horse power

Chance~ belgian draft and (possible) fjord mix

like straddling a barrel

baby Clydesdale

belgian draft horse

the most intriguing, with white face and one blue

chincoteague pony

i'm very attracted to horses. from a safe distance. oddly,  i'm most attracted to the larger, draft breeds~ the beligians, the percherons, the clydesdales, which makes little sense considering my skittishness. my friend, tina, rescuer and owner of draft mix, chance, invited me to come meet her baby and begin to gain a level of comfort with a ginormous animal. so i went, with apples, camera and courage.

chance, likely abused, destined for the slaughter house and rescued at the last minute by tina, has become a gentle giant under tina's love and  persistent skill with horses. still, i was overwhelmed by his size up close. it's the big feet and the unexpected spooks that usually keep me beyond arms length. when, eventually, i climbed onto chance's back in the riding ring, i cried. for a thousand reasons.

after our slow walk around the ring and the surprisingly long drop from the saddle to get my feet on the ground, some fear had slipped away. i even endured some untethered time in front of chance while tina did other things and i brushed him when the saddle came off. for his even and winning ways, he received most of the apples i brought.

we toured the farm, handing out apple quarters, marveling at the amazing variety of stars and blazes on faces. not surprisingly, the chincoteague pony gave me the most comfort. her size  and sweetness felt perfect for me. and yet, it's equus giganticus that pulls at my heart.

as with most new experiences, the magnitude of simple encounters and changes in points of view takes time to digest, to integrate. horses represent forward movement, new journeys and if ridden, rising above the mundane. they especially represent freedom and power, of the personal kind. thanks to tina's invitation, i'm taking a chance on all of it.