Every Day's a New Day with Horses

I'm not always sure who will be greeting me in the morning or the evening when I go to feed Cleo. Sometimes she stands patiently at the gate or in her stall and nickers 'hello' and other times she is a regular bucking bronco. Winter and spring are the worst since horses seem to respond like little children to changes in the barometer and the weather in general. This morning Cleo started bucking and kicking when I came down the lane with the wheelbarrow full of food. She got Kass to jump around and her other neighbor, Kassy, to rear on her hind legs. Kass and Kassy are both Trahkaners and probably related at some point in their pedigree. Kassy is as white as a horse gets and Kass is almost black. Cleo, who is smaller than either of them and white and chestnut (sort of orange) is quite a contrast in that she can out rodeo them both. Usually after she has a few bites of food, she calms down. But today, she would snort, make menacing faces at Kassy, jump and buck and then return to her food. Her unpredictable behavior extends to her ground manners; lately, I have had to have a 'back-up' in case she tries to act like a wild horse as I am walking her to and from her stall and paddoock. I used to question my decision to have a horse when Cleo tested me this way. I felt like an incompetent horse owner--a fake--a wannbe-- who should give up riding for knitting or crocheting. But I have come to terms with my abilities and limitations. Cleo has taught me that it's all right to ask for help; that's what friends are for--and I have wonderful horse friends. I repay their skills with my mine--like getting up every morning early and feeding my horses and those who have owners who want to sleep in.