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//  Chapter Three - Totes my Goat 
// Story: Looking After The Animals 
// by teamidris 
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Granny Smith had been quite the talent with a lasso back in the day. It took practice as well as precision, but to be top notch, it also needed flexibility. Unfortunately, time had eroded agility, and now she struggled to snare a fence post.

Luckily, age brought knowledge as well as experience, and few were more adaptable than the old mare. Her salvation had arrived in the form of a large crossbow from one of the better catalogues. It came with a hoof winch as well as a clean release motion, so anypony could fire it. With that crossbow she was back in the roundup.

For best effect, old Mrs Apple would wait for sick critters to walk past the porch where she sat snoozing on her rocker. Having animals screaming around the farm with crossbow bolts sticking out of them wasn't on though, so she had upgraded it to a mini harpoon.

A length of rope now led from the bolt and up over the hand rail to a coil on the floor. The free end was securely tied to a stout stake hammered deep into the ground. Originally it was tied to the rocker, but initial testing had seen granny 'chair-skiing' behind an injured cow. Apple Bloom had learned many new words that day!

Another plan that had failed was herding animals past the house so Granny could pick off the weak ones. This kicked up a lot of dust, obscuring the already poor vision of the old dear. Applejack’s hat had found itself skewered to a nearby tree, at which point she refused to help ever again.

Right now, one of the neighbours goats was walking across the front yard toward the pond. Being a newbie to the farm, it was oblivious to the killing zone avidly avoided by their own animals and the postmare. Creeping forward, Granny Smith rested the end of the weapon on the hand rail.

Twang!

The goat made a run for it, but the barbed bolt was deeply embedded in its neck. Turning for home, it soon reached the end of the rope and made a half back flip as the tether tightened. Granny was already half loaded with a broad-head bolt which she kept razor sharp. Gauging her mark between its leaps she caught it in the back of the neck, severing the spinal cord.

"Yea haw!" She shouted, dancing a stiff jig as the goat fell silent.

It was at that moment that AJ and Apple Bloom hurried around the corner.

"Wow, Granny! You sure stung that critter good!" beamed Apple Bloom.

AJ didn't look so pleased. "What in the hay do ya think ya doin'? That ain't even one of ours! Apple Bloom, get it dragged into the barn before somepony squeals on us and don't let Winona have none. I don't want her turnin' up at ours neighbours back door with the leg off their best goat!"

Granny tutted, grumbled something about "back in my day," and went into the farm house.