What’s better than a little girl getting her first pony? An old girl getting a horse that she never thought she would see again.
I met Bob about 3 years ago. A friend of mine asked if he could bring Bob to our farm so he could ride and use him for a high school prom parade. My barn was closer to the school and we had riding trails nearby. Bob would only be with us for about a month.
I heard that Bob was a draft cross – Percheron and Paint and pretty sweet…oh, and pretty big. Not in height but in the girth. I loved him before I met him. Our family has always liked our horses a bit meaty and big. So I could not wait to meet him in person. I had a team of Percherons in the past and drove them all over as well as attended a couple of parades. We loved our drafts and missed them deeply. So I said ‘yes’, he could come.
From the moment I met Bob, I loved that horse. He is a ‘looker’. Bob is black with a beautiful paint can drip of white across his neck and withers. Four white ‘knee’ socks and a nice white star on his forehead. He is about 16 hands and meaty. Too small for the Amish to pair him in a Percheron team and too slow after about 10 steps down the road, Bob didn’t make the Amish-cut after he was 8 years old.
So Bob did go to the Senior prom parade. He had not been in an actual parade before, but as a well trained horse for the Amish he proceeded to finish out the Senior event with flying colors. King and Queen in the back of a visa vi with our friend and Pastor in the front. Bob earned even more points in my book because he was a complete gentleman and everyone was happy. First the King and Queen in the carriage and then all of the kids in their fancy cars honking and whooping it up. Bob didn’t flinch one muzzle whisker.
I thought about Bob from time to time, wondering and praying if we would ever get a sweet draft again.
Just about 3 weeks ago I got a text from Mari, Bob’s mom asking me if we wanted to purchase him. Out of the blue – did I want Bob. Not just any horse, but Bob. I was more than surprised and my first thoughts were, ‘this is it’! Then the doubts set in, what if I cannot harness him myself, what if he eats more than I expected and costs are higher than I expected in the future…What if, what if…
Doubt can creep in when we are about to have an experience that we have wanted so badly for so long. I decided to think and pray on it to be sure this would be all that I had hoped for.
Bob came with his harness and his saddle. I asked if we could purchase his bridle too. To me, bridles are like good fitting glasses or the right sized bra. If it does not fit right, everything is uncomfortable.
I watched as Bob strutted out into our field and met our heard of 5. His arched neck and extended trot had me giggling like a young girl. Everyone said their hello’s and danced around establishing their new pecking order. Yes, Bob is at the top of the herd. And it was good to see our horses humbled a bit, but happy.
I did not know that Bob came with a special itch spot under his belly at the girth. When you find that spot, his head swings from side to side. And the cherry on the sunday? If you ask him if he wants a treat, he shakes his head, ‘yes’. Bob is an easy keeper, loads easy and… well, is just the easy guy we thought he would be.
And the best part… the old girl got her horse that she thought she would never see again. We love you Bob!
