Bridget is Telepathic and Also Helps With the Chores

Winter arrived and departed again over the past weekend, leaving in its wake a beautiful sunny almost-melted Tuesday, a day too fine to stay indoors.

So I took myself and the wheelbarrow out to the field to catch up on some long overdue manure clearing. The other horses pretty much ignored me, but Bridget came over and spent a full hour helping out.

I tried to stay focused on the task at hand and not be too distracted by Bridget, but it was very nice to have her there, chewing on my trouser legs and inspecting the contents of the wheelbarrow. Whenever she swung her tail around in an effort to make me scratch her butt, I ignored her, but I found it hard to resist her hand-shaking routine.

As I shoveled, I reflected that it was easier for Bridget to entice me away from my task by offering her forelegs, as I found that more entertaining and interactive than being a scratching machine - and I wondered if Bridget would make this connection. No sooner had I had this thought than Bridget backed into me and immediately raised one hind leg and waggled it in my direction.

She kept it up, and I managed to catch a photo later on. I must say it was a rather effective strategy, the proffered hindleg acting as an amusing enticement to the human, who - while playing the footsie game -also threw some scratches in for good measure.

Bridget was showing an interest in chewing on the wheelbarrow. She'd already seen me dump it out once or twice, and I wondered if she wasn't trying to do the same thing. So I said, "Come on, Bridget, you can give it a try," and headed over to the spot where I'd elected to collect the manure. She followed, I stopped the wheelbarrow and said, "Have at it."

After a little trial and error - success!

Next time, we didn't take time to fill the barrow so full as Bridget couldn't wait to try again.

How does this work again?

Uh oh, it doesn't come out when you tip it this way.

All right, I'm just going to pick up the shovel for a minute.

Ok, ready to try again - maybe this'll work.

Yes!

Look what I managed to do!

We repeated this exercise two or three more times, Bridget figuring out how to create the right leverage to knock the barrow over on to its side. Then George came over to inspect the last barrowload.

How does this work? Not that I care or anything.
I could do it if I wanted though.

Bridget was miffed when George took over her wheelbarrow. She turned her back on him, gave a little hint of a kick and then walked a few paces off and stood opening and closing her mouth, fit to be tied. So I served supper to cheer everybody up.

Now, try telling me that's not as much fun as dressage.