As I have learned, Elliott does just walk off and keeps walking.
I left the gate open one day and I have no idea how much time passed before I discovered my error. I knew he had taken a liking to the wood behind my house. He never went far but he seem to always gravitate to them. In the most part the land behind me is low land and has many wet marsh areas in them. the trees are not big enough to block the sun from the floor of the woods so it has lots of brush, seedling trees and weeds. Lets say it is thick and humans really do not want to walk in it. Elliott on the other had loves the lush choice of greens growing and does not mind walking up to his belly in water.
I immediately took off in a direction I thought he might go. Not knowing how far or how long he had been gone. I was not dressed for walking in the thick underbrush and wet lands. I got far enough to start the panic of what I was doing and needed to do.
I lost sight of my feet and the mosquito grew in size with each bite. The other flying bug were in my face and hair. The spiders had webs built between every twig, branch or blade of greenery that was face high. The summer humidity and my own internal furnaces had me dripping. Hyper venting caused a few of those flying bugs to get swallowed. The more I swatted and tried to cover my face with my arm the more I lost sight of where I was at. My feet dress in sandals has stepped in every bud bog in the directions I chose. I finally stopped to collect myself and realized I have no idea where I am at or what direction I was going. There is literally over a mile of this stuff behind my house all the way to the ferry and it is a half mile wide. My panic grew into a full blown panic attack. I knew I lost my horse but I will die if I can not get out of here. I knew I was close to my house but just could not see it and did not know the direction to go in. I moved about, I'm sure in circles till I finally came out of the woods South of my home. I walked the road home and sat on the porch in total fear of loosing my horse. I did not know if he would get stuck or just be lost in all the woods. It took a bit to get over the panic attack. I then decided to call a couple of my horse friends to see if they had any suggestions on how to find him.
The first person did not answer and the second friend did not answer my calls. I then jumped into the car and road up and down my road a couple of times. I thought he may have done the same thing I did when I got out of the woods. You then have to do some soul searching to get ones shit together as you realize it is totally up to you to find this horse. So, I Googled it. To my surprise there was lots of info on finding horses. Who Knew? The one thing that I read that made me think is "New horse owners under estimate how far a horse can travel." That got me to think I should drive down the ferry road.
Back in the car, I headed toward the ferry. About half a mile down the ferry road I see something on the side of the road. As I got closer I realize it is Elliott just munching on the tall grass growing along the road. He was 3/4 of mile down headed home. I can not imagine how he got through all those woods. I made a U turn in the middle of the road and blocked the lane on the South side of the road as the ferry was about to unload and those folks are in a hurry to get home. I jumped out and was trying to get his halter on when a car came up on the other side and ask if they could help. I told them yes, could they dive my car home so I could walk my horse home. The young men where happy to help and they drove off in my car.
We started to walk when the traffic started. Now there is no shoulder on the the road tall grass grows right up to the blacktop. Elliott is still trying to eat and I am moping my face from all the dripping I am doing. Some folks honked as they went by, some slowed to see the strange woman walking her horse down the ferry lane.
We got home and I put him in the barn so I could take a shower and sit for a bit with the peace of mind he was safe and not going any where. I just got out of the shower when the phone rang and it was my friend telling me my horse was at another friends house a mile behind me as the crow flies. She then said her husband was on his way to my house to help. Just then he shows up. I told them
" No, Elliott was in the barn." We then walk to the barn and there he was. So he left and I was so surprised that they thought he was at my friends house on the river behind me.
I learned later that he in fact was at their house but they where out fishing. When they came home they found his hoof prints by their dock. So when they got out of the boat they where so surprise to see these small horse prints, they called the other friend to see who had a horse around them and why was it at their house. They realize quickly that I was the only horse owner close enough it must be Elliott.
To understand how far he traveled is still strange to me. They live a mile behind me on the river. No houses, roads or clearing between us. They have at least a mile long drive way out to ferry road, with nothing between but woods. He had already done his two miles and was on his way home down ferry road when I found him.
{New owners under estimate how far a horse can travel}
The second time he got a way I along with my friends on the river scoured the area thinking he would make the same trip. But no he stepped out back made a left turn and ended up a quarter mile down at the new neighbors house. They tied him to their porch and posted in the island face page that a horse wander into their back yard and did anyone know who's it was. Now every one on the island is having fun with this horse and me.
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