Sheep jumping

In case you didn't know, sheep can leap several feet in the air.

Until recently I'm not sure I was fully aware of this fact.

I think I should have known since many cartoons and picture books depict sheep jumping over a fence when the notion of counting sheep to fall asleep is referenced. 

I did a quick web search to find out why sheep jump but that resulted in several references to a gymnastics move called the "sheep jump." 

Clearly others are well aware of - and admire - this animal's leaping abilities.

This month I can confirm that not only can sheep jump when they feel like it, they can learn to do it on-command.

L. attended her 4H club's sheep clinic in August and found out there was a sheep obstacle course event at the Cumberland Fair. Her leader suggested she work with her sheep to teach them to leap over obstacles for the event.

L. loved the idea.

Her lambs did not.

But L. has managed to coax Minnie to jump over a couple of obstacles in the yard this past month. Minnie still balks sometimes at being pulled around but she and L. have become a pretty good jumping team. The trick is that Minnie will only jump over the obstacle if L. does.

L.'s other lamb, Symphony, has been a bit more ornery than Minnie from day-one. And although G. has helped L. with Symphony by following L. and Minnie through the course, Symphony is much more stubborn about it. Since L. can only take one lamb through the course at the fair, she's decided to let Symphony skip the training sessions.

So if you were one of many people who drove through my residential neighborhood this past month, your eyes were not fooling you. That black puffball was not an overly furry dog involved in agility training in our front yard. It was in fact, a lamb.