Equine Angels

For the third Saturday in a row I left my bed before 5:00am, today to help out at a Horse Show and Sale. The requirements were that to sell your horse you needed to show them before hand, and as I've been so busy lately, my help unfortunately came with the problem that I couldn't handle the horse beforehand - just turn up and show.

While I've had a fair bit of experience with horses, I can with an unfamiliar, inexperienced, young or nervous horse become quite skittish myself - unfortunately - this horse had all four qualities. While usually very quiet, the experience of being in a show/sale environment got to his head (I can imagine moreso considering the float was hit by a car on the way there, jack-knifing the float and causing them all a great deal of fright, but thankfully no injury). Well, after we led the wee one away from his friends he went "ape *&^%" - rearing and having quite a few issues.

So, I prayed. I prayed that angels would be with us as we were in the ring, calming him and helping me not make it so that prospective buyers would be put off buying him. He usually is a quite horse and he was young and just very over it! I was incredibly thankful when we came out of the ring with him not disgracing either of us.

The other angelic moment was when one of the guys there went in and walked a horse around before sale for another one of the guys. He saw a need, stepped in, offered and helped. There was something in that awareness and care for others, along with the ability to help that deeply impressed me.

Our three horses showed (at well below what they were worth, but to competitive homes which offsets the price) and to my great delight the two geldings who had been raised together as paddock mates and stable mates and all round good mates went to the same home - which in an auction situation with 100 other horses was an awesome thing. I was a bit emotional at the thought of them parting and when I found out that they were going to the same home I must admit that I was much relieved.

Oh - and for people that were interested - the artwork I'm purchasing will look something very much like this: Click Here