Adventures in bathing

Wow, that was more than I bargained for!  It was a beautiful evening to get Essa all lathered up and clean up that rain rot.  Everyone was turned in and finished their grain.  The other two were close by in the barn, not far far away in the paddocks.  They would all go back out to graze with enough daylight left for Essa to dry off.

She would have none of my lovely plan.  She danced and pawed and kicked, and kept her right side to the fence.  I felt like a losing boxer, dodging and moving her over, and trying to get the shampoo on and rinsed off.  I got most  of the job done, then finished rinsing her right side in cross ties in the barn.  I turned her out to graze and she ran around like a wet dog until her pals were out.

I really expected Essa to be cool with bathing after all of her racetrack time.  She is pretty attached to her new crew, and gets very upset being the last one in in the evening.  I've been so spoiled by Cody.  I grumble about his work ethic, but his ground manners are the standard I aspire to for Honey and Essa.  He never fusses coming in or going out and tolerates endless mane-trimming, braiding, clippers, even sheath cleaning without a tranq!

But after all that, I have to say, wow!

After all that bath nonsense

(Farm equipment seems to be getting her attention).  She is a handful with lots of work to be done, but I'm delighted to share a picture like this.