A Pony's Best Friend

Horses are herd animals and Neville has his very special herd here at home now...our dog, Anna, and several chickens that he loves to play with.

Anna loves Neville, and Neville loves her. For a couple days, Neville was a little sad that his pony buddies weren't here with him, but when he found out he can chase and herd the chickens and that Anna would help, he was good to go.

The other dog, Addie, is absolutely terrified of Neville. Usually, it's the other way around. Anna's afraid and Addie wants to lick it.

One afternoon, Anna was out with him, helping with barn chores and the chickens were down in the woods. Neville must have gotten bored because he started whinnying, herding the chickens to come back up into his field. He started chasing them, which is his favorite thing to do.

He doesn't like when the chickens scratch around in his leftover hay, looking for grass seeds, or when they stand on "his" dirt pile. He'll chase them away and then try to herd them back up again.

Neville, in particular, loves an Asian Blue Chicken that looks like partridge. We have absolutely no idea why, but he does. He will get all worried when Autumn puts her somewhere out of his sight. He'll pace around his paddock until Autumn brings her back again.

Around 7 o'clock every night, Nev comes over and nudges me with his head like, "Hello, it's my bedtime, Mom!" He'll yawn and yawn until I throw out his hay around 8:45.

Anna will usually come out with me in the mornings to go to the bathroom and to visit Neville. She'll smell Neville before trying to get him to play, although Neville's busy eating his morning hay.

Addie will come out in the mornings, too, but she won't go near Neville. She's too scared of him, I suppose. She'll sit on Autumn's lap when we're out there and she won't move.

I guess dogs and chickens can be a pony's best friend, too.