I am not really a horse person. Well, I love to look at them from a distance. So much prettier than cattle, though I do have a fondness for those Swiss Browns. And more dignified then those little woolly balls of sheep. The hills with horses grazing are just lovely along the roads of Wisconsin. There is one place near the lake where there must be 30 or more horses all together - they must board them for others. These horses appear in various places around the area in and out of harvested fields and different pastures so there is always an element of being watchful for them that I suppose keeps me interested. But with that many pastured together, at any given moment, at least a few are bound to be in a playful mood and trotting about or galloping along with each other or playfully sparring with each other. In the sun, when light catches their manes they are just so beautiful and graceful.
But up close they are big and stinky and slobbery and snotty and it freaks me out the one tiny misstep of their giant hooves or shift of their massive weight or toss of their giant heads could crush your foot or hand or probably skull. So I am definitely a horse-at-a-distance-and-not-up-close person. But of course the minute you say you love horses some fanatic wants you to be at their gate or barn up CLOSE to the huge snorting shifting drooling head-flailing smelly fly-covered things and ewwww who needs that. So mostly I claim to hate them so I can secretly admire them from a good safe clean distance.
But up close they are big and stinky and slobbery and snotty and it freaks me out the one tiny misstep of their giant hooves or shift of their massive weight or toss of their giant heads could crush your foot or hand or probably skull. So I am definitely a horse-at-a-distance-and-not-up-close person. But of course the minute you say you love horses some fanatic wants you to be at their gate or barn up CLOSE to the huge snorting shifting drooling head-flailing smelly fly-covered things and ewwww who needs that. So mostly I claim to hate them so I can secretly admire them from a good safe clean distance.
Photo courtesy Ken Schmierer due to mine being all unavailable until the ailing laptop returns from occupational therapy with the PC Medic. Thanks.
2 comments:
I'm with you on this.
I like horses. Often thought they would taste good.
Think they are for many people huge dogs or cats...
Anthropomorphism run amok
Well, there is no inherent reason horses are different from sheep or cattle or goats or bison, which are all animals we are willing to eat. But they do have different behaviors and different instincts and awarenesses that makes it inhumane to slaughter them in exactly the same way as cattle, so compassionate adjustment is in order.
I doubt I could ever raise cattle or goats or bison or any other animal for slaughter tho, because I would name them and notice their slight differences of 'personality' and be a total sap. My entraprenurial organic meat farm would have to be converted to one big petting zoo.
And I do respect people who can handle horses with skill and grace and without the fear that you would see in me if I were in their place. Are riding pants brown? I do love to watch jumping and riding and that sort of thing, but it is just not for me.
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