Friday, May 18, 2012

Meet Dinker

Meet Dinker.  He, without a doubt, has more personality per pound than any horse I've ever met.  I don't even know where to start!  Measuring in at a whopping 30 inches and about 175 lbs, he has no idea he is small.  I honestly believe he thinks he is a big horse.  He is not afraid of much. He is brave, wicked smart, and a Houdini of sorts when it comes to halters, fences, and well, just about anything.  I can put a halter on him, turn my back for three minutes, and it'll be on the ground.  He'll never do it while I am watching though. 

I spent weeks trying to figure out how he was getting out of my electric fence.  Every darn time I came home he'd be out under the apple tree, munching away.  I'd go out, put him back in, look out 5 minutes later, and he'd be out again.  Again, he'd never do it while I watch.  I finally figured out that my 30" horse had been jumping a 4.5 foot fence.  Only Dinker. 

Once we went for a walk in the gravel pit and there was  big pile of gravel.   Wanting to climb to the top, I urged Dinker along.  He ended up practically pulling me up that hill.  While enjoying our view, he let out a big whinny that I took to mean, "I am king of the world!" And when it was time to go back down, he sat on his lil butt and slid all the way to the bottom.  Like I said, no fear.  I think he probably pooped sand for a week. 

He has a very advanced sense of taste as well.  His favorite food is strawberries.  He also enjoys the occasional sip of beer.  If I have a beer bottle, he'll come up to me, tip his head back, and form his lips into a perfect "O".  He will eat about anything at least once.  I try to limit his snacks, but it is fun to experiment.  I think this weekend we will give him some pop rocks.  I will try to take a video, as I expect this to be hilarious! 

He also enjoys chasing things.  Anything.  Dogs, cats, anything that dares to invade his pasture.  The deer like to jump the fence at night and lick the salt block and get a drink of water.  There is little more entertaining than watching Dinker try to keep them out.  They will work in a team, two deer at one end and two deer at the other.  The two distract Dinker while the other two jump the fence.  Then Dinker takes a mad dash at them, they jump out, and the whole thing starts all over again. I have a lot of coyotes  by my place, and there is no doubt in my mind that Dinker has chased them out of his pasture at some point.  He's awesome and one of my favorites.  He's been with me since he was a weanling and he'll be there for many years I hope.  He bit a friend's fingers a couple weeks ago, pretty good and hard.  I was very disappointed in him, as he usually LOVES company.  I was surprised he did it, then I asked if she'd eaten any strawberries lately.  She said yes, I just had a handful before I went out the door to pet him.  Ah, mystery solved.  :)

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