Farewell my beauties...

Although this had been on the cards for about a week, I haven't said anything until it was over. 

Missy and Thunder are not on the farm anymore. Thunder has been returned to his previous owner, Rachel and Praise God, 👆☝she took Missy as well! It was too difficult to keep two new miniature horses with two full-sized and settled horses together. 

I spent the whole of last week looking out for Missy and Thunder in the paddock when the dogs and I walked. I also took several photos of them when they were stabled in the evening and at night before I went to bed.

 Thunder enjoying a bowl of horse pellets just after being stabled 

 Missy snuffling up any yummy pellets that have fallen on the ground

 This is the image of both the horses that I'll hold in my heart forever ; at anytime that I opened the rondawel door at night, the horses' heads would swivel in my direction 

 Missy and Thunder on Friday night - the last night on the farm

On Saturday morning, John and Debbie led the horses out through the gates, out into the maize fields next door and onto the dirt road on the other side of the farm. They walked the horses across the fields and through the meadows until the reached the tarred road leading to Winterton. They told us that no-one showed them any consideration while they lead the horses along this busy road. Except for our dear friend, Anthony who stayed behind them and at the appropriate moment, overtook them slowly so as not to stress the horses. 

At the town intersection where they had to turn left, a huge truck which had been parked, suddenly reversed into Thunder. This spooked the old horse badly and John had to use all his strength to pull him away from the truck's tailgate. Afterwards they noticed that a large piece of Thunder's tail had been caught in the truck's bumper. With this going on, Debbie was hard-pressed to hold Missy, who apart from being influenced by Thunder's distress, was spooked by the throngs of people milling in the streets as always on monthend. 

Finally they were heading north and soon turned onto another regional road and then the turnoff to where Rachel and her husband live on a small holding. After a five-and-a-half hour trek and covering a distance of 35 kilometers/22 miles they reached the safe haven of Rachel's paddocks.

When Grant and I collected Debbie and John in the car about 15 minutes later, I peeped into Rachel's yard just in time to see Missy aim a kick at the sheep dog who was yapping at her heels. 

On Friday as I approached Missy, she saw me and came towards me... 

She'd been rolling in the mud caused by the pivots going all night

 Up close and personal

 Missy always has sleepy-looking eyes! 

 Thunder hadn't noticed me until Skabenga ran up to him...

 ...and made a bee-line for me! (Just look at the elegance as he walks!) 

 Hello Mum! 

 He noticed I had a bag of maize cobs in my hand

 Thunder had also been rolling in the mud, to the extent of having a muddy face! 

 C'mon Mum, what's in that bag? 

Margaret and Sandra, you were both right ! I wasn't riding Thunder. He can't be ridden as he has a sway back. We found out that he is deep in his twenties; about 27 years old. He was nuzzling my neck to get to the bag of corn cobs and I loved the shadow so much, I had to take some photos! 

 The illusion

 Walking back home, I turned a took a couple of last photos

 Beautiful old gentleman, Thunder

Thunder and Missy as I got to know them - and how I will miss them! 

Last night I went out to photograph the waxing moon. As I turned around, I felt all choked up: 

The stable was bare...

I'm linking to Our World Tuesday here