Spring is here, finally! The first sign of spring arrived when Steve stepped out of the barn and fondly bid his horse adieu for “two months.” I of course, replied, “Wimp,” as I watched my hubby try to to rid himself of all the horse hair collected within the five minutes he was in the barn. Spring is shedding time and unless you like clouds of hair following you wherever you go, you avoid the animals. If you are like me, devoted horse person, hours are spent brushing gobs of hair off of the horses to get them cleaned up enough to go riding. Then even after hours of grooming, a spring ride still produces clouds of hair which float up into your eyes and nose as you head down the road. You quickly learn to keep your mouth shut. No talking to myself, the horses or anyone else while riding during shedding season unless you like a lot of fiber in your diet.
Spring in the tundra region of ND where our horses grow thick coats of winter hair means you first test the wind before you bring out the curry comb. Various trees, posts and side view mirrors on pickups (shhh don’t tell hubby!) are used to tie the horses so you can brush on the upwind side. Then when one side is done, you move the horse before you start on the other side. Itchy and twitchy, the horses fight over who gets brushed first. Ears relax, lips quiver and eyes close with delight when you hit a really good spot which is anywhere on their body! They stretch out their necks and kindly offer to nibble back and return the favor which you politely decline. Tummy brushing brings a greyhound stretched-out stance as they help lean into the brush. “Oh it feels so good! Don’t stop!” One of my horses even offers to lift a hind leg like a dog peeing so you can brush “back there” even easier. A scream of delight bursts from your hair covered lips (Note to self: avoid lipbalm at all costs!) when you finally work your way down to one small inch square patch of gorgeous shiny summer hair.
Soon the ground is covered with a thick carpet of hair which eventually finds its way into horsehair bird nests adorning the trees in the farmyard. A walk through the pasture reveals Horsehair Angels where the horses have rolled in the remaining snow and left behind patches of hair. The saddle blankets and cinches require their own dehairing routine after each ride. Hair follows me into the house and soon you find horsehair on the countertops, floors and furniture even when you strip as soon you walk in the door and put your clothes directly into the washing machine. Soon I start singing the theme song “Hair” from the 60′s musical as I strive to keep hair from becoming part of the seasoning in our supper.
Then finally and miraculously one day just when you have put up the white flag and admitted defeat to the hair wars, you gaze out into the pasture to see the sunshine gleaming off of slick sleek shiny coats as the horses graze on the tender green grass of spring. Summer is here….its time to rejoice and ride!
