June 24- Neighbors

June 24- Neighbors

We moved Daren last night to a new private paddock. C was thinking of putting him in with Pistol, but a meeting over the fence ended with Daren getting bitten. So put him between Tink and Ruby, and the grulla Paint stallion Cimarron. Looks like a good setup. Ruby is on stall rest after a bad leg injury and Tink takes up the rest of her paddock as a companion.

Good fences make good neighbors

Fly-sprayed him with little reaction, by the time he was distracted away from pulling nibbles of Tink's hay through the fence I was almost done and he handled the last few just fine.  Should be much happier, he was starting to get a few hives and they were certainly bothering him while he was eating as he had grain mush all over his legs.

Then after some tack shopping I haltered him up and took him for a stroll around the place. He was great- I have to get used to keeping my right hand up, as he will run his head into me as he looks around. I expect that will decrease as he gets used to everything. No worries at all with barking dogs or the buffalo, but a little anxious about a narrower path between a car and the fence. Stopped flat for a moment but then came along well. I took him down another narrow path just to push his limits a bit and he did great. Put him up and he went cheerfully back to poaching Tink's hay one strand at a time. Paid C for the rest of the month, she said he's really settled in nicely after a tough first day and she's proud of him. I sure am too.

Medicine the bison

I've had a lot of name suggestions. Something heroic for a tall dark and handsome fellow. G likes Kona, which is both Hawaiian and nautical, the name for a leeward wind. And I finally found the right spelling of the boat name Mom's friend sailed, Kaneali'i Kai means prince/king of the sea. Maybe Kaneali'i Kona, king of the wind?

Gray and I went out in the evening to say hello, I started calling him Kona and was getting a bit of response- he wants to be noticed. He was very sweet with Gray and pulled on my shirt. His next tub of magic mixture was still soaking so I gave him a little hay while he was waiting. But I put the hay into the feeder on the left side of the corral while he was finagling bits of Tink's hay on the right side. And he couldn't see it. I had to lead him over with handful. When we drove out we stopped at the back of the corral and he came back to stare at us- leaving already? See you tomorrow.