Toby Houdini

How Do These Things Happen?

Brought the Boys in for breakfast this morning and...well, blush...Toby was naked!!

Now, mind you, I bought brandy new fly sheets at the beginning of the season. Nice, texilene ones which are usually pretty resiliant. At this point, I am honestly not sure which of the three Boys is still dressed in one of the new sheets, but as of last night, every one of the sheets has had some repair work.

But Toby is always the neatest about his outfits. He hardly ever has any rips or damage.

Well, that was until this morning. I found the sheet lying in the dirt, not too far from the barn. The two front chest straps were torn off. Trouble is, I can't tell whether that was where the sheet actually came off, or whether a certain Chance had dragged it there from someplace else. If Chance was involved, me might well have ripped the straps too as there is nothing he quite enjoys more than the sound of ripping things. (He once walked off with my jacket and very deliberately stomped on it with his hoof and then tore the sleeve off. )

At any rate, what happened? The only thing I can suspect besides one of the other horses having taken it off him, was that he lay down, and caught his hoof in one of the leg straps somehow and in his kicking at it, tore the sheet off.

I had another sheet to put on him, but when he saw me with it, Toby walked out of his stall into the paddock to let me know he didn't want me to put it on him. So, I left him unsheeted for the day, periodically checking to see if the flies were after him.

The most I saw him do was swish his tail a few times. I can now say, at least for today, the flies really have gone away. It is kind of strange because we haven't had any freezing weather yet, and at least yesterday, it was still shorts and tank top weather--hot. Today was cooler, but still shirtsleeve weather. So why no flies?

I think I will take Chance's and Tucker's sheets off too. I would think it would feel good to them to not have anything on for a while. Soon, hunting season will open and I will be putting flame orange sheets on them--fly sheets or lightweight sheets--just to be safe. They might as well enjoy it while they can.

Hope I get to ride tomorrow. I got sidetracked today with some shopping and a chiropractor appointment I'd made weeks ago.

I'm hoping that being able to hack out in the woods will revive my ambition with the Boys. I need some kind of motivatoin.