Snowy Frolics

I took these photos today after we turned the horses out for some exercise in the paddocks.  That usually means one thing:  Cash, our blind 4-year old, spends the first part of every session pestering his two pasture mates, the much older and much bigger Bridger and Hawk.  Somehow the little squirt ended up as the ringleader of this blind trio, and nothing makes him happier than to run circles around them (literally and figuratively) out on pasture.  Cash is always trying to get something started, while they wish the punk would hang up his spurs (so to speak) and leave them in peace.  In truth, both Hawk and Bridger adore Cash, even if it means putting up with his antics. 

In the photo above, that's Cash going up in the air after "surprising" Bridger with a sneak attack. You'll notice in all these photos that Cash is not wearing a blanket; that's because he would rather shred his to pieces, and after going through a few blankets back in Montana, we got the message.

Here's a typical sequence ... Cash edges up on Bridger:

Then bites him on the butt through the blanket ... but note Cash's hindquarters, already positioned so he can spring up and out of the way in case Bridger decides to let him have it with his back feet:

Up he goes:

And away:

A few minutes earlier, Cash had been rolling as Hawk was starting to go down to roll:

Cash loves to interrupt Hawk's rolls by charging at him just as he begins rolling (I said he was a punk).  So Cash sprang up from his own roll and headed straight for Hawk:

Cash always stops just short of his friend; he's done this countless times and we've never yet seen him actually run into or over Hawk ... he's bluffing, but Hawk is never quite sure and it makes him get up quickly ... which is exactly what Cash is trying to achieve:

After prancing around Hawk for a bit, Cash goes for another roll:

 Finally, here he is showing off for Kate:

Pretty soon, Cash had run out of steam and all three horses were standing at the gate, wondering where dinner was.

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Comments

[STEVE KATHCART]

god has a special place for you guy`s ! thanks for caring for these beautiful animals ! steve

[Carol Bryans]

Love these pictures! I am so happy that you have re-located in New Hampshire....... can't wait until the summer to come and visit all the furry ones!

[Sandi Tudisco]

Wonderful and amazing photos of the horses. They look to be having a fantastic time in the snow and it warms my heart to see this. You do wonderful work with animals and are so much appreciated. God Bless you, your workers and the animals.

[Anne in FL]

Absolutely LOVE this post. Cash and Hawk are 2 favorites and they are so funny. I wonder what the 2 older gents have to say about the full of himself youngster. Cash sure grew into a handsome boy!! It is nice they are enjoying the new place so much. And to the Bedding and Accommodations Manager...you can try to blanket a horse, but sometimes you just cant keep it on him. Oh well, you tried. ;)

[Lisa in CA]

Awesome post and fantastic pictures!
Gotta love Cash's tenacity! He's truly a prize.

[Patty (in Georgia)]

I fell in love with Cash (and Rolling Dog Ranch) when I saw the video: "Blind Cash and the Zipper". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RIrAIR0TGk Even as a foal he had "punk with spunk" written all over that adorable face. Thank you for the "heartwarming" Snowy Frolics blog... it's a gentle reminder that even 1100 lb. blind animals (young and old alike) can love life if given the chance.

[Shirley * James/Portland, OR]

B E A U T I F U L!!!!!

[Chris]

I couldn't love these photos more! We visited Rolling Dog in MT and met Cash when he was a baby. This series of photos SO makes me smile. Thank you, Steve and Alayne!

[Colleen & In Memory of Sweet Kitty Erin]

I love this post! Watching Cash play is so delightful! I'm sure it's really a "pain in the hindquarters" for Bridger & Hawk but they love to tolerate him & that's so sweet!! I just love this post!!! I know I said that already but it made my heart feel so good!!!

[Dawn]

It is so wonderful when we get to see the animals play like this! Happy holidays to you and everyone there!

[Angela]

Great pictures! - am surprised they stopped for dinner - looks like the storyline is "We'd rather horse around than eat" - what a character funny Cash is - thanks for the laughs.

[Karla]

Cash looks like the pest of a younger brother! Have you continued on with the work you began in Montana of riding him? I think I'm remembering correctly that he was working with a trainer and doing quite well this past spring.

[Claudia]

Thanks so much for a post about the horses! I always enjoy all your posts, but have been missing news about the horses. Thank you, and Happy Holidays!

[Barb Ribinski]

Great post. It was good to see a blog on the horses and Cash again. Looks like they've adapted just fine to NH and are enjoying themselves as always. Now we need to see the kitties and Margaret! Thanks, Steve.

[Glenda]

Love this-
I burst out laughing....
Cash is like my mom's brother was...a loveable stinker!
He snuck up behind her, and with pinking shears, cut off her ponytail! STINKERS!

All the joy and love erases all the bad.

[Dee]

What great pictures and what fun to see how happy they are. Cash seems to be a typical annoying adolescent. I had no idea that horses played like that. Thanks!

[Ann]

This takes the term "horsing around" to an entirely different level! I had 2 dogs staring at me because I was hooting with laughter over those pictures. The shots you took showing the sequence of events are priceless. It's wonderful to see how much fun the horses have with each other. Cash is a piece of work!

Maybe you'll need a name change...Rolling Horse Ranch, perhaps? :)

PLEASE KEEP VOTING!!!! RDR CAN WIN 2ND PLACE WITH OUR VOTES!!

[Arizona Fan]

Awesome pictures....looking at them it's hard to image that Cash is blind. I remember what a little guy he was when he showed up at the ranch, and look at him now so full of confidence and spunk. Give him a big kiss! WE love ya Cash and all the other critters too!

[Ev]

How fun. Thanks for sharing Cash's antics. What a punk is right. He reminds me of an annoying little brother. Never a dull moment. Great pictures.

[David]

Great post! I knew the horses had to be doing something noteworthy at some point so you could mention them on the blog.

[Janet in Cambridge]

Horses are well-adapted to deal with cold weather without a blanket, within reason. Read this article: http://www.saddleshop.com/sentinel/articles/coldhorses.htm

Cash is a young horse in good condition with a toasty barn for protection when it's windy. He looks like a woolly bear caterpillar in these pics.

[Linda]

I know absolutely nothing about horses and so this is amazing to me! Wonderful wonderful pics and pros.

[Lynn (in Louisiana)]

Fantastic post and photos. Thank you Steve!

[Moon Rani]

This is one of your best photo essays of the horses! I laughed at Bridger's expression when he felt Cash bite. You got it right, Cash is a punk, but so funny. I can imagine him laughing while he's horsing around. Thanks for this post.