Okay, sorry. The title's not really about you. At least, I wasn't intending it that way. Please though, you will have a friend in me!!!! (And note, don't come to me with wishes. I did NOT say: you've never had a friend like me. I said: you will have a friend in me. There's a difference. The blog post still isn't about you though.)
I had the funniest time telling my old friends about my new friend, a guy named Robin. Tall, handsome and red-haired. How he was following me around the first day we met and whom I was developing a relationship with.
Needless to say, they were momentarily worried about 16 year old me. Until suddenly one turned around (we were in the car) and blurted, "Did you get a horse??"
Yep. Somehow, my long-cherished (and well known) dream had become a reality. God looked down and said to one of His daughters, "Here, let me show you how much I love you."
And He did, by showering this daughter of His with a free healthy horse (no, I didn't look in his mouth), 2 saddles and more tack than a single horse and rider could use at once, a number of bales of hay, and a free month of board at a nearby barn to allow my Daddy to build a stable in our field. The ladies God did this through gave their time and resources to establish me in the horse world. This whole story left my cheeks hurting every night from the perpetual grin I wore and was a story that would make 2020 stand out in my life for a good reason (a blessing most of the world doesn't have).
This December marks 3 years of being a horse owner, something that still surprises me sometimes.
People hear this and ask, "What do you do with him?"
I have to laugh, because most who ask are asking in confusion, "I know you don't do show, so you tack him up to ride every other week and....?"
A lot of people have a hard time envisioning horses and riders other than in settings like arenas, picturing lots of dust and mud and work for animals who aren't that good for anything other than the occasional ride.
Naw. I get to tell people, "Robin's my friend!"
I can run out to the field any time I want and pet his soft nose and think out loud to a living creature. I sit and read while Robin grazes nearby and periodically comes to try and eat my book or snuffle my hair. I go out at night when the stars are awake and whistle, and when he comes, I warm my hands on his soft neck. I brush him until his coat shines like a penny, and teach him how to "talk" and amaze every little girl or boy who asks him a question. I put a lead rope and halter on (Robin, not me) and walk around our ten acres, giving rides to my little siblings or wandering through the woods. I go out to give him his grain, and randomly decide to throw on his bridle and jump on his back to ride down the gravel road we live on out to a 25 acre clearcut and explore. Yes, bareback, bareheaded, barefoot and phoneless. :)
Before you get the idea that he's some dream horse though, let me straighten you out. Many's the time I've gone out for a ride, only to spend the entire time having to change his attitude by groundwork. Or had half an hour to spare, and then spent 25 minutes of that half hour trying to catch him.
But yes, the general sentiment is that he's a great horse, and I'm so grateful that God gave him to me to be a friend.
And on that note, I made a video. Mostly pictures, but I was listening to the song "You've Got a Friend In Me" (aha! The title is explained!) one day out in the field, and realized that the words were pretty applicable to Robin and myself. (Especially since I call him 'Boy' or 'Bud' 40% of the time.) Anyways. Enjoy this short video about another of "my favorite things".
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