My trainer/BFF had told me on the phone that her working student most likely had cleaned my stall for me and so I probably didn't need to drive out there. I said, well I will just go and check and make sure, and if the weather is not too bad I will get Beau out and lunge.
Well the Wind was whipping pretty good and there were a couple trees down on the road before I even got out there.
I was now more determined to go and check to see if the barn even had power.
I hung up with T and noticed that the outside light was on at the barn so we had power. I walked into the dark barn and flipped the aisle light on. Then.. I ... noticed.. Beau's stall door was wide open and he was not inside.. okaaaay... so I looked inside and his hay and grain had been put in his feeder and his stall was pristine and clean. Okayyyyy.. so where is my horse. Not panicked yet, I figured he may have gotten put in another stall.. (He is the only Bay Morgan here though), but I checked all the other stalls.. NO Beau.. okay.. now I am feeling my heart beat a little faster.. so I walk out the front to the paddocks.. ummmmm No Beau. I call for him.. Heart is beating faster.. stomach is feeling like it is dropping.. No Beau. I walk around the back of the arena.. No Beau. Okay.. and I walk back into the barn.. and notice his Halter is missing.. okay.. so now.. I am a little panicked. I am calling for my horse.. and I can't find him.. Bad thoughts.. he escaped.. someone took him.. my stomach is now somersaulting.
I walk out the back.. look to the left to those paddocks.. NO Beau.. so I start to walk up to the house to ask the owners if they possibly know where my horse is, since every other horse is in their stall and he is the ONLY one missing.. I call for him once more.. and I hear lots of whinnying.. and Beau comes racing up on the left in a paddock that I couldn't see. OH MY LORD.. HUGE sigh of relief.
Then I notice.. HE HAS HIS HALTER ON.. This is dangerous and I don't subscribe to the practice.. but OK.. get the horse and feel mad later.
I find his lead rope IN his paddock buried in the mud. OK.. so.. I get him.. and it is storming out.. and my pony can't really hang out all night in the mud... hoof issues.. so I lead him in the barn, wash his legs off, check him out and put him away. I washed his lead rope and hung that up and then noticed that my spare waterproof blanket was on one of T's horses.. LOL.. The working student had changed blankets (the wrong ones), but it turned out okay since Beau had his super duper cool Rambo from Ireland rug on that kept him warm and dry.
Long story short, I called T to see what had happened.. and after many phone calls, The barn owner cleaned my stall for me and had turned Beau out for just a few minutes while he did this.. and HE never turns horses out with halters on, but figured it would only be 5 minutes. He walked back into the house, totally forgot about Beau and felt Horrible.
I am just glad I went out there anyway and was able to bring my poor baby in out of the storm.
When I drove out, my heart rate had resumed to normal and I was feeling much better.. since my horse was not stolen or had run away.
1 comment:
Your heart must have been in your throat. Just like a child to you I am sure.
I wonder how many times people have rationalized "it was just for a minute" when it was too late.
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