Rodney in Wraps

I is for Impressions. If you are joining me from Blogging A To Z, welcome! Since the blog is already daily, with topics for each day [About: Schedule], there is no specific A To Z theme. I may even skip a few letters. Gasp. Clutch the pearls. The goal for this year is less crazy, more visiting. [Ze State of Ze Blog 2014]

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(No photos. Left phone in jacket when I took it off. Thought about running back to get. Decided to be in the moment rather than fuss about documenting it.)

After Milton’s weekly trailer jaunt [Mobile], we did a test load for Rodney. Wrap. On. Stand. Off. Aced it.

He stood quietly while I wrapped his legs. Clearly, he remembered this. Equally clearly, it was not a bad memory. When we moved off, he did a can-can. We laughed. His look said, let me tie mattresses to your legs and see how gracefully you move.

I had trouble getting his large carcass properly situated in the slant load. We backed off and tried again. He didn’t leave the trailer as much as roll off like a car that hadn’t been properly chocked. The rig was on a slight hill.

Got him better positioned. Closed the side gate. Fed treats. Offered the hay net. He said, ‘No. This is a carrots-or-better situation.’

Calm. Alert. Dignified. His attitude the whole time was of a horse aware of and in control of his surroundings. As we walked to the trailer, I caught the aura of Big Time Show Horse coming through.

As I related in our origin story [Horse Illustrated], I saw Rodney four years before I bought him. He was a different horse by the time we saw him again. This is the first time I have caught a glimpse of the horse I saw lo these many years ago.

Maybe I was imagining it. Maybe it’s all in my head. Maybe I was just so happy to see my horse one tiny bit closer to being a performance partner instead of – or in addition to – being a pet.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott