Time (there's not enough of it)

I have not posted in a while. Mostly because I haven't had time to write, or anything to write about. Things work out as they have every fall: sports seasons become the priority, and so working my horses falls by the wayside. They enjoy time out grazing and being horses, and I run sprints and laps and get beat up for three months until such a time as I can go out to the barn and do more than feed and quickly groom.

Stella has done much what Ernie did every year when this happened: realize she's not being paid attention to and get pissy, impatient and a little ornary. I didn't think it would happen with her: she's such an easygoing mare with a kind disposition and is so willing to just say "OK, sure Mom!" But not this time. I'm on her shit-list for sure.

Hint #1: she's stopped bolting away from me when I turn her out. She's always done this, ever since I bought her. She loves nothing more than to wait while you remove the halter, and as soon as all restraints are gone, off she goes for a good run. She hasn't done this in at least a month. Instead, she stands perfectly still, I remove the halter, and she continues to stand. And stand. And stand. It takes her a few minutes of standing and looking around to realize I'm gone and that's the end of the handling before she'll walk off and find some grass.

Hint #2: she's developing new and unusual habits. Like not eating. She NEVER leaves a scrap of hay unless it's bad hay to begin with. She's been leaving quite a bit lately. She's also changed her pooping habits (yes, I know my horse's pooping habits, and you should too!) She has not once (I mean at all) all summer pooped in her paddock where there is good, edible grass. She'll poop near the doorway to her stall where there's dirt, or near the tall, weedy grass next to the apartment, and of course in her stall, but never in the rest of it. I noticed yesterday that not only has she pooped in the grassy area, she's done it multiple times. Over the course of 1 day.

Hint #3: she's super impatient. A little impatience from her actually isn't unusual, especially if she hasn't been worked regularly. But this goes beyond that. This is (and pardon my language) "FUCKYOUYOUHAVEN'TBEENOUTHERETODOANYTHINGOTHERTHANFEEDMEINWEEKSGOAWAYCRAZYLADY"

Yeah...

We're on fall break now (yes, I attend a slacker college, and we get a full, week-long break before Thanksgiving...) and I still have no time but I have vowed to get out there at least 5 days a week and do SOMETHING. Both for her sake and mine...