A Magical Day At The Horse Farm

Horse Farm We Worked At

I remember a time that seemed magical to me. It felt like I was living in a dream. Only it was not a dream, very real indeed. In 1999, my husband, Larry, was working at a local horse farm where they raised Thoroughbred race horses. He helped train the horses, cleaning the stalls, breaking horses and all around horse care. Even though my brother, has always had a horse since he was an adult, I was not around any at all. I did not know much about horses except I was always intrigued by their beauty and strength. Now these horses being racehorses were very lively and spirited. 

Georgie Girl, Boss Mare

I started working there with him, mostly cleaning stalls, feeding the horses and doing some grooming. To make a long story short, I ended up working for a horse, Georgie Girl, that I bought with my work hours instead of receiving money. So she was still at the farm while we were working there, until we cleared an area at home for her. I let her go out with the "wild horses" (not wild horses, just the horses that were not being trained as racehorses) and she had become their leader, the "boss mare." I was really proud of her!

"Did I hear the word carrots?"

This particular day, Larry and I finished all the stalls early and it was a really nice day. I was still a bit nervous around the horses since I was still in the process of learning about them. He told me to come with him and we walked up the hill to the pasture where most of the horses, including some of the racehorses, were grazing together. They noticed us but just kept eating, and a few were drinking from a spring that was flowing nearby in a little gully.

Georgie Girl and Larry

He sat down on the ground and motioned for me to do so too. I sat on a rock and we just enjoyed the sunlight on our faces. It was relaxing, hearing the horses nearby munching on grass and water splashing from the spring. Soon though, one horse, I believe it was Tawny, who at that time I had no idea, I would own her one day, came over to see what we were doing there.  Before I knew it, we had a group of horses around us in a circle. They gathered right around us and were smelling our hats and hair. Soon they were eating grass, but stayed close to us. I loved this feeling of them all  around us!

Georgie Girl at Peaceful Forest

Georgie Girl being the "boss mare" now, stood off to the side. She didn't take to most of the humans she came in contact with (I told her history in a previous blog post). Her and I had established a special bond, and as the other horses finally left, she moved closer. She was the last one to stay near by. I felt honored by her doing this. As she came closer to me, I could feel her breath on me. She is not one to show much affection, even now, that I have owned her for 18 years. She does show it to me in her own way. She is a highly intelligent horse and proves it to me all the time.

Georgie Girl and Dark Shadow and the others

It was such a feeling, I cannot find the words to describe how I felt that day with those horses around us. I was not nervous so much around them after that. I think that is why Larry did that. My bond with Georgie Girl has always been very strong through the years. I will never forget that day and it always has a special place in my heart and memories.

Copyright © 2018 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2018 Kathleen G. Lupole