Day One of Prison

Why does he always stop behind trees to look cute?

Yesterday was a long day!  I built a pen out of my round pen panels, using the existing pasture fence so that it would be bigger.  Those panels are so heavy!  Unfortunately one of them was tangled in the thick grass and I wrenched my back pulling it out.  Sigh!

So I had the round pen torn halfway apart and every time I turned my back Chrome was eating maple leaves.... grr!  I decided to let him graze in the front yard until my husband got home so he could help me finish the pen.  It went well for several hours and then the turd got bored and started getting into everything!!

To top things off he found the ONE maple tree in the yard and started reaching up to eat the leaves off of the low branches!!!!!  I'm thinking, seriously horse??  You have an acre of gorgeous green grass at your feet and you're eating maple leaves?  They must taste like candy!  I've never seen a horse so obsessed with maple leaves.  It's not because he was hungry.  He has free choice hay, I fed him soaked beet pulp and he grazed in the yard for hours!  He was also tasting other things, so I think he's just curious and bored.  However he kept going back to the maple leaves so I sat out there and chased him off until my husband got home.

He helped me finish the pen and I threw Chrome in there, gave him his supper and went to bed with a muscle relaxer.  Today I went out to clean and refill his water bucket.  The only thing is he hates our well water!!  He plays in it and then sticks his head in the air making the flehmen response.  I don't think it's chlorine because he was raised on city water and you all know how bad that smells like chlorine.  Maybe there is too much iron?  I might have to get one of those test kits.  Personally I think he just likes scummy pond water.

I let him out and he immediately went to the pond to drink.  Who doesn't love nasty, leaf filled, green, muddy, scummy pond water?

So I filled my big gorilla cart wagon full of pond water and left it in his pen.  I'll also let him out several times a day to drink.  I'm still hoping I can convince him to drink the clean well water, but I'm not holding my breath! So how often would you guys suggest letting him out for water?  It's not hot out.  I'll leave the wagon full of water at night.  Also any tricks for making the well water more palatable?

Checking out some stuff on the other side of the fence that my dad moved when he mowed so it looked different.  I LOVE that neck!  Imagine how awesome it will look when his Mohawk grows out some.  :)

Then he went for a romp around the pasture.

 My beautiful boy!!

I wish this one had turned out better.

I also made him a toy, but I forgot to get a picture.  I don't want him to be bored out in his prison.. err pen.  It's a water bottle with rocks in it tied on a fence.  He isn't overly interested in it right now, but I bet he will be later when he gets bored.  He used to love to play with stuff.  I may get him another jolly ball and tie it in the tree so he can't drown it in the pond like he did with his old one.

Also for his entertainment we played bobbing for apples!  Check out this short video.

He is so cute!  Notice the flehmen again?  He doesn't like that water!  I don't think it's the rubber trough because he eats out of a bucket made of the same stuff and doesn't make faces.

So do you guys have any other ideas for homemade toys or fun games we can play??  I'm going to start walking him on the road and start riding him when my back feels a bit better.  It feels better this morning, so hopefully it won't be too long before we can go on nice, relaxing walks.