Thanksgiving

Some diners go around the table and say what they are thankful for. We didn't do that at our Thanksgiving dinner--ten of us--five horse-girls--Karinna, Alex, Emily, Lisa, and me. But I am thankful I have a horse. I would have had a hard time filling my week off without horses to keep me company and in the out of doors. It was great having Karinna here from Davis, having Alex to watch ride Kassidy, and Patrick cooking a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, but the smell of crisp leaves, brisk, cold temperatures, nickering horses, and the need to feed, muck, and ride got me away from the table, the computer, the piles of clean clothes and out doing physical labor. I rode too. On Thanksgiving afternoon, before eating an enormous meal, I rode Cleo with Karinna as my trusty spotter. After a satisfying ride, we gave Cleo a partial bath to clean her poor rump after a bout with diahrrea. She was very well behaved and appreciative. The weather was sunny and surprisingly warm. Then, today, Saturday, I rode again. Cleo was very good and we are practicing keeping her head down. I only lasted about 25 minutes since I was sore from too much housework. Another quick shower for her rump, and we called today another 'good horse day.'

Sunday, Nov. 11-I feel like a veteran--horse person, that is

Today, Cleo and I rode with Carrie and Artie, and Emily and Kincaid. Both of the other horses are also paints. Artie is a tri-colored paint--black, white, and brown. Kincaid is a dun and white paint--sort of beige and white. Both are geldings and Cleo loves riding in the arena with both of them. She gets to be the lead mare. When the three of us are in the arena, she is lively and 'forward.' For non-horse people, forward means she is using her hind end to propel herself--like a rear-wheel drive car. She doesn't want either of her 'boyfriends' to get ahead of her. She is so busy trying to stay ahead, she forgets to misbehave. We had a great ride today and I concentrated on my riding technique for almost 40 minutes which is a good workout---mental more than physical in many ways.

One thing I like about having a hobby like this is that it transcends generations. Emily is a 20 something horse crazy young woman with an HSU degree in business and recreation who works at a lumber yard to support her horse passion. Her horse lives two stalls down from Cleo--with Artie in between--and we see each other every morning and evening depending on our work schedules. She helps me with Cleo--wormed her today--and I feed and muck Kincaid when she is out of town.

When I moved to Freshwater Stables, I don't remember there being any paint horses, now there are over a half dozen with four coincidentally living in adjacent stalls. Even though I have had Cleo for over three years now, I am just learning more about paint horses. I didn't buy her for her breed or appearance but for her suitability for my goals. But paint horses are a particular breed with mostly quarter horse lineage and certain markings--although there are solid colored paints--horses with paint parents who came out without patches of white. Thoroughbreds can also be registered as paint horses. But other breeds with such markings are called pintos.

Today was also a good riding day because the air was fresh and brisk after a light rain overnight and the sun shone a brilliant yellow. Tomorrow, a vacation day from work, promises to be overcast and rainy. Much more typical for the time of year.