If our horses had to pick a favorite season, it would likely be summer. The ground has dried up enough that they can stay outside 24/7 (although there are certainly those who miss a padded stall for nighttime snoozing), and the long and mostly warm days mean plenty of opportunities for naps in the sun. But perhaps the best reason of all is the opening of our grass pastures for a season of grazing. This is the time of year when the horses nicker when you walk by — we can lie to ourselves and say it’s because they’re happy to see us, but really the purpose is a siren song, luring us close with the hope we will lead them out to graze.
We have a limited number of grass turnouts here at SAFE, which means fields are shared amongst our herd (who have all been dewormed before grass turnout starts, not to worry). That also means we’re constantly looking for ways to streamline the turnout process to maximize the amount of time our horses are able to get. Whenever we can turn horses out together, we try to do so.
I’ve already spoken about Domino and Lacey’s special friendship — how Lacey supported Domino during the entire winter while he came into a stall — so when it came time for grass, we thought to ourselves what better time to test out this friendship in a safe space. We would not turn the two of them out together in an area without food, but with grass aplenty, they would have ample space to eat in peace without disturbing the other.
And as things occasionally happen in life, it worked out quite well. Their initial foray onto the field together was met with a singular squeal from Lacey when Domino grazed a bit too close to the sun, but for such a feisty little mare, Lacey didn’t put up much of of any fight whatsoever. Since that first day, the two go on grass together daily, and can often be seen with their heads down not far from each other in companionable snack-time.
Recently, Lacey discovered that the large, overgrown hill in the pasture is actually a most ideal spot for munching, and has been spending her time doing gentle parkour to get the tastiest bites. Domino prefers to keep his feet planted on the flat ground, but is usually never too far from his dun companion.
