Well, while "stallion lady" was atop Thomas, Thomas was staring at me alot. "Geeze Bob, Now? Now? Can-I-please-do-it-now?? Huh? HUH?". He didn't, but while this exchange was taking place, there were other more interesting activities going on. This is cute:

Hubby and 16 year old son were looking at Nevada in his stall. I explained the circumstances about Nevada. Nevada wasn't overly happy with them staring, but remained a gentle little powerhouse nonetheless as I spoke. Hubby tried patting, rather too hard, and Nevada poised himself. Alas, I intervened and gave a little discourse on mustangs. Hubby, certainly more of an expert than I, just sort of listened. Then I went back to the roundpen to help wifey with riding Thomas for the first time ever.

So then Hubby and his kid decided to go out and see what Percheron broodmares were all about. Well, Rosie and Ruby and their kids, Aurora and Cassieopeia, along with mustangs Shaanav and Queeup, were in tight with the "band" grazing according to my eyes and brain. But Hubby's eyes and brain saw something different. You know, just some horses all generally hanging out in the pasture.

No sooner did these two guys get about 100 yards out there towards the pond then Shaanav, the usual one to make first contact with threats, spun and headed towards them. Usually if there is going to be a frakus, the more dominant Queeup will quickly take up a shoulder contact with Shaanav and assist. Queeup spun and joined Shaanav. "Whoops", I thought. The two horses approached the intruders at the gait I refer to as the "prissy trot;" the gait I have seen the range horses use for a gentle but quick-enough pace to get somewhere.

The "threats" kept moving forward towards the broodmares (who happened to be in foal). The "challengers" also closed the gap, rapidly now. I watched wifey and Thomas with one eye, and the unfolding battle with the other.

Rosie and the girls kept searching for anything that tasted better than the hay they are getting in the barn. "C'mon Ruby, paw that up over there. It's out here somewhere, didn't we help seed this area?"

And then, yes.... Queeup passed Shaanav to do battle. I guess he realized these things weren't going to stop at the initial "show of force." That's always been Shaanav's cue to go in "trail" position and stand clear cuz some kickin' is gonna start.

Queeup did a very graceful pirouette, placed his hinnie about 2 feet from the side by side faces of "Hubby and Son"... and "set his neck." Now I was really getting interested in the interactions which were unfolding. (Geeze, where's my darn camcorder?? Can I make it in to get it and back before the burial?? Oh heck, decisions, decisions ....)

Hubby & Co. stopped dead, but stared at Queeup. "Wrong choice boys", I murmered. Queeup raised the right rear leg ....slightly ...then a little higher ...paused. Put it down and turned his head ever so slightly ... "Gathering final target infromation," I concluded.

But right then, Hubby and son, made a move. According to Hubby in a later recount of the events, he told son to "go and face off this brown horse" [I call him sorrel] "You get him to move and I'll just go around him, then we'll go over to the big horses"

I saw the movement. I think Queeup and I are probably the same at threat analysis, "Sh_ _" I mumbled, afraid to call Queeup off, which I can do... sometimes, but usually far earlier in the situation. Yup, son went left around Queeup's kickers while Hubby flanked him on the right. Queeup saw the attempt to outflank him, but so did Shaanav. (Remember Shaanav waiting in the wings?) As I've said earlier, these guys help each other. Stems from the range, where the lead stallion will allow an assistant to remain in the band thus affording extra protection. The helper gets some hand-me-downs for his valuable service.

Shanav charged, throwing feet. Queeup gracefully spun around and went shoulder to shoulder with his helper. They faced the "attackers." Five feet to go ......

Hubby tells me he told his son to "Get the Hell out of here". I saw them put on some feint at speed in the reverse direction. Queeup and Shaanav "prissy trotted" and "drove" them to the gate.

Then the two mustangs turned, and I swear, sprinted and raised tails and shook heads, bucked with glee, and, yes ladies and gents, uh.... "passed gas" as they flew back. Seconds later they were grazing with the girls. The picture was the usual serene, perhaps "unconnected" look that SOME sojourners think it is. Ruby, the very large, lead broodmare, ironfisted that she is, half raised her head, allowing an unobstructed view of the "boys" returning, then seeing nothing of a bother, went on to the endless wintertime quest for the tastier morsel.

I sighed, "Rats!" I asked Mary who was putting some numbers on some new lambs from last night in the lambing pens, "You watch that?".

"Yup."

"Have the camcorder?"

"Nope." She made just a little nod, maybe up once and then back down. Guess I goofed again.

Well, that's the action from here gang. Now you can start the "You shoulddas" and "You shouldn'ts". But I imagine I'll not convince Queeup to change. And I don't imagine anyone will be very sucessful rustling my broodmares either!