There’s a horse on my porch!
I’m not sure how much longer I’ll keep Patriot up in the yard. We’re really enjoying him, but it might be a little much long-term. Every time I catch this giant figure walking by outside the window from the corner of my eye, it freaks me out for a second.
It does keep him handy for Morgan’s obsessive grooming.
Morgan likes to introduce Patriot to the smallest of creatures.
Even if they don’t appreciate it.
And I think certain other someones can be a little jealous.
Which can cause them to get into a little mischief.
Cows in the yard probably aren’t a good idea long-term, either, though if she was in milk, I’d be happy to pull her up to the back door.
Patriot’s field is ready for him, but we haven’t been able to convince ourselves to park him So! Far! Away! yet. My farmer fencing expert, Eugene, was here yesterday and is here again today, working on the upper pasture fencing for the cows. (There’s fencing up there–he’s making repairs and working on the creek crossing.) I’m planning to move Buttercup and the donkeys to the upper pasture, and I may put Patriot there, too, at least until Zip comes, so that he won’t be alone.
Morgan hasn’t tried to ride Patriot yet. She’s being patient, getting to know him, letting him settle in. I think she will probably start riding him on Sunday. I will have a houseful this weekend. Weston will be home for the holiday weekend, and Ross will be here, too. I don’t know yet how long Ross will get to stay–he is still awaiting his orders for what date he is to report to his ship in Norfolk. (He will be on a fast-attack submarine.) I’m hoping he can stay for awhile–I still have a lot of fencing to do! The reason Morgan is probably going to wait until Sunday to ride is because their dad will be in town for the holiday weekend with the kids here. He used to work as a cowboy on a ranch in Texas, and still rides, so he has some experience. She took riding lessons for five years, but I think she’s just feeling a little nervous about putting the bridle and everything together and on him correctly.
Meanwhile, everybody’s mowing! I’m still thinking about getting a lawnmower, though. I only need so much fertilization–
–in the driveway!
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Patriot will be here this afternoon. Yesterday, I took Morgan to the little store in town to pick up her saddle and other equipment and supplies. She’s been saving her money. Not that she saved enough, so I had to help her. Morgan’s money tends to fall out of her pockets. Usually while she’s standing in a bookstore.
She had fun picking everything out. Tim, the owner of the little store, helped her with a few things.
After we got home, she spent most of the rest of the day riding the couch.
(A number of people asked about a helmet. Yes, she is getting a helmet also. I will be picking that up today at another store.)
Meanwhile, so many coincidences falling into place. As I posted yesterday, the previous owners visited this weekend. In our conversations, I found out a few things, including that there is someone nearby here (just a couple of miles away) who gives riding lessons. I’ve been wanting to find someone who could come here to the farm for lessons, so this was exciting. They also have a hitch wagon they take places to give rides, and I promptly hired them to bring their horses and wagon to this year’s Party on the Farm! (Won’t that be fun?!) Along with a hitch wagon, they also have a wedding carriage, and I talked to them about collaborating on wedding events at Sassafras Farm. (Could a wedding at Sassafras Farm be any cuter? Now I can offer a carriage to bring the bride down the road and up the drive!)
The previous owners also told me about a horse neglect and abuse case that occurred here on this farm in 2006. A veterinarian (at North Gateway! the animal shelter where Coco is right now! and NO, she is no longer a vet there) who leased this farm at the time had 13 horses seized. At one point, she had several dozen horses here, which is far too many horses for the fenced pasture, and they were being starved. There isn’t enough stall space here in the barn for that number of horses to be sheltered, and when I called Jim, my neighbor, he said he’d known of at least three horses that froze to death here over the winter of 2005-2006 and were hauled up the hollow on the farm and dumped. I remember that winter–I had just moved to West Virginia and the temps hit zero multiple times. It was quite cold in the slanted little house that winter. The vet was eventually evicted from here (for non-payment) and the horses were seized from a nearby 6-acre farm, shortly after she moved them off this farm. You can find the story here. Some of those horses eventually found their way to the Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue, which was founded in 2007.
At first, this whole scenario felt a little weird and creepy, knowing it happened here on this farm. She lived in my house, cooked in my kitchen, sat on my porch, starved horses in my fields, and dumped them in my hollow. But then it felt somehow very right after all. The farm has come full circle as today, I adopt a rescue horse. (By the way, see my story today about the Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue in the Charleston Daily Mail here.)
Patriot is coming!
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