The snow notwithstanding, there is one sure sign of spring at the ranch -- our blind mares are in heat. None more obviously in heat than Guadalupe, who has spent the past few days flaunting her wares with the neighboring geldings. (Non-horse people: That means they're neutered. No stallions here!) Guadalupe's main guy is blind Bo, who she shares a corral with, but she is much more interested in the boys next door, blind Rocky and his buddy, blind Hawk. (Sound like anyone you used to date?)
Bo, fortunately, is not the possessive or jealous type, so he just kind of hangs around while she shamelessly flirts with Rocky and Hawk. And sometimes, as you'll see, he hangs his head over Guadalupe in mid-flirt, as if to claim her as his own ... or maybe to remind her that, ahem, he's actually still here! Bo is the equine version of the proverbial door-mat spouse, the endlessly forgiving type.
In the photo at top, Rocky is cooing at her and Guadalupe is pawing the ground in anticipation of the candle-lit dinner to come.
But then big handsome Hawk comes up from behind and elbows Rocky aside, presenting a new romantic opportunity for a hot-blooded girl ... and leaving a dejected (rejected?) Bo to hang his head over her:
Please notice Guadalupe's tail up in the air. There's nothing coy about this. The fact that none of these blind boys can see her tail in the air doesn't matter one bit. Obviously.
And then Guadalupe hears Rocky come back over to the fence, so she ditches Hawk momentarily to resume making out with Rocky:
Meanwhile, poor Bo -- never one to give up -- tries the "maybe she'll realize I'm here if I hang my head over her back" thing again:
And finally, here's what she loves the most ... being right in the center of all three adoring males:
Spring is in the air. And love. If you can call it that.
Just to chime in on this - even though mares aren't "spayed", most male horses are gelded (neutered) thus preventing unplanned babies. Just a different approach in the horse world!
PS - Don't worry Bo, she'll come back to you
Posted by: Lisa | April 04, 2008 at 06:14 PM
What beautiful horses!I love your stories about the animals! We understand, we have 3 mares of our own feeling the love bug & one visiting mare for training feeling it also, we have 2 geldings near them & they are so happy to get all this attention, normally they just get bitten & kicked at by all those girls!
Posted by: Mary Young | April 02, 2008 at 06:28 AM
I think Miss G is a little hussy !!!!!! :)
Posted by: Bibi | April 01, 2008 at 03:25 PM
Spaying a mare is a hugely invasive, highly risky , and very expensive operation, especially when compared with gelding a male. It's a no-brainer in terms of risk not to spay a mare. It is done on occasion, but usually not for "neutering" purposes. Highly valuable brood mares are sometimes operated on. The recovery on a horse after large surgery is very complicated and fraught with risk.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | April 01, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Awwwhhh.....sweet love!
Great writing Steve and we loved the pictures too.
I hope spring arrives soon so everyone can enjoy some warm(ish) outdoor rolling. You included. : )
Posted by: Boundforglory | April 01, 2008 at 07:20 AM
I am not a horse person either, but maybe keeping the females intact helps with inter-horse relations?
Posted by: Abby in Vegas | April 01, 2008 at 04:45 AM
That is the cutest post today - I love how you describe the horse flirting ritual! I agree with Andrew - I'm sure that if you ever decide to write a book it would be a best seller. You are very talented at describing the antics that occur at RDR!!! Thanks so much for my smile of the day! Patty
Posted by: Patty Lennox | March 31, 2008 at 10:37 PM
Love makes the world go round!!!
Posted by: Shirley & James, Portland, OR | March 31, 2008 at 08:54 PM
I agree with Shannon, why not just spey the female? I would add that considering the difficulty of some of the operations I've read about the animals undergoing at the Ranch that this would be neither unaffordable or too complicated.
Posted by: Andrew, NZ | March 31, 2008 at 08:36 PM
what a hilarious post - you are such a talented writer! someday I hope we'll see a rolling dog ranch book filled with all of these stories; Im sure it would be a bestseller!
Posted by: maggie | March 31, 2008 at 08:36 PM
Precious, just precious. :)
Posted by: Kylie Payeur | March 31, 2008 at 05:54 PM
I'm not a horse person and I'm very curios, why not spay the female and avoid this whole problem? I know its bigger surgery than neurtering an animal in smaller animals (I'm much more familar with dogs and cats). Is that why your mares remain intact while your stallions have been gelded? Thanks Shannon
Posted by: Shannon | March 31, 2008 at 05:50 PM