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About a week ago, after our morning walk, Livy and I headed out to a nest to check on the growth and behavioral progress of one of the "juvies".  As usual, Livy sat quietly in the back seat while I viewed the nest and goings on with my binoculars. This nest is about 260 yards away and because the eagles' nest is built on an old abandoned Osprey nest and on a cell tower, viewing is a little...shall we say... limited.  I literally park in a parking lot at the lake where fisherman and kayakers launch their boats and focus on the cell tower across the road. (the morning was overcast so the clarity stinks but you can see the size of the juvenile...growing fast!)

Pulling out onto the two-lane state road, I knew better than to speed because I'd seen the State Trooper sitting on the side of the road our way to the lake.  A few miles into the drive, just as I was about to round a pretty sharp corner, I saw an SUV pulled over on the side of the road and a young woman on her cell phone.  Holding the phone in one hand and her other arm out towards a horse!  Then I spotted the Shetland pony a little further away from her up the road.  

Stopping, I rolled my window down and said, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine but I don't know anything about horses and I don't want them to get hit," she said frantically.

"Give me a minute" I told her.  Pulling up ahead of her car off the road I told Livy "quiet" because she was barking at the stranger and horses.  Exiting the car, I walked over toward the pony, put out my hand and said, "Come here boy."   He immediately stopped bucking and kicking up his heels and walked over to me.  Stroking his muzzle with one hand and forehead with the other, I continued speaking softly.

The girl was now texting someone and I interrupted saying...stay still and just talk calmly.  I'll be right back.  I went to my car and got out all the spare dog leashes that I had...three to be exact.  Making a lead out of one, I slipped it over the pony's neck and clipped the snap hook onto the cables that secured the nearby telephone pole.  

Because I was now petting and rubbing the pony, the gelding came trotting over and nuzzled my chest.  I slipped the other two leashes (that I had hooked together) over his neck and secured him to the heavy cable wire.  Both were now safe, although I knew that the gelding could definitely snap the leashes if he wanted to.  He was a big boy.  But hey, then again he was getting a body massage and loving every minute so he appeared quite content.

NOW, I had time to talk to the girl.  "Did you call anyone?"

"I called my husband and my daughter. I knew she should have come with me!  Oh, yes, I posted pictures of them on FB and called the police.  They're sending someone."

Minutes later an officer arrived and said, "Looks like you have everything under control.  Do you know who they belong to?"

Looking up the busy state road, I saw an elderly man walking slowly making his way towards us.  I walked towards him asking if the horses were his and he nodded.  He walked over unhooked the pony and then stood still..  He'd only gotten a few feet when his wife, an older woman with gray hair, carrying a bucket with grain, a black, leather well-worn halter and two leads came rushing over.  She was huffing and puffing so much, her chest was heaving like crazy.  I kept saying, "it's okay, they're fine...breathe...just breathe...relax...they're fine".  I honestly was afraid she was going to have a heart attack as she put her hand on her chest still trying to catch her breath.

Taking the halter from her, I lifted the gelding's head and slipped it on. She reached up to buckle it, then clipped the lead to his halter.  I took the other lead, handed it to the man who clipped it to the pony's halter that he'd put on.  Apparently the horse and pony were out to graze and escaped.

I took my 3 dog leashes and walked back to my car.   Now my dog and I could really head home.

(This is the only shot I got during the whole ordeal because my phone was in my car.)

seeing, saying, and sharing...

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