8 a.m. Got up, fed horses, cleaned pens.

9 a.m. Ate breakfast.

10 a.m. Went for a walk with Pete, Rainbow, Jenna, Signy and Hrimmi. Returned, let Hrimmi, Siggy, and Tinni out in the yard to graze, and put Signy in the small pen. Tacked up Raudi.

11 a.m. Took Raudi for a ride, around the loop, up Jim’s Road, returned on the backside of the loop. Used old saddle, removed the stirrups, worked on trotting.

Tinni and his new shelter

Very exciting, we are figuring this one out together. Finally, we really are working as a team. Nothing is more gratifying to this horse owner.

12 p.m. Returned to find Tinni pawing the ground. Put all the horses away quickly, and tended to him. Noted that he was in some distress, turning his upper lip upward. Deduced that he was either colicking or suffering from choke, meaning there was a blockage in his esophagus. Put him in the large pen. He lay down and rolled his eye upward. Got him on his feet, did body work and began walking him. 20 minutes later, he pooped, meaning that he was no longer colicking. 10 minutes after that, he began eating hay. My sense was that he was now okay.

1 p.m – 4 p.m. Went to drop literature off at houses in our neighborhood, with neighbor Judy Donegan. Went to many places that I previously had not seen. The most frightening one was one with a target of a human being, full of bullet holes next to the driveway. Gotta go back for a photo.

4 p.m. Returned home to find that Tinni was doing quite well. Eating and doing the hubba hubba thing with Raudi. Now, I know that I made a questionable judgment call, leaving him so soon after he colicked. I’m glad that he was okay and that I did not have to regret this decision. Cleaned pens, got my stuff together, and went to town in order to attend yoga class.

5:30-6:45. Attended yoga class. Pulled a lower back muscle. But otherwise, feeling good.

7 p.m. Got together with friends Judy Donegan and Patty Rosnel, mainly talked politics for most of the evening.

9:30 p.m. Arrived home to discover that Pete’s evening class was cancelled – power outage. He had already begun taking care of the evening animal chores. I gladly gave him an assist.

And there you have it, the framework of a very busy day. I am, of course, most glad that Tinni is well. I understand that none of our animals will live forever. With great love comes great loss. But I am pleased that I knew exactly what to do, and because of this pulled him through.

Next: 291. 09/27/12: Out on the Trail