Day 83 - 85

Haven't been on the blog for a few days and it feels like ages! 

Friday was a great day: the weather turned even warmer than it already was.  Despite being only the beginning of April, it felt like summer.  Becky went for a ride with Col while Little Love and I turned around in the arena for 30 minutes.  So boring, but it had to be done.  I knew I wouldn't be able to come to the barn on Saturday and she had already had Thursday "off", too.  The break had done her some good though and she was less grumpy about our 30 laps. 

When Becky got back from her ride, we put the horses outside and took pictures of them and the dogs. The horses were just gorgeous in the sun! 



That day, when I got home at noon, Little Love's second set of boots had arrived in the mail!  Yay!  I couldn't wait to get to the barn to test them, but I had to wait until today, since Saturday my husband and I were busy coaching sports and organizing our sons birthday bash.  I go to the barn every day, so when there is one odd day that I don't, it feels like part of me is missing.  Being at the barn has turned into quite a daily ritual for me, it is sort of like meditating; it helps me center myself in my busy life.  The barn is the only place where time stands still; I can be there for four hours and it always feels both like a split second and an eternity have passed by. What I'm saying is that when I'm with Little Love, those moments cannot be measured in time.  In fact, measuring them by any standard would imply that there are expectations and goals, and I am doing my best to move away from that sort of thinking.  Expectations and goals create cracks in the otherwise perfect picture.  And then, of course, the picture is no longer perfect!  :-)   

Today I went to the barn early in the morning.  We were anticipating an excepttionally warm day (+24 celsius which is about 75 fahrenheit) and Becky had asked for a seat lesson afterwards.  Neither of us wanted to be in the hot arena any more than Col did so we set off in the early morning sunshine to get back before it got too warm.  I put on Little Love's new boots and after walking a bit funny in the back, she accepted them.  Becky asked me this morning if I was going to ride today and seemed to be surprised when I said I wouldn't.  I think she had thought that the boots would make me finally get on my horse.  She doesn't understand at all why I don't ride, but she also doesn't comment on it in any way, which is great.  I know if we were still living at the "old barn", I would hear no end of it.  I don't really miss riding, which is an interesting fact and something I need to think about more, as time goes by.  Will I ever ride again?  I don't know.  I'm sort of going with my gut with this one, and right now, walking on the ground seems the most natural thing for me to do.

We had a great walk and afterwards Little Love and I stood in the arena teaching Becky how to sit on her horse.  Then I mucked the stall and prepared the feed.  Becky told me that Col was in the "dog house" and wasn't allowed any carrots or apples.  Not that there were any apples left... Last night Col had managed to open his stall door and had busted through the chain that hangs across.  Becky found him in the feed room in the morning where he had devoured a back of carrots, half a box of apples, his morning feed and Little Love's morning feed.  Wow.  Col has really been asserting himself in the past week!  

Becky also told me that yesterday the neighbor's three kids (6, 8 and 11) had come over for a visit.  Two of them wanted to brush the horses and at first Becky was hesitant, but then gave in and brought the brushes out.  She tossed a pile of hay for the horses and supervised the children.  Apparently Little Love (the horse that hates brushing) stood like a statue while the littlest of the kids brushed her belly, combed her tail and cleaned her legs.  She didn't even move a muscle when the girl crawled under her stomach to get to the other side!  Becky was floored by Little Love's kind patience, since Col apparently became quite irritated when the children brushed him and walked out of the situation several times.   

I have seen Little Love with children, mainly my son, and each time her patience and utter consideration for the "little people" amazes me.  In fact, I am quite convinced that she actually enjoys being with children (more than adults).  This is definitely an aspect of her character that I would love to explore more in depth.  Hopefully I will have the opportunity at some point.  

Becky's dog Harvey and my dogs Chili and Chai sitting in the pasture