Once upon a time, I brought home two miniature LaMancha does from a herd dispersal.
I named them Elle and Rhea. Elle liked to noodle-neck around, twisting her head at awful angles because…well…she was just weird. Her name was changed to Noodle. Later, I found out who she was and her registered name! But we still call her Noodle.
Noodle is polled. I think it made her extra-smart. More room for brain. She is unbelievably NOSEY and TROUBLESOME.
She chewed up the wiring on the mule so many times we’ve despaired of ever having a brake light or tail light. You want to secure something with bungee cords or hay twine? Then you better make sure Noodle can’t reach it. She also chewed the tag right off my license plate…WHY, Noodle!? Why?!
She will absolutely drink your tea if it is left unattended, something my dad has never forgiven her for.
She learned to open the gates with slide latches. She learned to unchain gates. Usually, she opens the gates, lets the entire herd out, then wanders off, away from the chaos. The picture of innocence. But I know better.
She even learned to open the back door to the house. It was like watching the velociraptor on Jurassic Park. You could see her Noodle brain working. Frustrated, she would noodle-neck and try turning the handle again and again until she was rewarded with entrance into the human domain. Once she got it, she NEVER forgot.
Back in 2018, Noodle got herself into a bit of a pickle.
I had rode off on the cowpony, mistakenly thinking I had secured the house. It doesn't help if the door is locked but not quite closed.
When I got home, the house looked politely burglarized...a pillow knocked over here, a few smaller pieces of furniture scooted ever-so-slightly...
Then the husband proceeded to describe what he had found when he arrived home earlier, the general disarray in addition to the trash can toppled and trash scattered - the bedroom door shut and noises coming from the other side of the door...
He was sure someone had broken in and was still in the house!
Then he showed me this picture.
It was a Noodle. A Noodle that had broken into the house, snooped everywhere, and had apparently found a few crumbs of barbecue potato chips in the bag that was tossed into the trash. She was absolutely unable to get the chip bag off of her head. Somehow, she had opened a closet door and shut the bedroom door, trapping herself in the room. No idea how long the chip bag was on her head. Thankfully, the unrepentant, lovable brat did not suffocate herself. Later, I found out she also peed and pelleted in the craftroom...sigh...Noodle.