A week ago I was in my pasture and I heard a horse neigh, from what sounded like *in* my pasture. Mag was at the barn eating, and there are no horses that close to us. I dismissed it as a mystery.
A few days later I saw something new: a t-post and electric tape fence up the hill from our creek, only partially visible from our pasture. Whaa....?
I have to tell you something else strange about Germany. People will temporarily fence off random grassy areas and leave their horses there for a few months in the Summer. You'll be geocaching in the woods and suddenly there is this random field full of horses behind a battery-powered fence. Halters hanging on a tree, no houses in the area at all. Scary, I wouldn't want my horse to be out there somewhere with no possibility of supervision from a neighbor. But there are hay fields all around, and if someone doesn't want to make hay, they can make money off some horse owners who want unsupervised unlimited grass access.
Mag had noticed them too, I realized yesterday. I tried to count but only today got to 10. TEN horses up on that hillside!!?? Whose are they?
Today 8 of them escaped onto the hay field adjacent. Mag and I watched in fascination, counting 8, 9, 10, 10 horses! Bellis never lifted her head from the grass.
I saw a forest ranger driving his jeep slowly by and I wagged an index finger at him, hoping he'd stop to talk. These guys are the "neighborhood watch" of our German village. This one is so stealthy he can drive up right behind me on trail and I won't hear him.
He rolled down his window and I approached. "Loose horses, did you notice?" He said, "No, really, I was just up there, didn't notice them." Well, that's all I can do, inform the local snoopy ranger.
I lay my jacket on the ground and sat there for an hour, enjoying the show. It was so windy out, I had no trouble with bugs. There was this amazing flock of starlings, coming and going over my head. I love their singing.
The brave bay who explored first.
This is pretty much all the fence I can see from my field. It looks like an orderly fence from here! Apparently there's a hole: )
I worried a bit cuz this hay field has a one-strand barbed wire fence surrounding it - virtually invisible to horses. And if they make their way down to our field, there are 3 barbed wire fences on the other side of our creek. But horses don't like going down into that crevasse, so chances are they'll be OK.
Mag went running like mad all over tonight, repeatedly, even J mentioned it, "Mag is running around like mad" when he got home from work. I said, "Let me show you why, exactly.": )
We went and hung out with them and I told Mag to quit that nonsense but I'm figuring out how he keeps himself fit. He runs for any excuse, just the joy of it.
In the video below I had run off to get my camera, and when I came back I saw no horses at all. Then they came running across the newly planted corn field and I caught the tail end of that - it was amazing to see. After this they just hung out all day long in that hay field, I never saw any human gather them, but I hope someone did.
5 comments:
I'd be sitting watching all day. And worrying!
Mag is gorgeous & you made me dizzy! :-) The scene is so perfectly pastoral! Love it! You'd think the owners would have some worry about liability?
Wow that is different than here. They must have a water source.
Your camera lens cover is doing the same thing mine does--it doesn't always open entirely, but still lets you shoot through it. Gahhhhh!
Camryn, I sat there a long time but they never came near the barbed wire fences in the creek "hole." : )
Connie, I was sitting on the ground video taping ("taping", ha!). WHO ARE these owners, I so wish to know!
Teresa, these random, temporary horse areas often have portable water jugs lying there, and tire tracks show that someone came with a car to give them water.
Aarene, stupid camera. I am so careful to never put it in the same pocket with the horse treats!
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