Lost Post: The Luckiest

This is a post I never published!! It's from the winter time obviously. Figured I'd get this out there even though it's summer now!

At the end of a long day I traveled to the barn to feed Dani. The chilly wind was blowing; it was cold but not cold enough to freeze the ground. Her pen was full of sloppy wet mud mixed with manure. I did my best to sift the “apples” from the muck, then grabbed some hay and fluffed it apart and into her feeders. I prepared her supplements; Dani gets so excited when she hears the sound of me opening that package each day. After all my barn chores were done I watched her eat while I stroked her neck. I nestled my face into her neck and breathed deeply. What a warm scent horses have. Dani wrapped her neck around towards me, gave a sweet nuzzle, sighed and continued back to munching her hay. I love these moments, sometimes more than riding. I love the moments when I just hang out and can truly BE with Dani. The barn is quiet, aside from the sounds of munching hay and the occasional leisure snorts. It is peaceful here even with the frigid gale outside.

There are days when I come to the barn and I'm dragging. It may have been a long day at work and driving half an hour to the pony before I can get home can sometimes seem like too much. The cold, the muck, and the lack of free time…to an outsider it probably seems odd that I keep on with this "horse stuff". 

But I consider myself lucky. I get to drag myself out every day, through mud and snow, heat and insects to care for this wonderful animal, this cherished friend. I get to bury my face in her long thick mane and pet the soft velvet of her red muzzle. I have the pleasure of removing the twigs in her tail, wiping her eyes and tending to her beautiful hooves. I get to watch her run, tail up high and nostrils blowing as she shows off for another horse.

I've stomped through mucky mud lately, been unable to ride due to darkness or ice or sheer wind force I cherish every moment I have with Dani. I am the luckiest. I have a sweet mare to greet me every day after work, nuzzling my hands for treats, trying to groom me while I brush her, and tolerating me hanging on her neck as she tries to eat in peace. I love to take in her warmth, to cuddle her and savor that fact that I have a pony. She is a lifelong dream come true and even though this means sacrifices in other areas of my life I wouldn’t have it any other way.