Yesterday, I experienced a very special morning, and it was one that changed my emotions for times to come. As telling as the title of this post, I went on an escapade to the farm where my coworker, Allie, boards her horse, Skip, because when she offered an invite, I responded so fast I nearly lost myself in excitement.
To give some context, I grew up loving horses, took both Western and English riding lessons at a young age, worked on a farm as farm-hand and assistant trainer from 12 years old to 17 years old. Horses were always my life-force. After a traumatic moment in my life at 17 when the manager at the farm I worked at passed away from a severe brain hemorrhage, my time with horses and my own horse, Mystic, deteriorated. I was no longer able to board or care for my horse as the other boarders moved their horses away, all the horses that Larry bred and kept were sold, and the farm fell into disrepair. To put it simply, I was let go with no creatures or facilities to caretake for. I sold my horse to a cute young girl who wanted a horse for hunter-jumper horsemanship, and had a personality that I felt would fit my horse well.
It wasn’t until 2010 that I was given the opportunity to spend time on a farm again owned by one of my peers in college, Richard. He had a farm with several boarders, but he owned 2 horses: Mayberry and Daisy, both drafts, and both beautiful and gentle. We became fast friends, and after one trail ride he acknowledged my comfortability and expertise in handling and riding. So he hired me, in a way, to assist him in getting Mayberry in shape. With his attention on a multitude of studies, he did not have the time to exercise his horses as regularly as needed, and Mayberry in particular had become quite round with all the rich grass and lack of forced movement.
I was more than delighted to help and I was at the farm all the time, even bringing a few friends who had no experience with horses, to meet Mayberry and have a warm experience with the most gentle giants of the world.
But back to the original intent of this post. Upon arriving at the present day barn, I met Skip and we ended up going for a short ride which was also a surprise for me. I thought I would only be hanging out with her and Skip. There wasn’t anything extravagant about the time I spent there. I wasn’t planning all the times I’d come back – I simply remained present in the moment smelling the sweet hay, the barn dust, the horses’ coats. Scents hanging in the air and I was content to be brought back to all the positive and happy memories that I’d shared in the past with horses.
See here, the Vagabond For Honey 