Horsing around
As it’s the Chinese New Year and the start of the Year of the Horse,
Some wisdom from the horse’s mouth seems appropriate.
I moustache you to embrace the year with open arms;
To remember that even if life seems to be going backwards,
We can try to deal with problems with grace.
Life has its moments of beauty —
And of tenderness and love.
A big dose of laughter will stop neigh-sayers in their tracks
And make life better —
Because it’s all about falling and then having the courage
To saddle up and ride again.
For more hay-zy wise words, please visit: Our World Tuesday.
On the ranch
There’s nowhere better to be
Than on the ranch on a hot summer’s day.
My hot dog, Oscar, and I can just hang out
And friends are always willing to give him a hug.
You can meet beautiful horses
Not afraid to roll in the mud
And, best of all, children can find
Good friends willing to share
The same hairstyle
And the same intense look of friendship.
For more friendly creatures, please visit: Camera Critters.
Horsing around
It was one of those glorious autumn days
When the chill afternoon air turned
Breath to delicious smoke.
When my daughter met a new friend,
Isa, the New Forest Pony.
(The horse seems to be smiling, don’t you think?)
They rode into the sunlight
And round and round again,
While golden light – as thick as honey –
Made us thankful to feel alive.
(Sometimes you just have to hang onto that feeling of joy for as long as you can.)
For more lively stories, please visit: Our World.
Invisible beauty
It’s hard to believe that this horse arrived at my friend’s ranch only a few months ago
Uncared for, unloved, coat and mane matted
And with a sad sad look in his eye.
With love and attention he blossomed into this beauty —
A treasure that went unrecognized
Because he only has one good eye
And an empty socket where the other one used to be.
Luckily, he’s in the safe loving hands of someone whose heart recognized his inner beauty.
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. — Kahil Gibran
For more treasures, please visit: Camera Critters.
Bright spark
Every Friday, Anklebiter 1 (and sometimes number 2) and I head out to a horse ranch as soon as school finishes.
The road winds past dilapidated barns and wide open countryside; the road twisting and turning and narrowing as we near our destination in the middle of nowhere.
We brush Attila, who despite his name is a darling, and then we saddle up and my daughter rides away, with the rest of us (dog included) trailing after…
Last week, AB1 went to the field to fetch Attila. Several large horses blocked the way and wouldn’t let her out.
She asked me to help by unhitching the electric fence wires and then chase these horses – did I mention how huge they are? – away.
I took my gloves off and grabbed the hook thingie to detach the wires.
Apparently, you’re supposed to grab the plastic handles and not the actual wires of an electric fence…
I yelled loudly. I shook and you could almost see my skeleton as I vibrated like a cartoon character.
But my piercing scream did the trick. The large horses ran off, terrified.
The ranch owners came running.
“Oh, it’s just me!” I said with my singed hair standing up on end. “Just testing the electric fence for you…”
Pause.
“It all works fine!”
(No wonder my daughter says I’m embarrassing…)
For more electrifying stories, please visit: Camera Critters.
Who says what?