Coming Home

Coming Home

Backed up to the Green Pens 

at Kickin' Back Ranch.

After a week of anticipation, the day arrived to go pick Opal up from the Litchfield BLM corrals.  The day started with driving from Reno, where we had stayed the night, to the corrals in Litchfield, Ca.  We saw several wild mustangs off highway 395 as we drove along.

Group of wild Mustangs off highway 395.

Once the paperwork for Opal was signed, she was ready to be loaded into the trailer.  Opal was already separated from the rest of the herd and had a pen of her own.  I walked over to say hi

and snap a few shots of her before she was loaded.

 

Opal in her corral at BLM

She was encouraged to make her way through the loading chute to have her ID tag removed and head into the trailer.

Let's hit the road!

Traveling with one kid can be a challenge, let alone 2 kids and a horse who has no idea whats going on.  We stopped for lunch in a charming town called Loyalton.  There was one little place to eat with outdoor seating and fenced off areas, perfect for a 5 and 3 year old to stretch their legs.  Opal was in the trailer across the street and after about 10 minutes of not moving, began to paw at the trailer floor.  I went over to her and offered her some hay, which after a few snorts following the hay being dropped in the trailer for her, she gladly ate.  She would sit quietly for a few minutes, then paw again.  I would go over, talk to her for a few moments before having to go wrangle my kid out of a planter of flowers.  (She just wanted to ring the wind chimes...is that really a crime?)  On the third trip over to Opal, I found her sticking what little of her nose she could out the bars of the trailer.  I held my hand out to her and she nuzzled it with her upper lip, then settled down.  

With each pit stop for the kids (or adults to stretch out our legs) she stood in the trailer quieter and calmer.  When she did start to fuss, I would just call to her and come into view so she could see me and she would settle right down.  One last pit stop to get dinner found me at the trailer with a hand full of alfalfa holding it out to her.  She was calm and quiet, not worried about me hanging right outside the trailer, silently listening.  She wanted the hay, her head was coming closer and closer to my hand, but she wasn't sure if she could or should take it out of my hands.  I eventually put the hay in the trailer for her after 10 minutes as it was time to hit the road for the last 8 miles.   

We finally arrived at Kickin' Back Ranch around 8pm and it was time to let her out of the trailer.  

Time to come out!

Opal began to explore her new surroundings while I got her dinner ready.  I also brought her future pasture mate Ehawee into a divided off section of the Green Pens so they could say hi and Opal wouldn't be all alone on her first night.  Both mares sniffed each other and Ehawee nuzzled Opal's withers.  Then both mares turned to their food....priorities you know.  

All tucked in for the night.
  

Its been a long day for everyone, but I wanted to thank Mairalaina Batoog for helping get my beautiful girl home, and Michael Batoog for letting me steal Marialaina for a 2 day road trip :) You both do a great job running the ranch and I'm blessed to have such a wonderful place to keep my girls.  A very big thank you to my Husband for allowing me to continue down the road with another horse.  

Good night!