Doing Nothing

What is doing nothing?

Does it make any sense?

For me doing nothing is just spending time with my animals. I sit around with them, talk, pet and laugh. That might include them being goofy and dragging whatever they can find back to me.

For my mare, our time is important.

we spend time through out the day just being. She grazing and walking and myself going along with her. Yesterday was my first official day of doing nothing, I threw out the ideas of haltering her up.

I did bring a rope, that way I could swish it for flies when we stop under the trees.

Maybe a hour or less we hung out, I follow her and she followed me. The donkeys tried with their might to butt in but soon she was stomping at them and moving them off.

The donkeys were offended that this mare got tired of them, man Colby was heart broken.

For those who are new to me and my herd. I own 2 BLM donkeys and 1 BLM mustang mare. I privately rescue at times and try my best to help unwanted mustangs, burros and domestic donkeys. Belladonna; my mare has issues with other horses. She fights with them all the time until she jumps out of the pen and does her "ha ha ha" dance at them and will not go back in that pen. When I adopted my first burro, she first was afraid. But by the next morning she was mothering the burro, Colby.

From that day on when ever a donkey shows up she goes into fits screaming for them and mothers them. Colby has grown up here kinda ruthless, he thinks he 10 feet tall and bullet proof and will boss any 4 leg around, because Belladonna allows him to act this way.

So when she refuse him yesterday he was shocked, how could this mare of 4 years he known just now cut him off? Belladonna realize that the burros will take me away from her and she fighting it. which is GOOD, because before they could do anything and she just give up.

What does it mean? I am not sure but maybe with her taking some control things will equal out better and right?

I like to also play treasure hunt around the herd, we live on a historical piece of land that at times spits out things like old square nails, pieces of broken pottery, bottles, horseshoes...whatever. So I look every other day for things and if I start to dig, the other 3 will come over and paw.

If I sit and kick my legs around in the dirt (wear pants) they look at me and come on in, I get up and soon they roll.

So on some level I am part of their herd (a small level) which is nice BUT I want to learn and do more.

My mare plays but it usually when she needs to blow steam, she holds it in. I know when she needs a good run and just all out crazy 20 mins of being a horse. But naturally she will play a bit with the donkeys but holds her self back. When I know she ready for me to say "Play time" she strung up tight, she jerky, looking around at things but NOT DOING ANYTHING!

when I gentled her, I taught her that If I was in the pen, calm behavior is a must and only if I ask for other behavior is it okay. So when I play "Chase the mustang" I bend forward and carry my lunge whip behind me. I slowly stalk her and that's when she lowers her head at me and you see the change.

It like dealing with a dog that has issues being alone. she wants to hang out with me and not waste that pen up energy. so it takes me 10 minutes to get her to open up.

By then, she in a full flying gallop, screaming, bucking, rearing. which causes a lot of other animals thinking something's wrong. (I have 2 other neighbors with horses around) and she does a fine job getting the neighborhood thinking that a dragon is around, LOL

But she could be all out running and all I have to do is step into the pen and yell for her and say "easy" and she'll run at me and slow down in 15 feet and by 10 a walk and still respect my space.

Out of everything she respects my space a lot, a point of the finger or a look has her moving away If I think she too close or trying something new.

I have noticed I gotten off track but oh well.

So what is your "doing nothing" with your own horse?

Belladonna April 2008