The Following Day

The Following Day

The weather was terrible!  It was raining, the temps were going down and as they did, the wind kept getting stronger.  (Later in the day, we got our first snow.)  

Since none of us slept very well, we met at the barn early in the morning.  Shari, too, of course.  It is going to be so nice to be at the same place as Shari!!!

Starry was still upset.  We thought that if he got to run and play a little with Bella, he would feel better.  He did, but as soon as he was back in his stall, he started neighing and circling.  He was acting up so much that Kevin was having trouble handling him. 

We let Dante out to play in the mud, and he had a lot of fun.  Cole was doing very well, so I told Shari I would ride with her on the hill.  Ellen and Kevin came along with us without their horses.  Kevin didn't even know if he could safely saddle Starry, and Ellen was just too nervous to bring Dante.

All I can say about Cole is that he was a superstar.  I would have never known that I even moved him.  He was great on the new section of the street, and as soon as he got to the trail, he was as good as could be.  I was so proud of him.  Remember, I thought he would have to most trouble adapting due to being a higher energy horse.

We only did two trips on the hill because it looked like it was going to storm.  When we got back to the barn, we rode in the arena for a little bit to get Cole accustomed to it.  He did well, but then the wind got really bad and we thought the storm arrived, so we quit.  A few minutes later, the sun was out.  

Shari went home, and Ellen thought we should take Dante for a walk.  He did great in the indoor arena, but when we took him outside for a walkabout, he was high headed and bouncy.  Just like Cole, he spooked at the fountain.  I was doing the leading because Ellen was feeling nervous.  She was the smart one, because I was the one who got my foot stepped on--twice.

The wind was getting really bad, and we all know how horses can be on a windy day.  We quit while we were ahead.  

That still left Starry, who continued to neigh.  Kevin left to go back to the old barn and get his salt block.  Starry still wasn't drinking very much, and I thought the salt block may give him something to do and encourage him to drink.

Ellen had some lavender oil, so she put dots of it in Starry's stall.  She had read that lavender calms a horse as well as a tranquilizer.  If there was ever a horse that needed a tranquilizer, it was poor Starry.  His stall smelled like a flower garden.  

By the time that Kevin got back with the stall block, Starry was standing quietly for the first time since he moved in.  He looked like he was about to fall asleep.  Was it really the lavender?  We couldn't say for sure, but it was sure nice to seem him calm.

Kevin stopped by later in the afternoon, and Starry seemed agitated, again.  He put more dots of lavender in his stall.

We both stopped again in the evening.  Starry was quietly munching his hay, and we were told that he was drinking.  What a relief.  Starry was finally starting to relax.