Two Mares

The Arrogance Level in the pasture field has dropped to Non-existent. There is no more Great Studly Presence out there, just two little mares, two ladies who only want to eat grass and swish flies away and mind their own business. They don’t lift their heads and perk up their ears when they hear a noise. They just look up, check it, and get back at it. They don’t flip up their tails and scamper away when a human approaches. They just...look up, continue chewing, and reluctantly lower their heads into the halter and placidly walk beside the human.

Along with the absence of Arrogance, we’re also experiencing a severe drop in Hassle Factor.

My Old Man loves it. You might already know that he and Champ didn’t really agree on anything. It was always a contest of “I’m the boss, no I’m the boss, no I’m the boss” whereas my way of handling my equine rock star was more along the lines of, “You are the most magnificent horse in the world, yes look at you, I am looking at you, and we’re gonna do this my way because my way is the only way and aren’t you special and wonderful, you amazing horse, and I’m the one who decides how things are going to be done around here because I’m actually running things and you are a really gorgeous noble creature, yes you are.” So Champ and I got along pretty okay, while Dad and him, not so much. He hasn’t come right out and said it but Dad’s relieved. My mom has suggested gently that maybe I should consider the possibility of buying a nice gentle mare to take Champ’s place, and not get another tricky sneaky crafty gelding.

Well...I haven’t gotten my head around this yet. Let’s just leave it at this: As much as I’m enjoying the peaceful energy of the two mares, I miss having A Star. Not all male horses are stars. Some female horses are stars. But I like a small amount of arrogance in a horse. I like a little excitement in my life.

In the meantime, I continue to marvel at how smoothly things are going. The Broodmare is happily munching grass, ignoring the Little Lady. The Little Lady is realizing every few minutes that the Broodmare has wandered too far away and trots off the join her. The Broodmare decides that the Little Lady is too close and nips at her. And they’re both happy. All is right in the world.

It’s not the same as a month ago. When it was the King and his Little Lady, they grazed side by side. He loved telling her where to go; she loved being told. I’ve been around horses all my life and watched how they relate to each other. I never saw a pair of horses bond like those two.

I can’t say that she misses him. She still pauses at the spot in the corral where he died but I can’t tell you why. Maybe she smells something, maybe it’s a memorial thing, I don’t know and she ain’t telling me in English. It doesn’t really matter though, because she is her usual cute self and is just content to have someone else to follow around.

And follow she does. The other day we noticed that the mares both took a pee at the same time- guess which one first.

And yesterday I discovered that I can longe two horses at once. Just put the rope on the old mare. Convenient!


I’m pleased that the Little Lady isn’t alone. That one day of being alone, hopefully, will be her only. And it really has helped to ease my aching heart, to go out in the long grass and be greeted by two soft muzzles, like we’re all three saying to each other, quietly, gently, “Hey Girl.”