhile, the
others on the sidelines seemed to cheer them on. Finally Andromeda
took her turn, prancing across sideways keeping her face presented
toward the front, so that the astonishing five pointed star on her
forehead looked like a stage-prop.
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| Andromeda |
Then all at once the yearling ewes all dashed to the middle of the
paddock forming a circle nose to nose like spokes on a wagon wheel.
They all started spronging together, jumping higher and higher as if
challenging each other, “Look at me,” “No look at me, I can go
higher.” “ No I am going higher!” Finally Scheherazade
bedazzled them all jumping so high that her jet black body was
totally silhouetted against the white snowy background, as she kicked
out her heals behind her. That must have been the finally, because
they then all rushed to the gate demanding dinner. By now twilight
had fallen, and the temperature had dropped to -4 degrees. I
retreated to the house to warm up and start our own dinner.
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| Scheherazade |
Sometimes you have to be there at just the right time to catch some
Barn Magic.
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