Visiting TCPITW and Skippy

Today we drove up to Brookston to visit TCPITW* and Skippy, my sister's herd.

TCPITW is very gentle and loves visitors. JC and Trinity came with goodies to share.

He is so furry, he looks like a stuffed animal!

And, just like you'd hug that stuffed animal, TCPITW is quite huggable, too.

Even his legs are shaggy and curly!

We also visited with Skippy, Leslie's blind Medicine Hat gelding. 

He cocks his head "the better to hear you with, my dear!" to compensate for being unable to see. His artificial eye is visible in this picture.

Skippy likes goodies, too, just like TCPITW. He's very gentle, but due to his blindness, he tends to run his nose over you to get information about you, and that can be a little disconcerting if you're not used to it.

Obviously, Les is very used to being smelled all over!

* The Cutest Pony in the World, the nickname I gave Coco.

A Near Miss

In November when there were tornadoes skipping all around, Tim's property had a near miss. He had two trees blown down in the pasture, but the old barn was unscathed.

The next farm to the west though, had a lot of trees and buildings damaged.

The roof of one of their barns was in pieces and strewn across the cornfield across the road.

A very near miss for the herd!

Homemade Horse Treats!

Cindie made the herd homemade horse treats for Christmas. They have molasses, oats, brown sugar, and chopped apples and carrots in them, and I knew the horses would gobble them down.

I was right, but it was a new taste for them, so it took a few moments.

Trinity gives one to Diablo...

... who does the classic "lift the lip" response at the new taste.

Abby doesn't lift her lip, but you can see by her expression that it's a new taste for her, too.

Then there's Hokey.

"I'll just lick it first and see if I like it."

(He did.)

"More, please!"

Thanks, Cindie! They loved their treats!

Holiday Horseplay

On Christmas Eve, Lisa took JC and Trinity out to play with the ponies. As she said, "You can't come visit Grammy and NOT go see the horses!" Agreed!

 Diablo is lovely to look at and beautifully sweet as well. She patiently awaits her sugar cube from JC.

 Trinity also offers Diablo sugar. Abby looks a little jealous that her BFF is getting all the treats!

The smile on Trin's face reminds me of the joy I felt around horses when I was her age - and still do. She's rattling that horse cookie sack and has gotten Abby's attention.

 Such a great photo of JC and Abby (finally getting her treat!)

This picture makes me laugh. Abby is stretching her neck out to Trinity for a horse cookie while keeping an eye on JC and the goodies he might be offering!

Stables, Donkeys, and The Savior

A lifelong horse lover, I have always loved the fact that Christ was born in a stable and then laid in a manger of hay. To me, barns are happy places, full of warmth, the sound of munching, and the smell of horses and hay.

(It is not a place I'd want to give birth as Mary did, but still...)

When I was in high school, not only did I have our five horses to care for, I also took care of the neighbor's two horses and donkey. Every day after taking care of my herd, I headed to the neighbor's barn and fed those three.

One Christmas I heard the legend about why donkeys and burros have a cross on their backs. It was due to the honor of having carried Mary, pregnant with the Christ child. According to the legend, God gave the donkey the mark of the cross to ever honor him for his service.

Jose, the donkey I cared for, had a prominent cross, although he was such a stinker, I could not imagine him carrying Mary!

The other legend I'd heard was that, at midnight on Christmas Eve, all animals would kneel in remembrance of the Christ child, and that if you hid in a barn, you could witness that event. I always wanted to see, just in case the legend was true, but my nice warm bed on Christmas Eve was just too inviting. 

Humble beginnings for the Savior of the world. And yet, there is such a message behind the place of His birth, one of love and connection and acceptance of all.

I won't drive out to the barn this Tuesday night, hoping to see Abby and her herdmates kneel. But I will remember the Savior and His birth, the place of His birth, and the role the donkey played in helping to bring to pass God's gift to us all.

Merry Christmas!

Winter Settles In

It's December, and you can see winter settling in at the barn.

 The horses have mud encrusted in their coats which are long and shaggy.

Normally a stunner, Persuasion's beauty is hidden by her winter coat. Only that lovely blaze remains bright and beautiful.

Things look dull and dreary, and none of the horses have much energy (although they came right up when they saw my car arrive.)

There's a real sense of slowing down, conserving energy, and getting ready for "a long winter's nap."