Bart's Fall Photo Album

- NOW -

Autumn colors are painting the top of the hillside area, seen at the back of this view, which is our Rancho's now resting hayfield. Most of the fenced-in areas are horse pastures, belonging to our nearest neighbors, Randi and Gene Peters. Randi is the editor and publisher of Natural Horse Magazine.

This outdoor resident of our Rancho, is a woodchuck .. (whom we also call 'The Ontelaunee Groundhog') .. just one of many who live here. These 3 photos of this particular woodchuck were taken on the edge of the wooded area that appears in the right hand foreground of the previous photo, which area we almost never even enter or disturb, leaving their management totally up to nature.

Our little 'rancho' probably is one of only two or three other places in our entire Pennsylvania County of Berks, where small wild animals like these are virtually guaranteed protection against various kinds of human hunters and trappers. We believe that groundhogs have gotten a bum rap and need lots more protection from mankind.

These wildlife residents and visitors. including raccoons, squirrels, foxes, deer and many others, already were here, when our more domesticated family members moved in, during the spring of 2000. And, in the several years that have followed, there appear NOT to have been any big problems in making respectful allowances for each other's lifetstyles.

Fall seems to be an especially important time of year, for those of us who do our own barefoot, wild horse style of hoof triimming on our horses. Since horses' hooves grow at a much slower rate during the cold winter months, any major adustments we make in the fall will be something they will have to live with for a longer period, than in the spring and summer.

Our neighbor, Randi's 24 year old mare, Fern, doesn't seem at all upset about the trimming job that was done on her feet. And, for all of us who love our horses, there can be a special feeling of closeness and warmth, in knowing we've helped our friends to healthier and more comfortable lives with a concerned attention that most horses don't get. All kinds of both archival and continually updated information about natural hoof care and trimming is available from Randi's Natural Horse Magazine (www.naturalhorse.com).

In 2005, it wasn't until the first week of November that it seemed wise to supplement the exclusively pasture diet of our two horses and two llams with some of the timothy hay, harvested from our hayfield. Bart, the black Arabian, naturally insisted on his unchallenged "right" to the first lap of hay thrown down. Then, as additional laps were dispersed for the others, Bart kept checking that nobody's "hay-pile" was larger than his own.

Since "Bart-Brat", who clearly is the Alpha of his "herd", is the fastest eater, it didn't take long for him to notice, out of the corner of his eye, that Danny the quarter horse's pile was beginning to look larger than his own. So, as Alpha horses sometimes do, Bart is deciding to remedy this situation and pirate Danny's bounty.

Having moved over to what WAS Danny's hay, Bart now is very clearly sending horse body language signals that Danny is not to have anymore of this particular pile of hay, until the "herd" leader has had his selected portion. And, for several minutes, Danny just stands stone still, watching Bart indulge his appetite.

Finally, Danny moves slowly out to the edge of this restricted dining zone, to pick up a few isolated strands of hay that have been blown over by the breeze. And, at least for the moment, Bart seems content with the thought that his "hay-pile" still is the largest.

The llama, Allys, meanwhile, seems content, lazy and unthreatened, as he observes all this from just a few feet away. His pile of hay appears to be much smaller and less desirable to Bart. But, it seems quite enough for Allys, who takes after his mother in having a somewhat slender body.

But, Allys' year-younger full brother, Beaker, who takes after his father's more bulky, almost Sherman tank-like construction, seems more defensive about a "hay-pile" that now is beginning to look larger than the one that Bart had been stealing from Danny.

And, sure enought, despite Beaker's defensive stance, Bart uses a typically Alpha type of snaking movement, to switch "hay-piles" once again, chasing off the hulky llama.

As Bart settles down to eat still more hay from this third pile of choice, the reclining llama, Allys, seems to have lucked out by remaining totally relaxed and undisturbed throughout this entire shuffle.

Danny's tolerance and patience seem to have paid off, as he now returns to his original "hay-pile", which is only slightly smaller. Only Beaker, now off in the distance, seems to have separated himself from the "herd". But, as we've seen, Beaker can stand some dieting.

- and Then -

Meet Natam (pronounced NEIGH'-tam), our "Web Captain's" first, "once in a lifetime" horse and best friend. These next three photos, showing the late Natam, were taken in the early to mid 1980s, near Philadelphia. Natam died on November 3, 1998, at age 27, from a leaking heart valve condition that he contended with during nearly all of his life.

A Polish Arabian (as is Bart, yet SOoo different), who was bred in California, Natam is seen on a longe line, in three of these fall photos.

Lots more photos of Natam appear in the "NATAM'S-STORY" section of our "Living with Horses - ISSUES" site.

Unfortunately, back in the 1980s, Natam was trained and ridden without the benefit of "natural" horse care and handling methods, not as popularly known at that time.