Push But No Pull
Busily taking pictures in the pasture I hear the bugle of the stallion.

That is odd. Why would he be so far away from his herd?

Again I hear his call, demanding, harsh. I turn looking into the distance to see what might be going on. But it is too far away and I can't see anything. I almost don't go but again I hear his scream. Curious I start walking toward the call.

When I get closer I can see in the distance the stallion with three of his mares and their foals. I don't understand what I am seeing. Why are they there? Why are they so far from the rest of the herd? Why are they not with the rest of the herd? And what is that silly stallion trying to do?

I get closer and I am even more confused. I can see the stallion herding the mares and foals toward an open area, a break between the fences. It is a large opening, but the mares get so far and they stop. Absolutely refusing to step through.

I get closer and closer and I simply don't understand, I am 25 yards away, 20, 15, ...10 and the answer is no clearer. I am about 20 feet away and I see the mares standing calmly with their backs toward me, absolutely refusing to move through the wide opening in the fence line, calmly looking at the stallion as if to say, okay now what are you going to do.

I can see his confusion, his frustration. He has never actually touched any of his herd to make them move. He is at a loss. He simply does not know what to do. He looks at me, He looks at the mares and then reaches down to snatch at the grass. As if biting down on the clump of grass takes out his frustration at what he would like to do with the mares that simply will not move.

No matter how frustrated he refuses to