Ike is well on his way to being the biggest horse at the farm. A few more groceries as my farrier would say, and he will be the undisputed title holder. So I ask you: why is it that the biggest horse wants to occupy one of the smallest spaces? He has a lovely paddock that is green with spring grass.  His best friend Lady is in the paddock next to his and he is tall enough to reach OVER the hot wire to visit with her.

On any given day, he will pace and pace until he is back in his 12×12 stall.  He used to crash into his gate or rear and take it off the hinges before we ran hotwire over the new one.   Here is the old one as it held on for dear life.

It is now in a mangled heap headed for the landfill.  There is no rhyme or reason as to why we cannot stay outside on a clear, sunny day.  Some days there is wind, some days none.  Some days there are hawks, and on others only blue birds flitting past.  There are very few bugs compared to summer.

The best guess is that his stall is a sanctuary for him – kind of like a dog that has been properly crate trained.  He has alfalfa pellets in his feed bucket, hay to munch, an Uncle Jimmy Lickit toy, and one of my husband’s old work boots to nose around.  He has only the radio to keep him company, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

I just smile to myself when I walk in and realize that he is patiently waiting for me to arrive.  Life is good.