Horse Flesh – July 30 2008 by Dani

Tags -- Blog Update

The neighbor called wanting Pops to drop by but he was getting ready for the wake.

Pops told him he would send me if he thought it would help so away Red and I went – on a four-wheeler since the neighbor was at the back barn.

We pulled up to the barn and a pony was NOT happy. Henry, our neighbor, a farmer, a rancher, a father, my surrogate father and all around great guy said something to his farm hand and the pony was led back to a big trailer.

I did not like his eyes anyway. Henry said I had the touch – I could look in someone’s eyes and get a good feel for the person or animal – I was very seldom wrong.

I heard Cap use the boat whistle to announce his arrival. I called him and asked that he send the girls over to me as soon at possible – they said they would walk as fast as they could.

Red was looking over the other horses – there were at least ten ponies and six other younger horses all over the age of 2.

They were all beautiful. Red did not know what to look for so Henry and I gave her pointers.

Henry offered to saddle any she wanted to try but she knew nothing about riding. We had picked two on looks alone and their eyes. I asked to ride them both but we were interrupted.

The girls rode up on Mom’s and BBS horses. They were bareback but had halters with a single lead.

Henry said they were natural horsemen. He helped them down and congratulated them on their ride. It saved them a lot of time.

They had to hug Mom and give her partial details of their adventures.

They asked Henry who owned all these horses. Red told them a friend was looking for a good horse. What did they think?

The girls had no qualms about mingling with the ponies and showing what Henry had taught them. Evidently Henry’s daughter had seen them arrive and she rode out to see them.

Now we had five women and Henry trying to decide which was the best horseflesh.

Then Captain rode up on a four-wheeler. Captain does not know a damn thing about horses but he sees details everyone else misses because he is artist.

Red clued him the girls did not know they were picking their own ponies.

Captain said he needed to go get something and left. I rode one of the horses and B rode two of the ponies. They were having trouble deciding.

We heard a motorcycle coming – I knew it was Stubby’s. Cap rode up with Skippy in his box. As soon as Skippy saw the girls he was at their sides – he knows where the tummy rubs comes from.

Two of the ponies were not happy. Then Skippy barked and another got skittish. Captain took Skippy for walk – none of the remaining horses were bothered even when Skippy was off leash and he skipped under them.

One of the ponies lay down and he and Skippy smelled each other then Skippy lay beside him.

NB was in love. Henry said it was time to decide. He told them to pick them as if they were going to be their own.

The girls spent five more minutes and picked the two best, then Cap told them to pick two more, he was not sure if he liked their first choices.

They chose their ponies. Henry and his daughter agreed with me on a beautiful Arab that was a joy to ride and very gentle.

Henry loaded the rest in the back of the trailer and Cap talked with the girls and Red sharing even more adventures and their future plans.

They asked to stay with Grandpa until Sunday. Red teased them -they liked him more then her. Then she agreed but only if they took little brother with them.

To our surprise they agreed. Grandpa asked his age – he knew he would be the one responsible but Red waved her hand and told him she was teasing. Yes the girls could stay but they had to help paint their rooms and a couple of other rooms plus clean the kitchen.

No problem. Little did they know that the rooms they would be painting and cleaning were about ten times the size of their current rooms.