No Drama- and no sale

The last thing I wanted when I integrated the whole herd was a lot of drama with horses galloping around like crazy, even though it might look like fun, it can be dangerous to a little foal. So yesterday, before I left for work, Belle and Nitro went out on the big pasture by themselves. Then at 1 PM when I got home from work, Rio went out. He was very respectful of Belle, mouthing submissively, and Nitro greeted Rio the same way- doing the colt mouthing thing.

They strolled off and grazed quietly. At 3 PM I turned  Gussie and Chickory in with them, and Belle and Nitro totally ignored them, while Rio came hollering up to greet them like long lost friends. Those three hung out together the rest of the day. No drama! Until it was time to bring them in.... then Chickory and Belle decided it was time to do laps.... poor little Nitro got a good workout keeping up to mama before the silly mares settled down and decided it was okay to get haltered and come in.
If you look at Rio's right front leg in this photo, you'll see the dark spot on his white sock and the scrape above his ankle. There is another scrape on the other side of his pastern, and a bump above the ankle on the outside of the leg. A while ago he got his leg caught in a gate and pulled back, getting hung up and the scrapes and swelling are the result of his struggle to get free. He is healing up well, but it will be some time before he will be 100%. Now you understand why I call the yearling year the Wonder Year? The end result is that he is off the market and won't be going to Texas. So Rio fans will get to see more of him - and I hope he doesn't get in to any more trouble! Enough already.