Running Fence

Imagine Jethro, our old dog, with his erupting skin condition, arthritic joints, and puppy brain. He was running and leading Sweety, the new found pup that looks mostly like an Australian Sheppard but only half size, up and down along the fence. Next to them, on the other side of the fence, we’re three full grown horses. Brie, a reddish color with a white blaze on her face, Bella the darker colored quarter horse and Newbie, buckskin hide, dark mane. All of them were joyfully running fence back and forth in the fading light.

That was the other night. It happened of course spontaneously. No camera, and didn’t last more than three or four laps before Jethro was too tired to keep going, but it was incredible to see. When he was younger, Jethro would have gone for fifteen minutes before blissfully rolling in the grass to catch his breath. Then he would pop up eager to do it again. This time he and the horses seemed to laugh a bit and he came up on the porch to lay down. The pup went off to tear around the yard and get rid of some of that energy that still runs unchecked under her skin.

Jethro has always loved running the fence with other dogs. I don’t think he even has a clue that the horses were merely indulging him.