NOVEMBER 2009
ALL TIED UP FOR THE HOLIDAY

First let me start by telling you I just LOVE Walsh halters. Recently purchased a new Walsh turn out halter for Doc. Got the one with all the adjustments, ie: headstall, cheek and chin. The price is a little more; but well worth it. They look great, fit well, and wear like iron.

Now the story:

Earlier this week Trina was following her usual ritual of taking the horses out to pasture. She owns Dazzle (Thoroughbred) and has been coming along nicely with his training. That horse has the most beautiful collected canter.

Anyhow.... Trina arrived at the paddocks at her usualy a.m. time to find Doc waiting patiently at the gate for her to come get him. He and Daz march out together on either side of Trina. Stable mates, they are buddies and both know their manners. Trina has been around horses all her life and does not tolerate any nonscense. Going out to pasture each morning is something the boys look forward to so much so that this particular morn Mr. Doccie could not control himself. There he stood patiently waiting at the gait as Trina haltered up Daz. The suspense was just to much for him to bare....waiting, waiting, waiting. By the time Trina arrived with Daz in hand to get Doc the excitement had esculated to: "WHOO HOOOOOO! " With that Doc gave his exhuberant squeal of delight, jumped straight up in the air and came down bucking. Off he ran round his paddock just so happy to be alive. Trina on the other hand was not whoo hoooing. She called to Doc to no avail. His "happy to be alive" antics had taken over and no way was he ready to come to the gate.

So......Trina left Doc's new Walsh red turnout halter on the fence post of his paddock and proceeded to walk Daz out alone. She figured by the time she walked back, Doc would have figured out he missed the boat and be waiting. She was not about to go chase happy horse around his paddock. And...... she was right abut the "waiting" part..............
The walk to the paddock is about two blocks away and around the corner. Once you have reached a certain point you cannot see the paddock area. Unbeknownst to Trina "someone" was working on getting into trouble back at the paddock.

That halter hanging on the fence post. " Hmmmmm.....whats that there for? Let me take a better look see. Hmmmm......no one EVER leaves anything on MY fence." (wonder why)
Doccie proceeded to lip that halter and pull it up off the post. As he pulled it, the lead which was attached to it; wedged itself between the gate and the fence, jamming the knot at the end of the lead. Doccie tried to leave with his prize to find he was attached to the halter that was attached to the lead that was attached to the fence. At which point he dropped the halter. (or so we think). Beautiful red new Walsh halter now on ground with horsey pawing at it. :(

Yes...there's more. Now mind you Trina is only gone five minutes and now on the way back to get Doc. When she arrived back at his paddock she was shocked to find horsey all tied up! He had apparently pawed and pulled at the halter in an attempt to run off with it and got his front foot stuck. Once stuck he must have tried to unstuck himself and got his SECOND front foot stuck. Now he must have turned and WRAPPED the remainder of the halter around his legs. He was hobbled together with his feet wrapped tightly in halter and attached to the fence. :@ Trina remained calm and feared horsey would freak and break a leg or at the very least pull a tendon. How in HELL did he do that? Her first instinct was to open the fence and release the lead. No go. It was wedged so tight that the chains that secure the gate could not be opened. Then she thought to cut the lead. Needed a knife. She was concerned about leaving horsey standing stuck alone for the time it would take to get a knife. Time was of the essense. Trina decided to climib under the fence and proceeded to unbuckle all those Walsh buckles on that halter. One by one she started to release and unwrap the halter from Doc's legs. He stood quietly watching, not moving an inch. He knew. Trina was there to help him.

When I arrived at the stalble later in the day, Trina was there to greet me with: "Your horse amazed me." She proceeded to tell me the above story and how calm Doc remained. Thankfully no one was hurt.

Trina had a "Meet the Morgan" experience