Thursday, February 24, 2011

Apparently it is not just horses

Yesterday evening Jason and I were standing in the aisle of the barn talking about something. It must not have been too important as I can't remember the conversation we were having. Jo, one of the World's Cutest Fainting Goats, came sauntering in to the barn. We joke that Mina and Jo like to leave a path of destruction as they go through the barn. They get into everything, knock everything over and generally wreak havoc while having a grand time.

We watched Jo walk over to where the bulletin board hangs on the wall. Without a moment's hesitation she stood up on her hind legs, grabbed a push pin off the bulletin board, and then proceeded to start swallowing it.

Jason sprang into action faster than I would have ever thought it possible for him to move. He was across the aisle in about a 10th of a second. Another 10th of a second after that he was straddling Jo and had her mouth pried open with his hand in it. I heard a clink as the push pin dropped onto the concrete aisle. Jason grabbed the pin, then proceeded to remove all of the push pins from the board and throw them in the garbage can with the locking lid.

Jason then turned to me and said "I thought horses were the ones that got up every day looking for a way to kill themselves." Apparently we can add fainting goats to that category. I had noticed recently that the board seemed to be down a few pins . . .

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Fuzzy was hyper yesterday and doing his best to get others revved up; he managed to get B-Rad and Alex to trot around a bit and Boo to run


Spike peeking over Lucky (O'Reilly in the background)


Noble


Springtime work has been underway the last week; Jason has been busy re-seeding pastures

Some of the horses have already had their first spring baths as well; this is Asterik looking quite displeased with his bath. Cuffie, fuzzy pony
Lily and Maisie napping
Murphy (more affectionately referred to as Murph!)
B-Rad and Johnny playing over the fence
MyLight passing a leisurely afternoon with a nap
Romeo and Asterik
Faune sporting what we call his "cow nose" look (from eating a hay cube mash)
Tiny, Clayton and Rampal
Toledo, Rocky, Kennedy and Stormy
Stormy

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great photos and video! Fun to see them all enjoying themselves.

EvenSong said...

It never ceases to amaze me that you can keep them all straight! Norman and Sparky and Johnny, sure, but all those chestnuts and bays? You must keep a little picture key next to the computer. ;-D I do like B-Rad and his attitude.

Melissa-ParadigmFarms said...

EvenSong, I have full confidence that within a couple of days of hanging out on the farm you would be able to tell all of them apart! See, you already have some of the easy ones like Norman, Sparky and Johnny.

EvenSong said...

Can I? Really?! Come hang at at the Farm? Ooh, but that'd be a looong trail ride for Kate...

lytha said...

how long is lily's hair? i thought i had the hairiest horse (not pony) around but she looks very close to baasha in coat length. i am covered in it now, and each piece is about 3 inches long. i can measure to be precise. at the beginning of winter i said "it's like i have a malamute" but now i'm saying "it's like i have a collie."

seriously there is no way to do a circular motion with a curry comb - well, you wouldn't curry a collie in a circular motion right? i just have to do long straight strokes to remove hair. i got a persian's worth yesterday but it's not really there yet - we had snow yesterday and he's trying to hold onto his coat.

SmartAlex said...

But, goats can probably handle their own destructive natures a little better than horses can. Why are domestic animals always trying to kill themselves? Take cows for instance. They will eat (or wear) ANYThing that blows across their path.

Melissa-ParadigmFarms said...

ES, if you and Kate can manage the ride here we'd be happy to have you hang out for a few days!

Lytha, Lily's hair is longest on her legs and on the bottom of her head. The hair on the rest of her is long but I don't think it is three inches, but I've never thought about it from a length perspective so it might be. There is just SO MUCH of it, it is incredibly thick. Last year we got her about 2/3 of the way shed out and then body clipped her. We're planning to do the same this year. I don't try to use a curry comb, just go straight for the shedding blade. It is incredibly satisfying to tackle Lily with the shedding blade, you really feel like you have accomplished something when you look at the massive pile of hair you have removed!

Jason said...

SmartAlex;

You are right about that. I've yanked stuff out of cow's mouths and reticulums that would boggle your mind. Balloons, batteries, wire, plastic bags, nails, unbelieveable quantities of wood, and once, an unfired 12 gauge shotgun shell ! Glad we didn't point her at anyone !