Monday, December 13, 2010

They just KNOW

My favorite days of the week are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They are the days I get to ride and spend time with Ruby. You don't realize what a luxury owning your own horse is until you only get a certain 3 days to spend with the one you half board. Now, even if the weather is freezing or raining or if I'm feeling unwell, I HAVE to go or I miss whatever time I get to ride. This is not something I'm used to at all but it's the hand I've been dealt.

Ruby makes it worth the trip. When I walk in the barn and call his name, he comes to the door and looks out. When he sees me I get a happy nicker. That will always make me smile. If he's outside in his turn-out when I get there, he'll nicker when he sees me coming to catch him out there, too.

One day when I came to the barn to ride, Ruby did his usual whinny when he saw me and was watching my every move as I gathered all my tack and grooming stuff to get ready to ride. While I had him on cross ties and was brushing him he was nuzzling me every time I walked around him to work on his other side. One of the boarders was watching him and she knew him from his horse show days with his previous owner. She commented she doesn't remember him being so affectionate with anyone like this before. I was surprised, I figured this was just him. So I told her, maybe he just knows I need a little more horsey love than most people with all the bad luck I've had lately.

And it's not just him. The horse who lives next to Ruby and the one across from him put their heads out while I have Ruby on the cross ties and try to get my attention while I'm grooming him. I always blow into their nostrils to say "hello" and rub their faces and they keep coming back for more. Ruby's neighbor will actually stretch his neck and reach out to me with his muzzle if I catch his eye. He just begs for my attention.

I just figure they are good natured horses and curious. Maybe they just want in on Ruby's treat action. But I like to think they know it means so much to me right now.

5 comments:

Oak Creek Ranch said...

I am positive that they know. Some horses are more intuitive about that than others but, in general, my experience has been that they know when you need extra love and they are very generous.

Mrs. Mom said...

They know much more than most give them credit for ;)

Enjoy it!!!

Jean said...

Horses are far more perceptive and sensitive to our thoughts and feelings that you might expect.

I am sure Ruby appreciates how much you appreciate him and wants to return the love. He is a very sweet fellow and you are lucky to have found him to help mend your heart.

English Rider said...

There's a line in a poem that says something like "We spend time trying to learn their language when, all the while, they are learning ours".

jill said...

I believe horses sense the "good egg" humans from the ones who aren't so in tune with them.
They all know you're a "good egg" so they want to interact with you!