HAM ON THE LAM !!!




                 Yesterday started off as a peaceful and sunny day.

I checked on the horses a few times during the day, which is the usual routine.

At 2 pm, I went out to let John out back. He is so trustworthy, I just let him loose behind the house to graze. He just hangs out.

When I got to the barn, I noticed Mycon, the old man, was gazing, rigid and intent, toward the tree line outside the paddock fence.
I thought maybe the farmer was wandering around out there, so I walked the length of the fence line looking something.

                                        There was nothing there.

A I walked back toward the house, before letting John out, I heard a crashing in the underbrush, and turned around to see something big moving about.

A deer maybe? 

I saw it at the same time Mycon did- and he FREAKED!!! I had to run back to the barn, to open the gate and put him back in with his buddies, Mud was flying -he could not get thru' the gate fast enough!!!

Let the snorting begin - John, the leader of the herd, was snorting and stomping and rounding up his little band to keep them away from this dangerous PIG !!!!

I know from past experience, that John is not too fond of hogs. We tried riding past a hog farm several years ago - and when he got a whiff of them, he did an abrupt about face and zoomed all the way home!!!

Now, to have not one, but 3 huge porkers breaking thru' the trees and rooting around outside HIS paddock, well, this was more than he could stand!!!

                                                        Danger, danger, Will Robinson!!!!

I ran back in the house, to call around and find out who belonged to these pigs. Then I drove around to knock on doors. The folks who owned them were not home- of course...........!

The pigs eventually high tailed it back thru' the woods into the field from whence they came.

                A bit camera shy - all I could capture was the retreat!!!





But, later that night, when darkness fell, the horses were still absolutely sure that porcine danger still lurked in them thar'  woods!!!!!!!!!


My daughter tried to get the horses in for dinner, and John would have nothing to do with going in the barn! He was on  high alert, meaning no one else was allowed to go in and eat. I went out to see if I could calm them, but to no avail. The usually placid John kept spinning around in his stall, charging the stall guard, in his attempts to get back outside.

So, the only one who eventually got dinner, was the old guy, Mycon. Katie managed to get him inside, keeping him calm enough to eat.

I walked the perimeter in the dark,  to see if I could spot or hear any wayward hogs in the woods, but didn't see any. I am sure the horses still smelled them, and after seeing them earlier, just didn't believe they were gone. Now, they can connect the smell to those big pink "monsters"!!  Scary things become much scarier in the black of night.
We left the outside lights on at the barn, for whatever good that did!

At 6am this morning, I peered out into the darkness, to see if I could see or hear anything. All was quiet down by the barn. No Yoshi alarms going off!!!

     This morning there was pea soup thick fog but no hams in sight!!!! 

       This is looking out toward the barn at 6am- the lights barely visible.

Daylight is finally here, and all appears calm at the barn. I will go out and scope the area, before I bring the dogs out, and before I feed the horses.

Hopefully, the pigs' adventures are over, and they are securely back where they belong!!

Never a dull moment.........................

13 comments:

  1. Aw, those poor horses being so spooked by the pigs. I hope they calm down quickly and start to relax again.

    x

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  2. Oh, those poor horses and poor You! What a day you had, but I must tell you that I enjoyed reading the adventure. Lennie, the city girl

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  3. We have had to chase down pigs before....not an easy task.....enjoyed your story, make it into a children's book...

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  4. Horses are the best watch dogs ever :)
    They sure have a good memory too!
    Hope the pigs stay home!

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  5. Poor babies to be so scared! I hope the owners repair their fence.

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  6. You sure have fun on those beautiful acres of yours...isn't the country magnificent!!!!
    Good watch "dogs" you've got.

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  7. So glad all is quiet again. Love your account of the adventure. I, too, hope the pigs will not return. oxo

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  8. Now those are unexpected visitors.

    Our youngest loves all things farms so I am a walking encyclopedia on which area farms have what animal--watch out pigs and goats here we are.

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  9. Pigs my eye....those are real hogs and they can be extremely dangerous and vicious. Poor Mycon...his old ticker does not need any of this rabble rousing!!! Peace, Mary Helen

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  10. I miss my horses! Hope yours have a calmer day today!

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  11. Oh my, poor horses... got to watch out for those horse eating pigs!! LOL!
    When we first got horses many years ago, some one told me that you could get a horse used to many things and other animals but never pigs. For some reason, horses can't stand pigs.
    Hope the piggies stay home and no more terrors for your beautiful horses!

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  12. I cant tell the simple joy
    I get from reading that story.
    Just a normal day somewhere else in the world with

    critters being critters.
    Hope the horses recover from the pig trauma...

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  13. Oh dear, our neighbor has pigs that get out and tear up yards and sanity sometimes. They are something! Sounds like a real circus there. ;)

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