My “Wild” Barn Buddies….

There is more to a barn than just horses. All types of wild  animals call the barn home. Over the years, I’ve made a few wild friends. My current barn is located on a city park/preserve…which is a fancy way of saying that even the most obnoxious barn critters cannot be touched (no squirrelinaters welcome here). At first all the critters drove me a bit insane. But now, I am starting to make peace with a few of them.  Below are some of my all time favorites:

Spot

Most of you are familiar with Spot (RIP my rodent friend). Spot is your typical barn squirrel that I decided to target train. Just as soon as he started eating from my hand, he met his untimely fate. I have befriended another squirrel named Holey Guacamole for the perfect hole in his left ear, but I am not motivated to spend the time to train him to eat from my hand.  He will target the end of my whip for a piece of carrot though.

Chop Stix

Chop Stix is my all time favorite! She is a wild bunny born in the Spring of 2013. She has a broken hind leg, but that doesn’t slow her down. Bunnies cover a bigger territory than squirrels, so training is tough, but Chop Stix will come out at the sound of my voice when she is in the area. She will stay close  and eat the carrots on the ground around me. I am happy to say that Chop Stix found herself a nice boyfriend bunny and is bringing along some baby Chop Stix. She disappears for a bit and will reappear when the babies are older. That is, if Bobbi doesn’t find her first.

Bobbi

Bobbi is the best friend a barn located on a preserve can have. He and his friends keep the rodent population in check. He is also beautiful to look at. This picture of Bobbi was snapped right behind my tack room. We surprised each other. Thankfully I had my cell with me and was able to slowly pull it out while Bobbi gave me a good look.

Speedy

Not sure what this guy was doing at the barn. I also found him in front of my tack room one morning. I returned him to the nearby creek where I am sure he is much happier.

Bandit

OK I found him at a different barn, but he is pretty cool! I’ve lived in CA pretty much my entire life and couldn’t ID this guy as a California Weasel. I thought he was an escaped pet and tried to lure him over with a treat. The funny thing is that he actually came quite close to me. He would advance and retreat, completely unsure of what I wanted. I had no idea this thing was a meat eater and another great companion to have at a barn. This guy can really keep the rodent population in check!

What are your favorite wild barn buddies?????