We’re officially in the dog days of summer now. It’s hot and yucky outside, even in the morning and even in the shade!
Chewie and I are still doing a little bit of training, but I can tell that she’s wishing for cooler days. Chewie and her buddy Liberty, the donkey, are both pretty itchy, and I spend a lot of time standing around scratching on them.
Equines will often groom on each other at the same time. Horse people call this “mutual grooming.”
Sometimes, they will also engage in this behavior with a person. For example, in the photo below, I’m scratching Chewie’s belly, and she is being very nice by returning the favor. She is using her big nose to scratch my leg!
Up until this week, I have never seen Chewie and Liberty scratch on each other.
Chewie has definitely made some attempts. There have been a few times this spring and summer when I have seen her try to scratch Liberty’s back.
His response has been to put his ears back, bite at the air in her direction, and then quickly walk away!
But, earlier this week, as I was leaving the property, I looked over and saw the two of them standing under the trees grooming each other. The photo below is a little difficult to make out, as I was some distance away. But, Liberty is grooming on Chewie’s shoulder, and she’s using his nose to scratch his back.
Chewie and Liberty have enjoyed each other’s company almost from the beginning. I wrote last fall in Week 38 of Chewie’s Diary about their developing friendship.
But, it makes me very happy to see them becoming even closer and engaging in more activities together.
I had a horse friend who used to say that it really takes a horse up to a year to adjust to a new home. Chewie has now lived on this property for about 10 months. In some ways, it feels like we have been here forever. But, it’s also important for me to remember that she may still be finishing settling in.
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