Blog

A few days ago, Bambi, Mara, and Rana came close to the barn, which they almost never do anymore. We took advantage of their location and shifted all three over into Yard 5, so they would have some new terrain to wander. Maia was hanging out in the back of Yard 4, and we led her down what we call “Creeky Alley,” where there’s another gate that leads into Yard 5. So, all four of those ladies were sharing Yard 5, though not in close proximity. 

Moving everyone else over into Yard 5 allowed us to open Yard 4 to Lady. She prefers Yard 5, so doesn’t often spend much time in 4, but she immediately walked through the gate, stopping to eat some watermelon and carry some hay we’d left for her. While Lady was exploring, Kat drove ahead of her to put out some hay by the pond, so Lady would have a snack for later. She also dropped small bits of hay along the path to the pond. Sometimes if Lady’s feet are particularly sore, or if she’s just tired, she will stop to snack on her walk to the pond. Kat knows convenient spots to strategically place small bits of hay along the way for Lady. 

Kat also cleaned the water trough, since it is new to Lady; she wanted to make sure it was spotless. After checking to make sure everything was looking good, Kat started to head back toward the barn and saw that Lady had already made her way halfway to the pond. Lady actually brought some hay with her – holding a flake in her trunk while she was walking. 

Each night, we add anti-inflammatory essential oils to an apple for Lady to eat. Kat went back to get that and put it by the water trough for Lady to find later in the evening. But when Kat got back to the pond, Lady was already there. Her mood was really light and cheerful, and she was all smiles. The two of them hung out there for a little while, with Kat keeping an eye on Lady to make sure she was doing well and seemed physically and emotionally comfortable. After a short check-in, Kat went on her way and left Lady to enjoy her evening. 

Photo of Lady by the pond in Yard 4