You've Come a Long Way, Baby

Does this fat Curly horsie look like a Lipizzaner? I didn’t think so either, but I am going to have to talk to his breeder Jackie Richardson about this because AhD can do a capriole with me on board. Yes, it’s true, when he is feeling joie de vivre upon seeing an open field (or perhaps brattiness brought on by having an aged QH ahead of him), he can do airs above ground. It was awesome, by the way, in case you have never experienced one. The very, very best part of it all is that I did not turn into a quaking pile of jello but rather enjoyed the sensation of pony-power held in check. It surely does feel good to be able to chill and enjoy my Curly without the mind and body crippling fear that has been my unwelcome companion for the last few years. It’s been a hard row to hoe; sometimes one step forward and two steps back, but I have had so many good experiences this summer that I know I am making headway. A little silliness does wonders for the soul.

AhD and I had two small milestones during our Sunday ride. One was the afore-mentioned capriole followed by an easy trot up the open field ~ at my request ~ to which AhD willingly complied, with no (more) leaps or bucks or snorting or bad behavior of any sort. The other milestone occurred when we met the Nubian goats. AhD spied the goats nibbling away in a wooded piece as we were trotting along the side of a tar road. The other two horses had apparently met goats before, but AhD was instantly on Full Alert. Now, if this had been a couple of years ago, his Full Alert demeanor would have sent panic rising into my throat like a tide, as I imagined all the things that could go terribly wrong. My fear would have been transmitted to my mount, who of course would have responded with his own fear, because his herd leader was telling him, yes, those goats are SCARY! Instead, I said in a cheery voice, “Oh, you see those goats, look at those cute goats, blah ditty blah blah,” as I put my reins in one hand, settled into my seat and stroked his neck each time he stopped to take a gander. We have chickens, turkeys, pigs, steers, lambs, a donkey, a litter of crying puppies and a herd of beef cattle checked off under Things That We Ain’t Scared Of. Pretty soon we will be able to add goats to the list. We are still working on deer and moose. Maybe someday we will even feel confident enough to trot sidewalks like Betsy and Zoe!

Fall colors are emerging overnight in our neck of the woods.There are even a few areas that are bright orange already. The Maine beach season has ended, and I have been invited to trailor AhD down to ride the ocean beach next weekend. PSYCHED! :)