Musical Stalls

I have a pretty simple setup: the stalls open up to a small paddock which opens up to different larger paddocks. Depending on which gate I have open I can rotate the grass and the horses can use their stalls as run ins during the day.

At supper time they come into their stalls, are fed and then let back out for a couple hours for more grazing. Before they come in I get their stalls ready by replacing water, putting hay in the hayracks and moving the bedding back out of the corner. I add bedding as needed. It took a while for them to get used to going out after eating supper but now they know the drill. Usually, when I am finished their stalls I yell 'BEDTIME' and they come running in. I give them a last pat and an apple or carrot and shut up the barn for the night.

Lately they have started coming to the barn as I am getting it ready and waiting (impatiently) for me to be done.

Carmen has also realized that Irish gets more feed then she does. She tried registering her displeasure with that but when I took no notice she's begun to scheme about how to get at his extra ration. I have ot make sure that I remove Irish's grain bucket (it hangs over his door) before opening the exterior door or else she barges in and shoves her head into it.

It's very hard to get it off the door when there's a big, heavy head holding it down.

Last night as I was preparing their stalls Carmen stood outside Irish's door and watched me carefully. I gave her a pat on the nose and carried on with my duties. The last thing I did was put Irish's hay in the rack and then in her stall. I heard a horse go into Irish's stall but when I looked it was Carmen and Irish was standing outside looking peeved.
Irish: hey, she's in my bed!
Carmen: a gentleman always shares with a lady. 
Irish: leave my hay alone!
Carmen: I think that I want to stay here tonight. 

Rather then get in the stall I went around to bring Irish back out because I know that she will follow.

I turned the side of the barn in time to see Irish's butt going into Carmen's stall.
what's good for the goose is good for the gander

sigh.

For a minute I thought about leaving them but I realized it would make more work for me in the morning. As I was scratching my head in consternation planning my next move Carmen stuck her head out.
Carmen: HEY! He's in my stall.
Me: I know. 
Carmen: HE'S STEALING MY HAY!
Irish: *munch* well you stole mine*munch munch*
Carmen: Well I never! 
Me: you brought it on yourself.

I went over and got Irish out of her stall. With a saucy flip of his tail he headed out to the field. Carmen watched him and I figured I would end up chasing both of them.
But instead she went out, looked at him and bolted into her stall.
Mine. This is MY stall. I hope he left me some. It's a good thing that I'm a lady, or else I would be using some pretty strong language right now. 

I closed the door and Irish sauntered back down and into his stall looking pretty smug about the whole thing.

I was just relieved that it was over.

I wonder how I entertained myself when I didn't have horses at home?

Carmen's "We are not amused face"