Big Snow and Pie Gets in Trouble

We had a substantial snow last night - one of the few snows we've had this winter - I think we got 7 or 8 inches, and it was the heavy wet stuff.  But very pretty - it was clinging to the bushes and trees and when it was coming down it was falling in enormous fluffy clumps.

For some reason, Pie has become very nervous and even herd-bound lately.  If there's a sign the other horses are going in, or a horse leaves the pasture, he gets frantic and starts running.  This really isn't (wasn't) like him at all - he worries a lot now.  Part of this is that he has no turnout buddies and no really good place to get turned out other than his paddock - it's decent sized, about 50x100 feet, but not the same as a real turnout with buddies to play with.  Sometime this morning while he was in his paddock, something either scared or upset him and he began to run - his paddock was all torn up.  At some point he ran into his gate, lifting it off the hinges (most of the gates at this barn are hung wrong with both prongs pointing up, which allows gates to come off the hinges too easily, and the type of gate is perfect for trapping equine legs and feet - just plain unsafe).  When I stopped by the barn in the late morning, the gate was sideways, hanging from the latch, and Pie was staying well away from it.  He clearly had gotten his left front leg through the gate bars and in fighting to get free had gotten several cuts on his leg, including about a 4-inch one on the outside of his lower leg.  Thankfully, he's sound and no critical structures seem to be damaged, although I expect he's sore and there's a bit of swelling.  Poor, poor fellow - he must have been very scared, and he was plenty afraid of the gate area when I led him down to the barn, blowing and snorting as he passed through.

I put him in his stall for a bit to calm down - he was all sweated up under his blanket so I took that off.  Later I moved him to a lower paddock opposite Drifter so at least he'll be as close as possible to the other horses.

I'm counting the days until Drifter and Pie are out of here and off to Wisconsin . . .