Friendly and Fresh

When I stepped out of my car today, I heard Harley whinny from his paddock.  How sweet.  Couple the fact that he hadn't seen me in a week with the notion that his buddy was already in the barn and I had one lonely pony.  He was waiting at the gate when I got there and I could not resist giving him a kiss on his velveteen nose.  He eagerly shoved his nose in his halter as I gave him the once over.  Besides some tangles in his mane and tail, he looked relatively clean.  I have cared for grays before, so I know how messy they can be.  Even though he is very light-colored, Harley is not much of a mud worshiper.  Off-white seems to wear dirt rather well anyway.  I walked him back to the barn and he was all happiness with shiny, bright eyes and a swing in his step.

I got out the grooming kit and set to work.  I hadn't gotten far and was just brushing his neck, when the barn owner mentioned that I did not appear to be wearing riding clothes.  Alas.  I wanted to ride, but my body was not quite up to it yet.  I had only gotten one good night sleep in the past week and was prone to coughing fits.  I am sure that Harley would take care of me, but I have difficulty setting limits when it comes to riding.  I would end up riding for an hour, working up a sweat, and possibly setting myself back another week.  I am already fighting off two infections.  I do not need a third!

So I purposely did not wear riding clothes.  I knew that this would (most likely) keep me out of the saddle.  Although, let me tell you, Harley is one charismatic fellow and difficult to resist.  Despite creeping thoughts of "just a walk around the paddock", I stuck to my guns and the grooming kit.

I barely finished responding to the barn owner's inquiry by confirming that I was not riding today, when Harley started to paw with his right front foot.  I was standing on his right side, brushing his neck.  Before I could finish scolding him for his behavior, he deliberately brought his right front leg to the side and plopped his hoof on top of my foot!  I was so surprised that I barely knew how to react.  His hoof was gone almost as soon as it grazed my foot.  His stunt had been without pressure or force against my shoe, so I was completely unharmed, but no less stunned by his clear demonstration of frustration.

"Excuse me..."

"...but it sounds like you said..."

"...no riding?!  What gives?"

 (These pictures are from a different day when Harley was demonstrating how he can stretch his front legs on his own using the "elbow touch" Spanish walk precursor exercise.  I thought they were more amusing in this context.)

"What do you mean?  We are not riding today?"

Rather then continue my original notion to scold him, I just apologized and told him that I would give him a good grooming. 

"We will ride later in the week.  I promise!"

Harley is definitely not the kind of horse that likes to be idle.  I think that I underestimate this sometimes.  He is rarely fresh, but this behavior definitely qualified!  No offense Harley.  I do not like to be idle either, but I do want to be able to speak above a hoarse croak and without coughing incessantly some time in the near future, so I am just going to have to give it some time.  I know that I could get up there and ride today and it would be no problem, until I felt worse later.  Thankfully, spring break is just around the corner.  Plenty of time for resting, riding, and cleaning my house, because that needs to be done, too!

What do you think?  Did Harley recognize that I was not wearing riding clothes?  Did he understand when I said "no" to the question about riding?  What does he understand exactly? 

Apparently a great many things!

When Val is not around...

Hi Everyone.

Harley here.

Val is not feeling well.  She did come to see me this week, because it was my birthday, but I could tell that she wasn't herself.  She would only whisper to me.  Something about losing her voice.  Luckily, I do not care if she can talk or not.  I read her mind without too much trouble.  I took Val for a nice ride even though she was not feeling 100%.  She said that we would only walk, but I knew that she did not mean that.  We trotted!  We cantered!  We half-passed!  It was lots of fun and a good birthday for me.  I got lots of grass-time afterward, but now Val is feeling worse, so I have not seen her for a few days.  Hopefully, she will visit me soon.  I do miss her on the days when she does not make it out here.

Luckily, I am good at staying busy.

Everyone says that I have my nose in everything and they are most certainly correct.  When I am eating my dinner, I like to watch the barn owners filling the water buckets and putting hay in the other horses' stalls.  They tell me to keep eating, but I can eat and watch at the same time, so I keep watching.  And eating, because I really like eating, too.

My nose.

Cisco's mommy comes to visit him quite often.  I really like her.  Cisco is not super helpful, so he hangs back and waits for his mommy to come get him.  I have to be extra friendly to make up for this.  I walk up to Cisco's mommy and we play a game.  She hides behind the big pine tree.  I know she is there, so I peek around the tree to find her.  I can tell that she likes this, because she tells me that I am cute and then hides again.  I am really good at this game.  I can find her every time.  I could play this game for hours, but, eventually, she wants to get Cisco, so she tells me to "back up".  I back up like a gentleman.  Sometimes I wonder if she might let me come along, too, but she always tells me to "stand" so that means that I have to wait.  I usually yell from my paddock for a while just in case she changes her mind.  I do not want her to forget that I am still thinking about our game and the nice grass outside my paddock.

Me eating AND watching.  Notice my pony neighbor who buries his face in his bucket.

I like to watch Cisco and his mommy do groundwork and ride together.  I also like to watch the barn owner give lessons.  I learn a lot by watching.  I learn that some horses do not like to canter as much as me.  I also learn that some horses like to turn when their rider does not expect it.  I wonder why they do not just read their rider's mind?  Maybe they are trying, but it is difficult.  Sometimes the barn owner asks me what I think about the lesson.  I try to tell her telepathically or I just nod my head.  Humans like that.  They also like it when I stick my lip in the air.

After he is done working, Cisco comes back and I greet him by arching my neck and sniffing noses.  Sometimes he temporarily forgets the rules.  He likes to test me.  He knows that I get first pick of the hay, but sometimes he just has to test.  I chase him away pretty good.  His mommy likes this because she says that I exercise him.  I always let him come back, though, because he is my best friend.

There are little green grasses growing in my paddock right now.  I like to nibble the little green shoots and nose though the pine needles.  I can do this for hours.  Sometimes, I feel like taking a nap.  The sandy ground is perfect for napping and so is the sun.  We have had some nice sunny days lately.  They are great for naps.  Cisco and I took a nap together in the sun.  We laid near each other in mirror image formation.  I have seen mirrors before in an indoor ring, so I know what mirror images are.  Val saw us napping and wanted to take a picture (I read her mind), but I heard her so I woke up and was standing by the time she returned with a camera.  I do not want to nap when Val is around.  I might miss something!

Val and I hope you have a good April's funny day.
My recommendations are to eat, sleep, play, watch, and hang out with your friends. 
If you are gray, go lay in the mud, too.  Cisco is part gray and likes to do that. 
As for me, I prefer just being nosy. 

Happy Birthday Harley!

14 years young

Harley was born just a few months before I graduated high school.  I was going off to college and riding a huge Hanoverian/TB mare, but little did I know, my heart horse was a sweet, little, buckskin quarter horse who was busy growing and finding his way to me.  After almost nine years, we finally met and we have not been apart for very long ever since.  I am forever grateful for my husband's encouragement to just "go for it".  Having waited since the age of three to buy my own horse, it was difficult to know when was the right time.  After five years and counting, it turns out that Harley-time is always the right time.

Happy Birthday Harley!

Thanks for being my 

dressage horse, 

trail horse, 

bareback/trick/circus pony,

wild mustang,

black stallion,

beloved pet, 

and most importantly, 

my heart horse.