Horses

There are a couple of small horse farms within walking distance of my house, plus a handful of houses with a horse or two in the yard. If solo, there’s usually also a goat since horses are social animals and a goat is a fine companion. By the way, the book Seabisuit has some interesting stories about the companions they supplied to keep him happy, as well as a lot of other information about horses. If you’ve only seen the movie, be sure to read the book. I found it fascinating and it's very well written.

Last year the Tower Hill Farm near me had a pregnant mare that was huge. She was so wide in the belly that her legs looked like sticks, but she was just beautiful. Then for a couple of weeks I didn’t see her there. Finally, I saw the owner, Glen, in the yard and asked about her. He invited me into the barn to see the new foal. He was a big guy, very playful and handsome. Glen told me that they’d saved the mare from being shipped overseas for horsemeat or glue or whatever, I forget. She’d been lame and malnourished, and they spent two years restoring her to health before they bred her. I don’t remember how many years old she was, but I remember he said she was the equivalent of about 42 in human years when she delivered. She was a small horse and low in the horse pecking order, but she’d delivered this huge male – Glen said the biggest foal they’d ever had – and he was feisty and full of himself. A mare’s revenge!

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