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Post by kigerfan on Feb 18, 2012 22:30:09 GMT -5
Our neighbor below us brought home a full grown pot bellied pig yesterday evening. Firefly has been running the fence line and snorting. She doesn't appear real happy with the new neighbor. I brought her hay down to her and set it on the grass, she was happily eating it until I walked away, and she ran after me. Every time I stopped, she stopped as well and turned around to face the neighbor's yard and snort. In order to get her to eat, I had to stay within about eight feet or so of the pile of hay.
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Post by lindad on Feb 19, 2012 10:14:46 GMT -5
My daughter's childhood horse hated pigs. While this horse was a superb trail horse and could do all of the obstacles beautifully, she always did terribly in the trail class at the 4-H fair because the course was just below the pig tent. She was focused on those pigs that just might attack at any second.
My neighbor takes pigs to fair and last year took his pig for a walk around the yard every evening while we fed our horses and would walk it right along our fenceline. My Kiger mares were scared of it. Both would run around the corral I feed them in. Chica was so scared she jumped the 5 foot fence as though it was only 1 ft. My donkey walked closer to the fence to get a better look but stayed what he considered a safe distance. The mule ran right up to the fence to say howdy to the pig and give him a mutual sniff. Bolero would prance around and blow and keep a sharp eye out until the pig was safely back in his pen, before he would eat. If he walks pigs again this year, I'll have to have the camera ready for some great shots.
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Post by kigercat on Feb 19, 2012 14:36:54 GMT -5
Our barn owner thought he was going to breed pigs...briefly. Bought a big sow and boar and put them in a pen right up against the far side of the arena. We will sometimes turn out the horses to just run and let off steam in the arena...esp during the winter months when we are cleaning stalls. At first there was lots of freaked out snorting and wheeling around that area...hearing and smelling them but not really able to see them except through gaps in the wall siding. Eventually they got used to them....after a fashion. But the experiment didn't work so he had them butchered. Not sure what would happen if they saw/heard/smelled pigs now.
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Post by kigerfan on Feb 19, 2012 18:23:03 GMT -5
Firefly, me and our three dogs went for a walk down below today. The pig was out wandering. Firefly followed me like a big dog, which is her normal course of action. The dogs followed as well. When the pig was within maybe thirty feet, the dogs and the horse were not happy with it. Firefly snorted and hid behind mom if the pig came towards her. Otherwise, she stood a distance off and just blew at it. She would run around and show off her bravery, all the while not getting anywhere near the pig! lol We had so much fun today! Lots of walking, grooming and playing.
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Post by kigerfan on Feb 25, 2012 20:59:42 GMT -5
So Firefly came face to face with the pig. It was funny, she had her nose down to the pig's level and they were approaching each other, both being very brave like. They got within a few feet of each other and both decided at the same time to call it a day! lol. Firefly was very willing to talk to the pig as long as I was right there next to her, but the pig wouldn't approach close enough for them to actually meet.
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Post by lindad on Feb 26, 2012 11:10:21 GMT -5
Sounds as though they will have a truce or even become friends soon.
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Post by kigerfan on Feb 26, 2012 15:47:32 GMT -5
Down there again this morning and she snorted and pranced but stayed more down towards the bottom with me. I'll give her another shot again when I don't have the dogs with me. She is very trusting when I tell her something is okay. I just touch it and tell her 'look' and she'll put her nose right on it. I think she and the pig will probably get used to each other pretty quick.
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Post by DianneC on Feb 26, 2012 19:54:20 GMT -5
That's nice training! That kind of trust is very special.
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Post by kigerfan on Feb 26, 2012 21:47:15 GMT -5
Today, the neighbor was going by the fence with his tractor with a scraper in back. Firefly was prancy and spun her hips out a bit, prancing a little sideways, but never made an effort to pull the leadrope tight or move into me. She just pranced until we got further away from it and then calmed right down. I want to get her some more tractor experience.
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