Friday, October 31, 2008

The Horse Bug

If you're reading this chances are you were bitten by it too. The horse bug. Something non-horsey families usually hope is 'just a phase'.
I was bitten by it young. My family always seemed to think I'd grow out of it. You know, when school or boys or cars or life came along.
As most of you know it didn't go away. Yes I enjoy the rest of the stuff that came along (although I still don't have my 'dream car' lol) but horses are a part of my life and I'm thankful that they are.

This past Sunday Pie & I took our niece & nephew out to see the horses for the first time.
No I haven't been a slacker auntie. (or thea as they are Pie's brother's kids therefore we are Thea Lisa and Theo "Pie")
Pie and his family grew up with NO animal contact. No pets, not even fish. His parents are kinda old-school Greeks, "animals are dirty" blah blah blah. His sister-in-law doesn't mind cats (although little Georgie is allergic) and small (emphasis on SMALL) dogs. (so yeah not my dogs lol)
G & C (Pie's brother & his wife) are not too keen on the whole "horse thing". I can understand, horses are large and powerful. They can be unpredictable. Even with the most "bombproof" horse there is an inherent danger.
But their daughter, Maria, is starting to get the itch. And G & C finally let us take the kids out to visit with the horses.
Little Georgie wasn't too thrilled. He was kinda scared and just watched. Maria on the other hand was jumping up and down and screaming (happy screams) when we picked her up and told her where we were going.
I made sure to mention jumping up and down and screaming are not allowed around the horses :)
I wasn't sure what Maria would do once face to face with the horses. Georgie hanging back and watching didn't surprise me. Maria on the other hand got to see what horse shoes look like (we have a ton of used ones in the barn) Then she got to see what they look like ON the horse (Applejack very nicely picked up a front foot when we said "foot please" so she could see them and how they were attached.
Then Maria learned how to feed cookies (Georgie's ears perked up at that, he thought it was kinda neat that horses have cookies)
Although it was very blustery and cold Maria was in heaven.
She was feeding horses cookies and getting to touch them!!


Here she is with theo petting Applejack while he eats his (very teeny amount of) grain.
Almost forgetting the "no jumping" rule lol

Theo asked her if she wanted to sit on the horse and next thing I knew he had tossed her up. I went over to check on her and Pie snapped this.



Of course she had to sit on Cessa too!



Helping Pie (theo) help Cessa get the last of her beet pulp/oats.
Maria is already looking forward to coming again, when its warmer (or she's dressed better). She didn't complain once about the cold... she was worried I'd go make her sit in the truck!
("Its okay thea, the cold didn't bother me until the horses left" ummm, yeah I think she's got the bug!!)



11 comments:

  1. ??? I wasn't bit by the horse bug?? It was the whole HIVE!! I think mine were little westerinzed bees!! LOL!!
    Great post ! Love the photos especially the one with your in it!! All kids should be exposed to animals, I think it shows them caring and resposibility! Happy Halloween

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  2. Apple Jack looks so cute in those pics! Glad to see you posing for a few photos too, niece is very cute and looks VERY happy!

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  3. Isn't it exciting to watch the all to familiar gleam that takes hold of their eyes as they gaze at a horse?

    What a good auntie and uncle you are! :)

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  4. How awful and cruel. And so unfair.
    I, too had the 'bug' as a young girl, but my parents didn't mch care for animals either...and had no interest in horses or helping me attain my dreams of owning one.

    No. I had to wait until I was 41 years old to appease my 'horse bug'. Poo.

    How nice of you to allow that cute girl time with your horses. And what well behaved horses you have to tolerate such an excited little sweetie :)

    ~Lisa

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  5. Yeah I know all about the "horse bug" I had it too when I was teeny tiny - and my folks and family too thought (I think some prayed) I would grow out of it - but I never did. Boys and cars never held a candle to my horses. But boy did they keep me out of trouble!

    Cute Cute Cute pics!

    What a good boy Applejack was!

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  6. Very cute! I think I got bitten when I was three!LOL

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  7. So, are thea and theo going to get her horsey stuff now? How about a nice kid sized grooming set? A helmet (even if it's a bike helmet) for when she visits the horses again?

    I wasn't bitten by the bug, I inherited it! My biological mother passed away when I was very young, but I hear she was bitten by the horse bug and would ride her horse all over my grandparent's dairy. I have since passed it on to my children.

    CP hasn't been bitten, more like catching the horse virus. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to spend much time at the barn due to a severe hay allergy that results in seizures.

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  8. It was a very big bug bite that got me! And there is no cure.

    I'd say Maria got the bite. It shows in her eyes.

    By the way, that black horse with the beautiful white star belongs in our barn next to Royal with his white star. I love matched pairs. We always have room for one more! (big bug bite back again)

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  9. strawberry lane - hate to disappoint you, but that is a bay. Not to mention she is most assuredly at her forever home :)

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  10. Oh, yah, I can see she is a bay ... with a beautiful white star. Well, I'll have to break the news to Royal, somehow.

    Love to hear when horses have "forever" homes. That's the way it should always be!

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