The Grey Mare is sulking.I thought yesterday's "I'm really not pleased with you, mother" attitude was because she had spent the day inside. With the worst storm since 1987 forecast and the gale starting to gather momentum when I fed her in the cold light of dawn, I thought she would appreciate it. She loathes spending the day with her head down, bum to the wind, simply surviving the elements, and I loathe the thought of it. However, the great storm did not hit Northumberland: by the time I arrived home there was an eerie calm of the kind where you find yourself breathing quietly, listening, waiting for something to happen.
I took her out for some grass, I chattered away inanely as is my wont, sorted out her bed, her dinner, her hay and her magnetic boots. I then sorted out the dark prince, who along with my sister's other three is my responsibility while she is off Nessie-spotting for a couple of days. The poor lad is lame and is staying in through necessity rather than non-arriving storms. I gave him some carrots and had a chat with him.
The force of the evil eye assailing me along the line of stables compelled me to turn around. "What are you doing, giving him my carrots!" she seemed to be saying. I had forgotten just how possessive the Grey Mare can be. She gets rather upset if I have anything to do with another horse in her sight as she thinks - quite rightly - that she is the centre of my universe.
She spent today outside, came in when I called and ate her tea while I went down the field to feed more of my sister's horses. But once I returned, I was searched thoroughly for carrots (in case I was hiding any for him) and watched intently while I sorted him out for the night.
I don't know how my sister manages to have four horses and keep them all happy. One spoiled little madam is quite sufficient for me.
13 comments:
I love that she had her "tea"! And you would probably find that, like children, you have more love to go around and they just bloody well have to get used to siblings!
I thought she was rather fond of the Dark Prince? Are you sure she wasn't sulking because you didn't let him out with her?
she's lovely, with more than one you develop 3 pairs of hands and the capacity to carry armfuls of carrots!
Quite glad the storm didn't materialise here - and I'm sure you would have been reproached if you had turned her out in the wind!
M&M, four horses? your sister sounds like that french chap we saw at lowther once who rides four horses at the same time, standing a foot on each of two horses and the reins of another one in each hand.
EPM, she actually enjoys a cup of tea - but she don't do sharing of food or affection ...
WW, much as she likes the dark prince, she is mroe hjealous of me and her carrots!
Ziggi, I admire people who can juggle more than one ...
Geraniumcat, wasn't it freakily still?
Rilly, unfortunately my sister rides em one at a time...
Carrots are very precious. Food is a big issue with our dog and cat. Cat winds dog up by drinking out of her bowl and dog winds cat up by standing underneath the windowsill where the cat is fed and fixing her with her evil labrador eye. So I can understand the carrot thing.
Until encountering your blog, I had never much thought about horses - though I once enjoyed a lovely horse steak on a barbecue in France. You have taught me things about the special bond that people can develop with horses. Nonetheless, I am going to stick with our cat Boris for now.I wouldn't fancy eating him anyway.
Jane, carrots are indeed a precious commodity, especially for greedy Gray Mares!
YP, I hope, if nothing else, I have put you off eating horse meat.
It was eerily still here earlier in the week but the wind did get up a bit before. It seems to have died down again now. There were some impressive shots of Whitehaven harbour being dominated by enormous waves though which was cool!
I'm amazed that I got to London on time, the storm was lashing the railway line as I set off! You were right to keep your pampered madam inside, just in case.Her mane would have definitely been awry and she wouldn't have looked good for the Prince of Darkness.
My mum's horse gives me exactly the same 'look' at the moment. He's on box-rest having damaged his suspensary ligament and he's in the foulest of moods - he's got the magnetic boots on too, but no amount of cuddles, carrots or polos can alleviate his mood...just like having a teenager in the house!
I thought of you on Saturday as my daughter (just 7) had her first riding lesson.
She's been waging a "wear the parents down" campaign for a year or so, and I finally succumbed.
It was raining so I thought that'd be it for horse-riding. But no.
"I want to go every week," she says, oblivious to the horrendous cost we will now be facing.
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