Before I owned my own horse I always thought horses were beautiful. Whenever I saw one my heart would speed up a little bit, and a smile would start to bloom across my face.
Whenever my family took drives into the country, I became immediately alert, a far cry from the way I zoned out the scenery I saw daily, in our drives around the suburbs where we lived.
My eyes were wide-open focusing intently for any horses grazing in the fields as we drove by. My heart would sing every time I saw one, and I would yearn to stop, just to watch the horses do what they do. Mainly eat, of course. But sometimes, the horses would stop and stare at something, ears perked forward.
If I was lucky, I got to see the horses playing in the fields, and I could imagine them as wild horses, running free. It filled me with joy, and I wished my parents would stop, just so I could take in every last moment of the horses’ spiritedness.
Seeing the horses with their tails flagged high, nostrils flaring, dust flying was always so exhilarating.
And there is just something so exciting seeing two horses sparring against one another. These two geldings are best buddies, but often have disagreements on who the alpha horse is. The grey knows it’s him, and so does the bay, but he just has to test him occasionally, just to be sure.
Now when I happen to drive past some horses, like these two, who live across the road from me, and I see them acting like horses do, I always stop….and watch.
When speeding down the road, it’s easy to just see horses as grazing, peaceful……even boring, animals. It’s when you stop and observe, that you see what it is to be a horse.
Now that I’m finally able to bend my knee enough to squeeze into the driver’s side of the truck, and after four long months of not being able to go where I want to go, I can finally stop to watch horses again.
And if I wait long enough, photographic opportunities arise that I know I must capture with my camera.
Yes. Horses are interesting. Don’t you agree?
From the Tower of,
38 comments :
I love that picture of them standing nose to tail. :o)
Horses are the most asmazing of God's Creations...except grandkids!!!LOL
Doesn't every little girl dream of having her very own pony? And...every old woman dream of having her own llama? I think so.
So glad you are well on your way to a complete recovery. Aren't you glad it was winter and not summer that you were hurt?? There are blessings even in the most unfortunate circumstances.
I agree! Nothing more beautiful than seeing a pasture full of horses doing what they do!
Great photos Lisa!
Those are great photos of the horses The ones with them fighting i might guess that one of them was a female in Heet ?
When I was little I craned my neck constantly to see horses, too! :) I hated it when we drove by a pasture and the horse that was usually in it wasn't there. Bummed me out, hee hee! Have a great weekend Lisa!
p.s. glad you can finally bend that knee again!
Those are a gorgeous pair. I like watching any animal, actually. They're all remarkable, interesting, and beautiful to me. I'm always assured of a laugh or two out of the horses where I work once a week.
You've said it beautifully Lisa! On my way home from work I am always staring at the horses in every field or on our way to get hay when I am the passenger I can look without worrying about getting in a car wreck! :)
Horses are amazing animals and we all are so blessed to have them in our lives!
P.S. I will do a post on Fritzy dumping me soon! I have no idea why those black and whites do that!
Sometimes I feel as if I always owned a horse...beacuse I always wanted too and imagined that I did own one!
Hey Lilli,
No females in heat there. They are both geldings. No females anywhere nearby to fight over either. The bay is always testing the grey to see if he can maybe move up a notch on the seniority list. They're a coupla hooligans! lol!
Thaqnks Pony Girl!! You to, my friend!
Hey Paint Girl,
I look forward to that post. hehe
~Lisa
I love your photos! Those two are crazy, aren't they?
PS- I noticed they're not there today. They travel around a lot!
That last picture is great~! Mirror images right up to the cocked hind leg. LOL.
WORD- fopness
I just love that bay's face.
As a child I was the same way. Driving around I'd be reading in the back seat, until we hit the country. Then I'd be on the edge of my seat. Eyes peeled for any sign of a horse.
And being that I am totally willing to own up to the fact that I'm a dork I will also admit that I still watch for horses today.
(and yes, sometimes I even say out loud "horsey!!" lol)
Oh yes, I totally agree. You just described many many days of my childhood. We used to camp almost every weekend, so on the way to the campground, it was most likely that we would go through the country and there would be horses to be seen. Ahh! I was always on the lookout and I always had a couple Breyers in tow. And then once we got to the campground, it was my very favorite thing to take a walk or drive through the horse camp! Oh how I longed to be one of those people! I am now closer to that goal, now I must wait until our little one is old enough to ride (or old enough to stay at the granparents' for a weekend!) Great post and wonderful pics!
What a fabulous blog post! The pictures are so beautiful:)
such a fab series of pictures lisa and they are all perfect...love them in the dance for the alpha male ^..^
happy to hear you can bend the knee enough to drive ^..^
have a great weekend...and many hugs to you <<<>>>
Beautiful post and pics! Yes! I, too, as a child could seek out horses just to see them. It drove my parents crazy, but I could also sniff out a riding stables whereever we went and I'd BEG them to let me ride a horse!
What a fun post and your photos are great! I actually had ponies and quarter ponies all through my childhood and adolescence, (when I got older I never grew very tall (5'2")) so I could keep my horse when every other kid was graduating up to a larger one! LOL! They were not fancy but very broke! I would always be out riding!! I enacted every situation out on my horses....injured Indian or cowgirl.....laying across the saddle, trail tour guide, someone chasing me so just had to run or asleep on their back...on and on. Every night at supper time my mom had to send someone out to get me. One time I heard my sister say, "mom, she's not coming in because her leg is broken"! I had told her I couldn't come down off my horse! It wasn't of course, I was just pretending.....well that's what you do when you live out in the country and have no neighbors! LOL! I'm surprised I only had one accident and fell off my horse....running of course. I wasn't hurt thank goodness. Those are some of the best memories I have. I think with some women/girls horses are just in the genes! What happened to your knee? I joined your post about it I think? I love to see horses sparing, great shots!
Joined you after your post about your knee is what I was meaning to say!
I was just thinking how I could have easily been one of those kids on the school bus who yelled, "Horsey!" out the window in excitement when they saw me riding Lostine.
Love the nose to tail pic. Great shot.
These were awesome, Lisa. I feel as though I had a deprived childhood - had a couple of friends with horses, though, so I did get to ride occasionally.
Congratulations on the milestone of bending your leg more! You're getting there.
Nancy in Atlanta
I'm so excited you can drive again! I always felt that way about cows driving around. I'm not a horse person but I do like cows. I may have to get a few someday.
Like you I too am horse obsessed. I still to this day can tell you where the horses are located on any given road in our area. Unlike you I don't have a place to keep one so am horse poor. I wish it wasn't so for they are one of the things in my life that give me true joy.
Oh, yes, absolutely! Watching horses move, I know they are the most beautiful creatures on the planet. Do you know the Disney movie Spirit that came out 5 years or so ago? There's a shot in there where they did a great job capturing the movement of horses running, and I sweat to you on my doggie's head, it brings tears to my eyes just to watch it.
As for the photos, that bay is absolutely gorgeous! Do you know his name or anything else about him?
And such hearty congratulations on bending your knee!!! My mom had double knee replacement 15 years ago, and yours truly was her therapy coach at home, so I know what an achievement that is! Still waiting for that first day you can hoist yourself up into a saddle...
*ahem* "swear." I "swear" to you. I am not interested in "sweat"ing to you.
Whuuuwhooo!!! I think I'm saying that a lot lately on everyone's blogs, lol. Every little step needs to be a mini celebration leading up to the main event. Now, I read somewhere.....that you were looking at another horse..... can't wait to hear more about this!
I must still be a kid, still look for horse wherever we go LOL much to my husbands exasperation LOL when we went to San Antonio for my daughters grad from basic trainin we learned that there arent any horses in San Antonio!!!LOL ( just kidding LOL) but we did not see one horse the whole time we were in Texas and we were looking!!
And I wholeheartedly agree they are interesting critters!!!
Great pics of the "Gray and the Bay"
I do, indeed! I love the picture with the bite in progress. You got some great action shots there.
Sounds like you're doing more and more with that ol' knee of yours. I'm so happy for you!!
Hello! I'm new to your blog, but really enjoy it! I've nominated you for a "Lovely Blog" award. :) Come on by my page if you'd like to check it out! P.S. Just yesterday, I was driving past a field of 7 Arabians running with heads held high and tails flagged...I thought my heart might stop. The sight of horses never gets old. Then, a little further down the road there's a pasture with a momma and a new baby. Heaven. ;)
Love this blog entry. The horses are beautiful and your photography exceptional.
Excellent photos. To this day (I'm 45 years old, as of last week) I still watch out the windows for horses in the pasture...or best of all, someone out riding horses!
I just returned from and endurance ride in eastern WA state; part of the trail is visible from the highway (although it's more than a mile from the traffic). I always love to imagine the little girls who are thrilled to see beautiful horses ridden on the trail above the road.
I used to whinny out the window whenever I would see a horse. Much of the time, it would catch their attention. A few would start to approach. My dad and mom always took rides in the country, so they would slow for my whinny sessions!
Sorry you can't make it to Nebraska for the ride. The invitation is open anytime.
Tammy
YYYEEEHA! Those two play soo hard with each other! I LOVEED this Post Lisss, you captured so much with your words and pictures. You are such a good phtographer. That last picture of them standing identical..with the same hock cocked!! That is Poster quality there!!
Kac
I am soo smiling!
Great pics! Sometimes the best time at the barn is just watching the horses do what they do.
Yes they are - I am like you and i will stop and watch someone else's horses. I have never been ran off - and ya know sometimes i get to feeling like - don't know - attached to them in some way. When they disappear i have the most strong urge to go up to the owner's house and demand to know what have done with their pretty old grey arab. Now I haven't done that, because I know it's a good way to get shot or the cops called on you up here, but I that's what I feel like doing.
Sometimes for years afterward i will look for that one horse, but never see them again. I wonder what the story was....
Great pictures, love to see horses at play!
Jane and Gilly
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