Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Hanging with Harry

We were house sitting for Ainslie this weekend, so I'd hoped to get in a long time with my boy, but sadly had work both days. Sigh. Ah well. Need the money anyway.

Have discovered however, that after a winter of walking over Ainslie and not much (read: no) work, he's decided to a) try walking all over me, and b) become paddock bound. I took him out to groom him and he yelled and spun around and was generally up tight and spooky for half an hour. Harry. My calm quiet boy. Spooky.

I'm thinking the increased feed probably won't be helping with this. Nor will the fresh spring grass.

After grooming him I took him into a bigger paddock and let him go. He galloped around a bit, bucking and farting as they do, and then found a nice patch of sun and spring grass near his buddy and grazed. I watched him for a while, and then joined him in the sun and we had a moment.

I guess any horse person has them. Those moments when you and your horse are just happy and content and enjoying each others company. Its still new to me, what with Harry being my first horse, but god its good. It makes the lack of money, the half hour bike rides through driving rain and hail, the slogging through the mud with a hole in one gumboot to feed out all worth while.

Just Harry and me under the trees having a cuddle. He put his head under my arm and I rubbed around his ears and down his neck and he blew gently in my ear and we just stood there, happy in the sun and the trees and the grass around us.

My new saddle (or rather, my second hand saddle) will be down in a week or so. Hooray! I have all my fingers and toes crossed that it fits both of us well! It was a freak purchase. maybe 2 in the morning on trade me thinking, saddle for $50? I'll never get it. So I bid. And got an email a week later saying I'd won. Oops. Looking at the auction again I realized I have no idea of the seat size, the gullet width, anything! I know it is leather and was last used about 12 years ago. It is 15 years old. Fingers crossed also that it has been carefully stored and the leather has not cracked! Ah well. I'm hoping for a fairy tale ending. You know the one, completely by chance everything turns out perfect? The prince that came along and kissed Sleeping Beauty just happened to be the love of her life and she wasn't hopelessly out of date and they lived happily ever after and everything was perfect...

You get what I mean anyway.

Here's looking forward to more riding in the near future!