the worst could happen

my girl wanted to see me today, so i forced myself out of bed with the help of a friend who called early, way too early by my standards, but not a normal person's.

so i dialed her digits and we arranged a time. to our old haunt for breakfast, then to see the horses. breakfast was slow and leisurely. we enjoyed our time together. the drive was wonderful, we even stopped at a tack shop along the way to check out wares she might need (and ask daddy warbucks for).

we arrived at the paddock, this is by no means a farm, by no means a stable except that they board horses there. when i was told the horses were going into winter retirement and would spend the time in a "pasture" the term was loosely applied. i was appaled the first time i went, but the woman who owns it makes up for the scant setting. her gracious spirit and genuine concern for all things equine, overrode my objections. and besides, what are my objections worth anyway.

the thing that struck me first was the amount of rocks in the paddock. i made a mental note and on our way there, we decided to try to do something about it this time. we were ill prepared, and the owner laughed.

i think this used to be a quarry

she said,

rocks are everywhere. good luck.

undaunted, perhaps naive, we ambled around in the muddy paddock in our ugg boots, which was mistake numero dos. i have cleaned out my car since the relo, and, well, we don't have the proper gear stowed away any longer.

we saved our boots by deciding to not pick up rocks, i went after the garbage, a soda can, golf ball, and plastic bag were the worst i found.

so we decide instead of tethering the horses indoors to groom them (though they are immaculate under their winter coats--i expected no less), we decide the next best plan outside the muddy paddock is to let them graze. the horses made this suggestion and we obliged. spending a half hour with them ambling around the field. my daughter laughing and lounging her favorite arabian on his leadline while he grazed.

i kept telling her,

let him eat.

but she wouldn't listen.

next thing i know, she's screaming and trying to chase him.

i have the old black mare, velvet at my side, and realize since she's taken the alpha role, she'll be quite handy at herding him where we can catch him.

since there was never any possibility of my girl catching barney on foot at a canter, i called out,

get the treats.

she screams,

barney!

and i say,

the treats,

and calmly walk velvey in the direction of the arabian cantering away, tail erect, gorgeous, and lead line dangling dangerously between his feet.

barney realizes once he reaches the back pasture that there is no escape. he's fenced in and turns around toward me and velvey. we're ready for him. i sidestep and her body is angled about funneling him closer to a fence, and i am ready to reach out for his lead.

he stops short of me, after trepsing through some bushes, and turns on his heels, heading toward my child.

she is standing there, arms outstretched, treats in hand.

shake the treats,

i call.

he jerks his head up, his tails still waving like a flag at full mast. gorgeous. his mane blowing in the wind.

she holds the treats out and he walks over for one. she grabs his lead and stands there with him while i walk over. i could see she was freaked out.

i took him from her, and lead him and velvey back to the paddock, where the gate was side open, but i unclip him, he darts off, and then unclip her, and she canters away.

i close the gate, cinching the latches, and turn to see how my girl is faring. i knew she was shaken.

i wrapped her in my arms and said,

you must say goodbye to him.

she was mad, i know her. mad from fear, not anger though. and i knew i couldn't leave there with her holding a grudge against him.

so he walked over to the fence and she went up to him, velvey came over and chased him off because she thought there were more treats to be had.

but i knew it wasn't finished, and held my girl a bit longer.

go make it right, look, he's coming to see you.

and he was, barney was ambling back up the fenceline to see his girl.

he looked good. happy, if a horse can look happy.

i told her,

look at him, he is all excited because he got to run.

i went to the car and let her settle the debt between them. certain we could leave only when she came to the car of her own volition. though still visibly shaken.

we drove the hour home and talked about it all.

i have to go now, library closing. will continue this tale at a later date... ponies are well, my girl is well. all is good.