For the past few months, my mini, Chocolate, has become an escape artist. It is not unusual to see her wondering around our 25 acre farm (which, incidentally, borders a 100 acre reservoir). If she hears my car coming up the driveway, she will often meet me when I park to see if I have a treat for her. The paddock area is the only place that I can contain her and that is where I put her when I take my horse out for a ride.
This past Sunday I loaded my mare and headed out to meet my riding partner. We planned on being out for a few hours ride and the trail I headed to was about an hour from the farm. We were out on the trail for an hour when I got a text from my wife telling me that Chocolate was safe and over at my friend John’s farm. This, of course, initiated a phone call. Seems that Chocolate had escaped the paddock and wondered down the driveway out to the road. She was spotted by a neighbor on the bridge that crosses the reservoir and chased back to my farm. My wife had no idea that she was gone until she got the call that the mini was on the road. By that time Chocolate was back in the pasture.
My wife went out to work on the garden and Chocolate came over to give her a hand. Next thing she knew, the mini took off and ran down the driveway again, this time making in across the bridge, up the hill on the road and up my friend John’s driveway. John was able to catch the mini and put her in his pasture. I told my wife that I would pick her up when I was heading back from my ride.
A little while latter I was texted again telling me that I didn’t have to pick up Chocolate and that she was locked safely in the barn … and that she must be a good swimmer. That prompted another phone call.
John’s pasture is fenced on 3 sides with the forth side being the lake. After an hour of chocolate running back and forth in John’s pasture (my wife could see her and hear her from our place), it got quiet so my wife figured she settled down. She was out working on the garden again when the pony passed her and went over to the duck’s food for a snack. Chocolate was soaked from head to hoof. Apparently, when she could not find a way through John’s fence, she took the lake home and swam under the bridge and up the embankment at our place. My wife locked her in the barn until I got home.
I need to find a new home for Chocolate.
This past Sunday I loaded my mare and headed out to meet my riding partner. We planned on being out for a few hours ride and the trail I headed to was about an hour from the farm. We were out on the trail for an hour when I got a text from my wife telling me that Chocolate was safe and over at my friend John’s farm. This, of course, initiated a phone call. Seems that Chocolate had escaped the paddock and wondered down the driveway out to the road. She was spotted by a neighbor on the bridge that crosses the reservoir and chased back to my farm. My wife had no idea that she was gone until she got the call that the mini was on the road. By that time Chocolate was back in the pasture.
My wife went out to work on the garden and Chocolate came over to give her a hand. Next thing she knew, the mini took off and ran down the driveway again, this time making in across the bridge, up the hill on the road and up my friend John’s driveway. John was able to catch the mini and put her in his pasture. I told my wife that I would pick her up when I was heading back from my ride.
A little while latter I was texted again telling me that I didn’t have to pick up Chocolate and that she was locked safely in the barn … and that she must be a good swimmer. That prompted another phone call.
John’s pasture is fenced on 3 sides with the forth side being the lake. After an hour of chocolate running back and forth in John’s pasture (my wife could see her and hear her from our place), it got quiet so my wife figured she settled down. She was out working on the garden again when the pony passed her and went over to the duck’s food for a snack. Chocolate was soaked from head to hoof. Apparently, when she could not find a way through John’s fence, she took the lake home and swam under the bridge and up the embankment at our place. My wife locked her in the barn until I got home.
I need to find a new home for Chocolate.
