And thus, I missed going for a ride due to general sogginess. And Brita said something about being tired of cleaning my halters. Then she gave me a nice, soft, conditioned one, a cookie and sent me back out in the drizz. No matter, I was enjoying the slop. I love being an outdoor horse.
I mean who needs to go for rides when there is grass and sunshine free on demand? So, she took another horse out for her ride. I saw them go up the driveway, and I looked up from my grass and felt jealous for just a minute. They were gone a really long time... like ten whole minutes or more. Then I realised I had missed the ride and all the good stuff that goes with it. So I came storming into the barn to wait for her to come back.
This past week has been absolutely beautiful. Warm weather, clear skies, the mud has dried. I have been going galloping again in my big field. Oh it makes me feel so good to stretch my legs! I've been feeling quite mischievous, and getting a chance to run just makes me so much more relaxed. The only down side is that I have my winter coat, and I get really warm. Brita says no sense clipping any of it off since we will be needing it later and we won't be running in the winter. It just takes longer to get cleaned up, and I have to wear my blanket for part of the day until I'm really dry and comfy again. Since the weather has been so warm, being damp around the edges hasn't bothered me much.
Today when we went to the field, we startled four deer. They had been hiding in the weeds, and they jumped up and ran.
Deer don't scare me. Whenever I see them, they are always running away. They seem more scared of me than I am of them. But, while I watched them, they jumped the pasture fence and went running off to the left. I followed their progress because it is so interesting to see their fluffy white butts bobbing away in the distance. Then I realised that far away, over there, was that herd of cows. All of them! And they were looking at me. I guess they've been over there in the pasture all along but I've never really noticed them before.
Brita put me right to work and said there would be no fun galloping today. Only cantering and circles and stuff so I didn't lose my marbles and get carried away. I behaved rather well under the circumstances. After all, the cows were far away. But every time she let me stand and look at them, I would snort and flag my tail and try to look big and dangerous so they wouldn't come after me.
Cows must either be really dumb, or hard of hearing. Even when I snort four or five times in a row and make a big fuss, they still don't run away. I was still snorting half way home. But from there I really couldn't see them. I looked, but they were just tiny black specks like ants. It seemed silly to snort at ants. But I tried it a couple of times anyway, just for good measure. I don't want those dumb buggers following me home and knowing where I live. I've got enough cows to deal with as it is.
I had an awful nightmare last night. I dreamt I was at an auction. At first I thought it was a horse show because there were lots of other horses there, and everyone was getting groomed and ready just like we were going to show. But when I got to the ring, I was the only horse there and everyone was staring at me and whispering to each other, and the announcer talked really fast. I tried my best, but it made me dizzy. Somehow I knew I had to try my very very best or things would go badly. In fact, I felt as though my very life depended on it.
Before I knew it I was back in my stall, and my people and the horses I came with were gone and I was all alone in the world. A man came I that I didn't know. He didn't talk to me or pat me or anything. He silently led me out of my stall and to a trailer. I followed him because I didn't know what else to do. I looked for someone I knew, but they were all strangers.
At first I was afraid to get on the trailer because I didn't know anyone and everything was strange. But they pulled on my rope and spoke gruffly, and I was afraid not to do what they said. I got on the trailer with other horses and we rode all night in the dark.
When we stopped, I didn't know where I was. Everything smelled different and there were strange people and strange horses, and they didn't know my name. They gave me food, but it wasn't the same as the food I was used to, and there wasn't quite enough. I didn't know what came next or what the new people expected of me.... I wasn't sure I was in a safe place....
When I woke up this morning, at first I didn't know where I was. Everything began to swim back into focus. I was still here at home in my own stall, and Mom was opening the door to give me my breakfast. She said she was glad to see me and said nice things about me. Briefly, I remembered when I first came here and everything was strange at first. I came from that auction far away when I was quite young. I remember trotting back and forth and doing my best. I picked my knees up as high as I could and put my ears up.
I didn't have many close friends back then so I didn't really miss anyone. I tried to go along and do as I was told because they were nice to me. Things ended up very well for me. I'm happy in my home, and I barely remember the places I lived when I was growing up. I hope the nearly 500 Saddlebreds who were sold at the big Tattersalls Fall sale this past weekend do OK. Some sold for only a couple of hundred dollars, less than the cost of a nice bridle or a new set of shoes. I know it is scary to go to a new place and sometimes the work might be hard, but do your best and don't kick or show your teeth. Hopefully you find a safe home and your new people will be kind and look after you like mine do.
