Two days ago, we celebrated Wilma and Betsie as they ended their quarantine time and moved into the Little Pasture. They’ve both made great progress in 30 days! Betsie is enjoying her Fig Newtons filled with her pain meds, and she’s moving so much easier. Wilma is allowing both John and I to come within about 6 feet of her without her trotting away. Both of them were ready for the next step!

 

John had designed the quarantine pasture’s gates such that they would open to create a passageway between two areas, the quarantine pasture and the Little Pasture. On Wednesday, we opened the gates.  After a minute’s hesitation and with Betsie in the lead, both of them began moving through the gates into the long green grass of the Little Pasture. 

       They slowly walked to the center, taking a bite of grass here, a nibble of a weed there ~ both hesitant, but not letting the unknown stop them. Then Cricket called out, and both their heads went up. Mary, Bella, and Cricket had watched the goings-on from the other side of the gate that led to a mingling area right outside the barn door. Quickly, the three Ambassadors loped around to the adjoining fence, and Wilma and Betsie both moved to greet them. Noses were touched through the wire of the fence, and more greetings were exchanged. 

       Since that first hello, the two groups have moved from touching noses through the fence to head butting through the fence ~ well, Wilma and Mary head butt through the fence. Cricket has pressed so hard against the 10 foot long gate that he shifted the whole thing off one of its hinges! I have many guesses about what he was trying to say, but I’m not sure at all if I’m right. What I’m glad for is that John was able to put the gate back together. 

      I’ve also started introducing Wilma and Betsie to the barn. Every morning, I gate off Mary, Cricket and Bella in their pasture and open all the doors and gates for Wilma and Betsie. Slowly, slowly, they wander into the mingling area, walking the perimeter of the fence until they come to the open barn door. Then slowly, slowly, they move up the ramp into the barn, walking the perimeter of that area, then make their way outside again. I’ll keep doing this every morning, and in a few days, I’ll add their stall to the area they can explore.  I’ll also keep watching their interactions with Mary, Cricket and Bella. Soon, I hope, I can see if the two groups want to graze together. I’ll let you know how it all goes! In the meantime, I’ve cleaned the quarantine pasture, putting everything to rights for our next new friends ~ whenever they arrive. 

Have a great day, everyone!