Posts Tagged ‘appaloosa’

Sunny - Before the snows came.

The snow in Gettysburg has kept me away from the stable where I board my horse.  Sunny, a bright-eyed Appaloosa, was inside all this time, a prisoner in his stall – unable to run or play with his best friend, Teddy, a sleek Arabian, in the 40 – 50 inches of snow covering the outdoor ring and paddocks.  I knew he would be well cared for at my stable, but felt serious guilt anyway for “neglecting him.

He must be missing me terribly, I thought – lonely, morose, moping about like a lost soul.  So today I finally made my way out there, expecting that Sunny might be a bit peeved at my neglect, expecting him to be somewhat hyper after his long confinement, but also thinking how happy he’d be to see me.

Imagine my chagrin, when I found Sunny well-groomed, hooves clean as a whistle, well-fed, warm as toast in the heated barn in his clean stall, and not particularly caring whether I was there or not. Now Sunny is a fairly new horse to me.  He has only been mine for six months or so.  We’re still getting to know one another, but yet I expected him to be waiting to see me with open affection.  This was not to be.

After I stroked him a while, and whispered softly in his ear, he did begin to nudge and niggle at my sleeve. Ah ha, he did miss me.  That is what I was thinking until it dawned on me he simply wanted a treat.  Yes, there I was, a mere “pez dispenser,” on hand for Sunny’s pleasure, and a slave to his hungry eyes.  I was, as you might imagine, very satisfied with the wonderful care he was receiving, but at the same time frustrated that I was not more needed by this great animal I have learned to love…ah well.

I know that Sunny and I are a new match, and I know that there’ll come a time when our relationship will go beyond my being the big human who grooms him, gets on his back, makes him work, then gives him a treat for his trouble.  But, alas, I fear my attachment for Sunny is moving much faster than his for me … other than those pez’s … which are in reality an apple or a carrot.  Right now I’m satisfied that he knows I’m in charge, which makes it safer when I ride him, but the rest will take more time.

In the hope of speeding that bond along, I groomed him, threw my western saddle gently on his back, and rode him for the first time in many days in the indoor arena.  I did some ground work to settle him down. This is a sweet horse – spirited, but sweet.  He was hyper from being cooped up a while, but nonetheless responsive, and was being a joy to ride – to a point. He was fine until I tried a little jog – opps!

I was told by the amazed on-lookers that it was a joy to watch.  With huge smiles they saw Sunny bunny-hopping across the arena, with me fast in the saddle, but hopping up and down with him just like an old western movie … and a bad one at that.  He settled down, and I thanked him for the invigorating ride with a pat on his neck and a few whispered words.  He snorted a patient approval of my staying on his back, as if to say, “OK, you passed.”  We continued to work the arena, and it was a great ride, if not a close and personal bonding experience.

I’ll keep at it, and I’ll try not to worry about him at the stable pining away without me.  Mostly, I’ll continue to reach out for that bonding I know will come in time, at his own speed, when I can graduate from Pez Dispenser to senior partner and faithful friend.

Last night was a cold, wet, windy, and very dark thing. After a few pints at the Garryowen, I decided to watch a good movie. As I sat searching through my DVD collection I could see the trees in the woods surrounding the house waving back and forth alarmingly. When this happens I always consider when one of these mighty trees might break like a twig and fall on the house.

Something else occurred to me while I was searching for a movie to ward off the fierce wind, as it had so many times before. I needed to be careful of my choice. Although I’m still in the research phase of my next novel, I’ll be writing soon enough. I have found in the past that while writing, I can’t read other novels or look at movies that might be even remotely related to my story. Otherwise there is the danger that I might come afoul of the dreaded ‘creeping sickness’. That somehow, somewhere, the story, characters, or even scene setup might creep from what I was watching or reading into my own story.

This probably sounds silly if you’ve never tried writing fiction, but I suspect those of you who have gone down this lonely, agonizing road will see and understand my plight.

So, my friends, I with great reluctance set aside the John Wayne classics, Zulu, Appaloosa, and Lonesome Dove, and inserted my worn copy of “As Good as it Gets.” A wonderful movie, and as far from historical fiction dramas as I thought I could get. On the other hand, it wasn’t a total loss. If you’ve seen it, than you know it is an amazingly funny film, marvelously acted, and containing some of the very best dialogue (in my opinion) in filmdom.

No trees fell, the wind settled down, and I was happy with my choice – because it made me laugh.

Historical fiction by Will Hutchison:

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We have three children – ages 5, 9, and over 20. The youngest is a beautiful and gentle Shelty named Robbie.

The 9 year old is my amazingly sweet, western trained roan Appaloosa-Thoroughbred cross, named Sunny…

The oldest, leased by Rosemary, is a wonderful Thoroughbred, named Lummy.

Today is their day. I’ll groom all three, walk Lummy, and ride Sunny. Lummy needs the most care. He was actually lame when Rosemary began working with him. He’d been on the race track, a jumper, and won many ribbons in equitation, but was headed downhill. He had been the alpha horse, but was pushed aside as he got older. He’d lost his mojo. Rosemary has been working with him every day, caring for his ailments, joints, bones, and such. She has brought him back completely. He appears sound again and has won ribbons. He’s got his mojo back, and is once again the top horse among his peers!

Horses calm me. It is an awesome thing. When I’m writing I take breaks to go to our stable close by. Whatever state I’m in, whatever thoughts race through my always working mind…it turns to immediate calmness around the horses.

Sunny is priceless. He’s the most responsive horse I’ve ever ridden. He has a beautiful ‘buggy’ trot with his head lowered that I could ride all day.

Robbie, of course, is ever present…ever vigilant…always protective…and always makes us smile. He is the bright sun in our lives, and he shines … he purely shines.

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