Daily Drover and I put our small Katahdin sheep flock out to graze in the morning…Then in the evening before dark usually we gather the sheep up and put them in the arena for the night.
This evening ….it smelled like Fall…leaves and that wonderful earthy smell that I can not describe…but is so distinct….It was cooler and nice with a light breeze out of the southwest. The sun was sinking low and the clouds were low and thick in the west…A promise of rain? Maybe!
The grass is green and kinda tall in the field. I decided to not cut it for the hay…I thought it best to graze the field this fall and early winter by intense rotational grazeing.
I could hear crows not to far off …A sure sign of fall!
Also in the distance the bells were tinkling with the sway of the sheep as they ate the lush tall green grass.
The sheep were at least 900 feet from Drover and I, as we walked down the driveway. When I reached the sharp curve at the old oak tree (blown down during hurricane Hugo) so it is only a sweet memory for me…I put Drover in a sit stay …faced him and sent him “Away” he went to my left and I started to walk briskly down the driveway. I was able to watch his work as he gathered up the sheep beautifully (who said English Shepherds only like to work close?) Drover started to bring the sheep to me, and met me at the turn off the driveway where you go to the sheep pens, with all the sheep and brought them round behind me and I walked to the sheep gate at the arena …opened it and Drover brought the sheep through nice and easy and quiet enough….(could use some improvement on easy and slow down a bit more) …I closed the gate and the sheep were up for the night!
When I started working with my dogs in herding I was hoping one day to be able to move a flock of sheep successfully ….Now we do it daily! No I have not arrived we are still learning so much every day! But it mighty nice to be able to allow my sheep to free range graze on our farm. Knowing that with Drover I can gather them anytime I need to and put them where they need to be!
Actually it is pretty cool!
Drover is a good dog!
