Outsmarted by a Horse

Drove into the my usual parking spot at the barn today, next to the large skeletal shed that hold Trina's excess hay and right across from my trailer. As I drove in I saw a paint horse happily munching on hay. This should not seem unusual, a horse eating hay at a barn. However, as I took a double take I thought, that horse looks a lot like Mac. Mac is one of 8 stallions currently out at the barn. He is a small paint with deep coffee colored patches all over his body. I've nick-named him Chipmunk because he has abnormally large cheek bones.

 'But,' I think to myself, 'there is no way that Mac could be over there gorging himself on hay.' Of course I go over to check once I get out of the car and sure enough its Mac, and he looks up at me from under his long wavy forelock and he knows immediately that I'm there to take him away from his feast of crunchy green alfalfa.

Mac is a very clever horse, and it does not take him long to realize that his pile of hay is actually more of an island of hay. So he nimbly dances his way around the hay always keeping it between us.  This allows him to avoid me, continue snatching small bits of hay and keep his eyes on me.

"Oh your clever," I say.

He doesn't even bother to acknowledge me.

I must admit, I was slightly nervous trying to catch Mac, I've never worked with a stallion, but I've seen several, and I've noticed all stallions have three common traits; hypnotizing beauty, effortless power, and they all tend to be unpredictable.  We dance around each other till I find an incredibly green morsel of hay that he can't live without.  I slip my lead rope into his halter,  expecting him to toss his head, laugh at me, rear and break the lead rope in half. But he just blows a gust of air through his lips, as if to say "oh please, I can be a gentleman when I want to be."

The first time I saw Mac he was racing around in the indoor arena at the end of a lunge line. I watched him rear and break the thick piece of rope as if it was nothing more than a piece of thread. I have heard him scream when he is excited, it rings over the barn, echoes in every corner. He may be a small horse but he holds himself like a king.

Mac lets me lead him back to his stall, he does not tug on the lead rope, or fight me. He acts docile and even lets me rub his head before I turn him loose in his stall.

After that I went and collected Twilight and took her back to the trailer, I brushed her coat which was covered in mud from rolling in the rain. We saddled up and the went and waited by Stephanie and Mike.

Stephanie is a loud woman, if she has an opinion about anything you'll know, but she also has a big heart. Mike is older and quite, he is called the horse whisperer behind his back. He just has an affinity with horse they are drawn to him eager to please. Even Twilight does not shy away as he reaches out to stroke her face. We are waiting for another stallion, one of the wild Arabian stallions to make an appearance. While we wait we chat about horses and look at the approaching clouds, they are the  same color as the ocean on the Oregon coast on an overcast day. Streaks of white in the steely blue clouds look like waves breaking.

Finally out come one of the black stallions, and he puts on a show trumpeting and trotting in dainty fast circles as he walks.

Its ironic, this stallion is smaller than Mac, but it takes two men to lead him, and just a few moments ago I was leading Mac all by myself.

Twilight is excited and we had a very challenging ride, she fighting to keep her head cocked up and alert, and trying to break into a choppy canter. Her hooves were trimmed to short, and that pains her a bit so her movements are sometimes clumsy, but she's getting better. We work till her long coat is foaming in places then I give her one of her Christmas presents a nature valley bar and let her go.

Stephanie rides by on Lightening, who I've ridden once (when Twilight was missing a shoe). He is five years old is a dark velvety black. He had some problems with his back hip so his training was started late. He is green and unruly, he loves to test his riders. but his canter is like riding on the clouds its absolutely effortless. I love him, and Stephanie knows it. She tells me before I leave as I'm standing there rubbing his elegant head, " I'm saving him for you, you know."