Butterscotch Kisses…
He walked into the Barn as he always does, with authority and purpose, and as he passed the mini horse’s stall, the nightly routine
of a few hoof stomps and a few snorts began. It never lasts very long, this display. It’s a nod to the resident wee horses that this Barn belongs to him, always has and always will. He was the first to be welcomed to the Farm, and with that comes a certain status that everyone who lives here, both four and two footed, is reminded of daily. On his testier days, he will include a high pitched whinny as an exclamation point, just in case nobody was listening. This night, however, he chose to forgo that extra proclamation, and went directly into his freshly cleaned stall where his nightly grain and hay awaited. After tucking his stablemates into their own stalls, I returned to his for our usual habit of quiet words and gentle scratches. I quietly came up beside him and stretched out my hand to caress that special spot on his neck, but instead of leaning into me as he usually does, he quickly pulled away and walked to the front of his stall. It wasn’t the first time he had done this in the past, so I wasn’t taken aback in any way. Some would argue that perhaps he is a bit spoiled, with kingly expectations, and I’m good with that. He has earned that right as well as his commanded status. As I turned to leave his stall, I ruffled his mane and gently chided him that it was ok if he was tired and cranky, but he didn’t have to be rude. Before I could reach the door, I felt his warm nose on my back, and I felt his words “I’m sorry, don’t go. I am tired from the day, but I want you near.”. He returned to his grain bowl, and I moved to stand by his side. We stood there in silence, with him slowly chewing and me with just one still hand on his back. He sighed deeply, and relaxed to my touch. His majestic head lifted and slowly swung towards me, and when our eyes connected, I realized that I hadn’t been spending as much time with him as both he and I would like. My days here on the Farm during the summer are full, and although I work very hard to make sure that every critter living here has their share of quality time each day, once in awhile that isn’t enough. He took another deep breath, and then took a step back so that my face was level with his. As I had gently reprimanded him a few minutes before, he was now quietly chiding me. I instantly felt his need for closeness and connection, but most of all, I felt his love. After a few moments, the spell was broken, and he started chewing as he lifted his head to expose his neck. This time he accepted the gentle scratch, then lowered his head to rub his nose on my shoulder. Never one for wasted emotions, he then returned to his grain and hay, but now with an air more of contentment than of concern. I grabbed his favorite brush, and while he slowly chewed his hay with his eyes closed, I brushed away the dirt and sweat of the day. I carefully brushed his beautiful mane, taking out twigs that he had collected while browsing earlier in his field. 
Just as I thought he might be tiring of the attention, he shifted his weight and offered one front foot to be cleaned. I pulled my ever present hoof pick from my back pocket and set to work, with him offering up another foot as the last was finished. As I slipped the hoof pick back into my pocket, he rubbed his forehead on my back a few times, with a slight nudge towards the door. He was satisfied, and was telling me it was time to go. As I reached for the handle on his door, I felt one last nudge of his nose. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked. I followed his gaze to my right front pocket, where chances were good that I might happen to have a couple of his favorite butterscotch horse treats. It was a safe bet, and all of the animals here on the Farm know that the same pocket almost always has something to nibble on. Soft fuzzy lips carefully took what was offered, and when the treats were gone, those same soft lips brushed my cheek and his butterscotch breath warmed my face. It is moments like this that I wish could last longer, but one cannot take or expect affection from a horse, only gratefully accept when it is freely given. With one final soft knicker, our time was done, and he returned to his hay. I closed his stall door, and gently slid the latch into place. I made the rounds one last time to check on the other Barn residents, securing doors and scratching noses. The Barn was quiet, except for chewing noises, and I knew that they were all content, and most importantly, felt loved. I glanced over one last time at him as I turned off the lights, and he was standing there, warm eyes watching me. “Good night, my friend. I love you.” I said. I slid the Barn door closed, and as I walked towards the house, I once again felt the warmth…and love…of fuzzy butterscotch kisses on my cheek.
Homecoming…
Our dream for the Farm has always been to return it to it’s glory days of years past, and this summer was our biggest step towards that goal. Our days , rain or shine, were spent putting up fences and rebuilding the big barn, making it ready for our expanding family. At the start of the summer, our plan was to add two horses, Alex and Chaser, to our fold, with no immediate plans for adding any others. Two was a good start, and the learning curve would be easier. In July, we had crossed paths with a beautiful paint mare, and before we knew it, Diva had been added to the list. Our preparation had it’s share of setbacks, including having to completely rebuild half of the barn’s floor due to rot, but we slowly and surely made progress. With the finish line in sight, we learned that Chaser, the old man of the three, had become ill and passed away. Chaser had been one of the sweetest horses we’d ever met, and he would have been a great companion to Alex and Diva, as well as to us. Though we were sad, we knew that we still had a lot of work left to do, and we put our noses to the proverbial grindstone. We set a date and made arrangements, and before we knew it, the day had come.
The day we had planned for and looked forward to for months brought with it a steady rain, but even the sogginess of the day could not dampen our excitement. Alex was the first to arrive that morning, and the moment he stepped out of the trailer was magical for me. Over the last couple of years, I had come to have a deep bond with Alex, and knowing that he was actually here, actually a part of the Farm now, was nearly overwhelming. He walked into the barn and claimed his stall as if he had been here all his life. It had been a hard summer for him with the other horses at his old home, and he seemed to sense that this was where he belonged, with the person that he belonged to. Knowing that Diva wouldn’t be arriving until late in the day, I spent as much time with Alex as I could. As the day wore on, he began to get restless, and I started to worry about what state he would be in by the time of Diva’s arrival. Darkness, as well as heavy rain, had started to fall by the time her previous owners pulled into the driveway. While still in her trailer, she trumpeted her arrival with a loud whinny, and a few moments later, an answer was returned from the barn. “The moment of truth” I thought, as she was led in through the large, open door. Alex was at full attention as he watched her walk into her stall, which is right next to his. Diva gave quick inspection to her stall, as we quietly shut the door behind her and watched with eager anticipation. Alex quietly blew through his nose as if to say “Hello there, friend.”, and as Diva approached the bars that separate the two stalls, Alex stuck his nose through to her side. Oblivious to us, their noses touched and they quietly greeted each other, causing all who witnessed it to catch their breath. To me, it was at that moment that our farm had truly become “The Farm”, and I stood beside the Man, both of us not daring to breath for fear of breaking the spell. We quietly exited the barn, leaving them to their business of getting acquainted, and visited with Diva’s previous owners. After they left, we went back into the barn. Alex and Diva were standing next to each other and looking at us as if to say “What now?” What now, indeed…
It’s been a week since our two horses arrived, and the learning curve is certainly a steep one. We have spent countless hours with them, enjoying their presence, and watching them bond and play in their paddock that we worked so hard at to prepare. We’ve also had our fair share of drama during the past week, including a midnight visit from the vet a few nights ago when Alex decided to wrestle with his stall door and came up a little bit on the short end of the tussle. As horrifying as that night was, it brought home to us how fragile these proud, majestic horses truly are, and how much they depend on us for their care. It has been a week of new beginnings and discovery, with a healthy dose of education and shoveling on our part. But it has also been a week of quiet contentment and gaining of trust, and certainly of love returned ten fold. We have come full circle, the four of us. Alex and Diva are home, and they are now a part of the family…part of the Farm…
Me and the Man... 