Sage can also be pretty mischievous. He'll misbehave if he feels ignored, chewing on wood, a whip, his leadline, the jumps, the cones, etc. He knows the instant you've stopped paying attention, and knows just when to push his advantage. On my good days I find this amusing, and on my bad days its frustrating. All in all, I love having an intelligent horse, but wonder what would have happened if I'd left him a stallion. How many houdini's would I have created??? (Yes, Sage knows exactly when the fence isn't working!The humans find out by looking out the window and seeing him OUTSIDE his pasture.)
One of the interesting things about Sage is that he is an extreme Curly. Extremes have very little mane and tail, sometimes having a completely bare tailbone. This summer is a definite battle against the bugs. We are currently going through fake tails, different flysprays, and other contraptions designed to keep the bugs away. Its sad to watch Sage suffering, and some humans find skimpy tails to be pretty ugly, but I got an extreme because my allergies seem to be even better around them than regular Curlies. At last, I can breathe and pet my horse at the same time!
Sage's proper name is White Sage, after the plant used in smudging. Smudging is a ritual used to clear negative energy away, and it certainly feels like Sage does that every time I go visit him. I can have the worst day, and feel absolutely wonderful by the time I leave the barn. Let's hope the reverse is true for him too. I certainly try to be a good human...:-)
