Believe it or not, this time I'm not posting anything about politics.
Lately, I've had more than enough. Hagel is the only guy that seems sensible lately, maybe Webb, and a couple of others.
But that's really not what I want to talk about.
Today is about...drum roll....
"How to Hug a Horse"
Yeah, yeah, yeah...I've been called a tree hugger, and I admit that I've done that. I've had some very nice times with my favorite maple, a cute cherry, and a golden delicious that was the apple of my eye. Heck, those trees didn't respond nor seemed to share my enthusiasm. Good for me though.
But the truth of the matter is that there's absolutely nothing like hugging a horse.
Today went like this. I went to Shot o' Bourbon's stall. Her head was out, and i'm guessing that she was hoping I'd toss her a flake of hay or give her a mint, or maybe a carrot. Nope, Shot o' B...just me coming to say hi.
So, I petted the big white blaze that runs from the top of her beautiful face, down between her chestnut muzzle, and reached with my other hand to stroke her feminine elegant neck. She melted. When she rested her head on my shoulder as I stoked her muzzle, I knew I'd been hugged back.
There's something nice that happens when a horse knows your smell, shares some trust, and knows that you're not going to hurt her. Breaking will wait until the weather warms, though the bonding will continue.
Next I walked a few stalls down to where Ciel Bonne lives. She's Shot o' Bourbon's half sister. A yearling filly by Stanislavsky (High Cliff @ nybreds).
What a beauty she's growing to be! Shot is a chestnut, but Ciel B is a grey,
very dark right now, with a crescent moon on her forehead.
So I put my hand near, so she could get a sniff. I reached up with my other hand to stroke her neck, and guess what...she also put her head right on my shoulder. Ahh the love!
She stayed there for over a minute, just as calm and nice as a pretty filly could be. More sniffs, muzzle in my jacket arm, petting her neck and rubbing that spot under her jowls that some horses like so much, like petting a dog behind the ears.
So, there you have it. No politics today. Just a lot of horse hugging.
If you ever get the chance, give it a try. It's nice for the horse, and even nicer for the human.
Now, if Darlin' by Day would just calm down enough for me to touch her mane, maybe...maybe.
Fillies are so different.
Whispers and carrots next time for her.
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