*yawn*

I’ve been awake since 3:00am or thereabouts. Of course, when I get stressed and can’t sleep, I’ll sit up for hours and then, at about 5:30, I’ll start to feel very exhausted and sleepy, just because the alarm is set for 6:00. *sigh*

I tried turning Lizzie out again, and she and my friend Lindy’s horse had a serious tail-to-tail kicking fight. Normally horses will squeal, kick and break apart; after a few repetitions they establish the pecking order and everyone settles down. These two, however, had a serious go at each other. Lily is ok, but Lizzie has a flap of skin open on her hock, big scrapes and several small cuts up the back of both legs, a cut on her belly, and a small cut on her knee. She has been kept so unnaturally, separated from other horses her entire life, that I think she doesn’t know how to relate. She feels threatened by other horses being too close, and reacts aggressively. She’s frightened by being in open spaces, as well. I don’t know what to do with her – I don’t want to keep her boxed up all the time, but we have no separate pasture areas and I don’t want her to get hurt. She is so stressed.

I just feel sick. She’s such a beautiful horse, but with such issues…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horse so tightly wound. If I could just integrate her into one of the pastures, she’d have weeks to just unwind and relax, while I worked Kip and got him ready for sale. I just don’t know if that is going to happen.