Yee Haw!!
Well, not really - but Murphy and I got to play "trail drive" today. Our neighbors (G. & T.) - the folks who cut and bale our hay and are lending us their pony to babysit Murphy, etc. - had some cows to move from one field to another. They asked me if I'd like to come along! Of course I would!
Initially, they planned to move the cattle on New Year's Day - but it snowed too much. So today was the day. It was warm (50's) with winds of only 20-25mph (hey, this is Nebraska!). Luckily, Murphy doesn't seem to mind the wind, just the tumbleweeds under his belly.
G. arrived with the stock trailer and his horse in the front half. He opened the trailer door and I walked in, Murphy following right behind me - no problems. We drove the little way to the field where the cattle were and unloaded the horses. Suddenly Murphy was on alert!! I mounted up and rode in, to be greeted by about 30 bovines coming our way! I don't know much about cows, and Murphy was all excited for some reason (travel? wind? horse-eating-tumbleweeds? advancing cows?). I hopped off and waited for them to go by.
This is more or less what they looked like. They were mostly cows and big calves, with 3 bulls. One bull was pretty gentlemanly, but the other two butted heads and shoved each other during the entire drive! T. followed them out of the field, and then I hopped back onto my horse and fell in behind everyone.
We went across a couple of fields and down some steep road embankments and in the road - it was only about a mile and a half they said. Murphy did well, a little jiggy, but pretty obedient. Since I don't know much about the cow-driving thing, I just drove the middle and G. and T. headed off the cows who wanted to wander. Jake, the Jack Russel Terrier, helped a lot too.
Murphy got some nice compliments - they said he kept his eye on the cows good, and he wasn't too spooky! I was a little nervous (I haven't done a real ride since July, back in California), but I'm glad I got through this. He's a pretty well-trained horse, I just have to trust him more. And NO stumbles or owies the whole trip! I think his legs/feet/whatever have healed! So now I'm encouraged to keep it up (well, considering it's the middle of winter!)
