Superman the miniature horse is integrated into the herd

After being nagged for two years ("Jethro needs a friend") and having unsuccessfully tried a goat, I finally broke down and agreed when my friend Sam suggested his miniature horse, Superman.

I took Superman as partial payment for the website I built for Sam (if you need affordable mediation for divorce in Greensboro, NC Sam is your man, end of PSA) and he arrived, after many delays, Sunday morning.

It's been raining, mostly, since then, and Superman's been confined to the round pen to protect him from the wrath of Jethro the donkey. Superman's basic nature: "unperturbed." He just ploughed his way around the round pen munching while Jethro would periodically prance around outside and practice kicking him through the bars.

This morning I couldn't stand it any more, Superman looked bored, so I waited till Jethro was eating his favorite morning sweet food, and I unlocked the round pen.

Superman came shooting out, galloped (!) all over the place, and then Jethro came tearing out of the shed in pursuit.

It was soon clear that Jethro is, indeed, a coward. Though he would wildly kick, he was always a safe distance from the imperturbable dwarf (to me, Superman looks like a fat dachshund imperfectly transmogrified into an equid).


I didn't have the camera for that initial meet-and-greet. I just laughed as they tore up and down the hill and through the little patch of trees. Soon, to Jethro's disbelieving eyes, Superman was in the shed, rump (the danger zone) outward, munching the rest of the sweet feed. Jethro would come close and practice his kicks, but he never landed one... and Superman cleaned up all the treats... as you can tell by his build, he is successful at competing for resources.


I'm extremely pleased with this outcome. Jethro is a bully, the worst combination: bossy and cowardly. Maybe Superman will teach him a few things.

Superman's been living with a lot of big horses that weigh twice as much as Jethro, or more, so he is completely unfazed by my donkey's wild feignings.


So then, grunting, Superman lay down and had a roll in one of Jethro's many wallows.