Today

Today I did some gardening, read some scriptures, and fed a horse for the first time.  I mean, it's not the first time I've fed a horse, but it's the first time I fed this one.

I approached it with a carrot, a piece of apple and green grass.  I called to it and it sauntered over, and I held out the grass first to entice.  Then I gave it the carrot and then the apple.  I think it really liked my peppermint tea because I had just had a cup and then made my greeting by blowing softly into its nostrils. So he snorted back a little and I stroked his nose with the back of my hand, just the velvety part.  I know how to give a horse a decent massage, but it is such a dirty thing to do, I mean, you get very dirty if they haven't just been groomed.  They lean into me when I do, just like cats and dogs do, they'll lean into you and with almost full weight.

This horse was very interested in identifying me through the exchange of breathing.  Most horses do, but this one didn't move away and come back, it just kept its face right there, and didn't look away and was didn't stop. 

I wondered about riding it but it's sort of a fat swayback and I can imagine how great that would be.  It would be like riding a camel inbetween the humps and not on top of one of them.

You can watch a horse walk or run and know how it's going to feel to ride.  I personally can't handle trotting anymore I don't think, with my neck, it sort of aggravates it, but all other speeds are fine.  Walking, canter, gallop, full run, and posting would be fine I think (even if I've never tried it) because you control your own movements and jostle less. 

Then I walked away from the horse and felt its eyes on me still so turned and it was staring in the same spot.  I said something to the horse and it knew and then lowered its head to resume eating.  I guess I had forgotten to say goodbye.