The "hey, you're not supposed to be there" double-take

The other day I put the horses in the pasture for just a few hours as Colin and I had an early evening event to go to. I was rotating them to a pasture that had been resting for a couple weeks and before I put them out, I thought "is that back gate closed? It must be because Colin didn't put the handlines out." The horses were in two pastures that are connected by a gate and they prefer the back pasture; the connecting gate was open so they could have both pastures, but there is also an access gate to the back pasture only.

I went about my business cleaning the house and Colin was outside mowing the pasture the horses had just come off of.

I went out to get the horses a couple hours later and did a double-take as I look across the pasture. I'm counting noses and I see Princess Fancy Pants in the pasture. Check. I see Mac eating grass . . . but it he in the pasture or on the wrong side of the fence??? Then I see Paddy. IN THE POND. Which is on the wrong side of the fence!

I run into the pasture where Colin was mowing (just across the driveway from where the horses are so I can still see what they are doing) and wave my arms frantically. He's got headphones on so just waves back. NO!!!!! STOP!!!!! He takes them off and I'm yelling "Paddy is in the pond!!!" So he gets off the tractor and says not to panic, we have to remain calm. We grab halters and go out there to get the horses. I give him Mac's halter, I take Paddy's and the pony's, just in case she decides she wants to leave the pasture.

There's Paddy in the pond. Chest deep. Standing there and happily munching grass on the rim of the pond. Poor Colin, I think he thought I meant that Paddy was somehow stuck in the pond thrashing and drowning. I just meant help me get the horses out of where they shouldn't be and put them where they should be.

I don't know why the pony didn't join them when they wandered out of the gate - I think because the grass was wet and boggy there and she didn't want to get her princess feet wet, which certainly made things easier for me. But, that also means we need to do puddle-stepping-in work!