Sharing a wonderful horse story

Pam From my over 50 list wrote this about a night with her horses. Enjoy.

I live with 2 horses. Jim is a mature, mellow guy of
about 15 years. Blaze is 6, late in maturing, he's
been learning to live with a family for 6 months, now.

This morning our long awaited stall mats finally
arrived. In preparation for their installation, Jim
and Blaze had to stay out of the barn all day
yesterday and last night. It was Jim's first night
outside in more than 2 years. I don't know if Blaze
has ever been out all night.

With the black flies in full swing, Jim's been taking
frequent naps in the barn during the day. He was a
bit distressed when that option was denied and seemed
sure that I must be confused in not wanting him to
come in for the night. My husband and I visited the
horses in the field several times during the evening.
I feel asleep for a short time around midnight, but
then wakened and could not get back to sleep. I
looked out the windows to try and see the horses.
Blaze was lying down, but Jim still seemed restless,
walking back to the barn frequently. I gathered up a
comforter and headed out, grabbing a lounge chair as I
headed to the field. It was a beautiful stary night,
with the full moon getting ready to move up into the
sky.

The horses happily greeted me. Blaze wanted to pull
and grab the comforter. Neither of them thought
bringing the lounge chair into the field was such a
good idea, but were curious about it's purpose. As I
readied what I hoped would be my bed they circled and
snorkled their opinions. I don't hear their voices,
but I can often tell by their expressions what their
thoughts might be. In this case they were telling me
this wasn't a proper step in the direction of sorting
out the unsettling change of routine!

I settled into the comforter, on the lounge chair.
Blaze was surprised that 2 leggeds lay down. Jim
thought it was mighty peculiar that I'd want to lay
down on that contraption when there was perfectly good
grass right under it. And why was I all wrapped up?
Blaze tried to sort the situation out by investigating
me with his lips. I tolerated only a little of that.
Lips can soon become teeth.... I flapped a comforter
edge at him, telling him to respect my space. It was
too tempting. He couldn't contain his curiosity.

Jim joined him in his investigation. Beyond all else,
Jim is kind. But - a nose attached to a 1200# horse
hovering over me, and me 6 inches off the ground - it
was a bit more than comfort allowed! I flapped my
edges and shooed them away. At that point, Blaze
decided if he wasn't going to be allowed to pick at my
hair and covers, he was going to at least make sure he
was closer to me than Jim was. He chased Jim part way
around my chair. Then he assumed his 3 legged stance,
holding his right front leg high and curled. This is
a very effective manuver. It successfully brings him
grain twice a day. He also uses it whenever he's
confused, frustrated or wanting something different
than he has. At that moment I wondered if he was
thinking of trying to become a "lap horse." They must
have sensed my displeasure because Jim eased into the
background. Blaze followed briefly, then returned,
respecting the space around my head but commenceing
inspection of my cocooned feet.

As we were getting that sorted out, we heard a
predator in the woods nearby. It called once, then a
second time at the edge of the woods, about 200 feet
from us. The third time we heard it it was moving
off. At first I thought it was a coyote, but the
cries weren't very canine. A fisher has also been
around. Either way, I was very glad I'd left the cats
and dog inside. All three of us had our ears pricked
to alert. There's nothing like the call of a predator
to bring unity to the herd! After a bit, the horses
moved off to graze.

When they returned, each took a side and hung his head
over me. It was nice - and I'm sure well intended.
Perhaps as Blaze matures, I'll come to trust my safety
to his good intentions. Last night, I was glad when
he moved a little way off and laid down. Seeing
that Blaze had settled, Jim also laid down. The birds
were just starting to awaken. As I watched from my
nest, both horses flattened their bodies to the ground
and performed a harmony of equine snores. Sound sleep
lasted only a short time. Instinct doesn't allow for
much inattention to survival.

The time had flown by. I'll count that night as one
of the most memorable - and enjoyable of my life, just
being with them.

That was pretty funny!!!! I was laughing the whole time I read it.

What a wonderful story! I envy you with your horses. They are such magnificent animals.

Our daughter used to ride and she part-boarded a beautiful Trekaner (spelling). He was like a big dog. He would lift his leg and bow when you came to the barn. That was his way of begging for a treat - a carrot or apple.

While she was grooming him one day, I was standing at his head and talking to her. When I turned my head away, I got this big tongue kiss up the side of my neck. What a special guy he was!

You are lucky to be able to have these wonderful animals around.

I am fuzzy about when it happened, but my Mustang got really ill. After a vet visit, where Race got a shot in his neck, I thought he would be okay. I do remember that it was Valentine's Day. I went out in the evening to check on him, and I found my horse down on his knees with his neck extended and swollen to about the size of a football! I flew into the house, to call the vet (who had left town) and there was no one available to pick up his farm calls either! I panicked and called every vet in the area, but with horses, there is a rule, and a vet will not come out on an emergency unless they have seen the horse before. =( I didn't know what to do, I had Mike move the microwave oven into the shop, got a series of damp towels, heated the towels up, and spent the night in a lounge chair with my knees elevated. Racer was lying on the ground in front of me, his head extended between my knees, my hubby was responsible for applying and taking off the heated towels. Racer survived the night, and when I did get ahold of my vet, I was hissed! I told him what happened, he made it out here in record time, took one look at Racer, said "shot reaction" and that I had done good! Furious with him, I demanded he refer me to OSU vet school, which he did but he complained first. I took Racer in the next day, and he was diagnosed with all kinds of problems.He was hospitilized for 2 weeks. He had equine strep, beta strep, pasturella, gutteral pounch infection and double pneumonia! It was the scariest time of my life, but it was during that time, that he and I bonded unlike anything I have ever experienced. There is nothing this horse will not do for me or with me, and I would return the same courtesy to him. I have spent nights out in the pasture since then, with two horses grazing nearby when the night is to hot to sleep in the house, and the stars were the only lights provided. It is a part of my life now, being with these two animals that has changed me in so many ways. I count myself lucky that they trust me so, and I thank God daily for their presence in my life...

Hissy, it sure sounds like you have a little piece of heaven on earth.

Oh Hissy....Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us!!! I too love horses!