Why won't my animals listen to me?

A horse, a cow, and a steer all share the same attitude toward shelter and warmth.

- Sue Wunder

“Can you spell ‘barn’?”

I’m asking Buck, a lovely old Belgian draft horse who stands stoically in a cold rain on the back pasture, his coat wet and matted, his big hooves planting mud holes with each step.Occasionally he pauses to pull up a mouthful of limp, brown winter grass between puddles. Grazing is abundant on the acreage supporting the very last three animals still under my care on the farm that once supported 30 or more. Nearby, my big, gentle steer Indy and Brown Swiss cow Nellie are similarly occupied, oblivious to the weather. They are an odd trio, close companions in retirement despite gender, species, and size disparities. They are just growing old together.