Zac Brown’s “Toes in the Sand” ran through my head in a slightly distorted version as I sat in my backyard in the hot sun. “I got my toes in Harley’s nostrils, butt in a chair…” Yes, Harley found a new toy that day and once he thoroughly examined my toes and the chair they rested on, we both settled in for an afternoon siesta. The shadow cast by Harley’s head blocked the sun’s rays from my eyes and a droopy horse lip six inches from my forehead was my view. The gentle relaxed breathing of my favorite Spanish Mustang tickled my face as we enjoyed a special afternoon of bonding. Yes Zac, I agree – Life is good today!
The morning started with briefly checking on the horses. Harley was standing in his usual corner and received his usual scratch. Spotting mud on the bottom rail of the fence, I made a mental note to talk to my son about where he had been scraping his boots. Soon the grass was flying as I mowed and made more mental notes of what job I needed to tackle next. As the mower strew clippings into the pasture, the horses gathered to taste the tender morsels. Harley, near the fence, moved quickly away when the mower passed and it was then my heart started pounding. Harley was lame.
A nail in his frog was the probable reason behind the mud on the rail as my young colt tried to scrape the offending metal out of his hoof. Visions of an abscess tormented me as I soaked his hoof clean and made a few phone calls to the vet and farrier. Harley and I bit the bullet and pulled the nail, paying special attention to how deeply it was embedded and in what direction. Luckily Harley was a champ and never flinched as I pulled the thorn out of the lion’s paw. After additional soaking, dressing and wrapping – I turned the new vet wrap and duct tape king loose in the yard to graze where his feet would remain relatively clean. However, Harley being Harley, soon discovered the cornfield. After several trips to retrieve my errant little boy, I gave myself permission to take a break from the stressful day and sit in the sunshine…and keep a closer eye on my mischievous colt.
Surprisingly at that point, Harley decided I was much more interesting than corn or grass and came to visit. First the chair my feet rested upon was examined, tasted and knocked over. Then the real fun began as he discovered my bare feet. My big toes were inhaled and shoved up each nostril as far as they could go. My feet were licked and nuzzled to the point I was beginning to worry that my little horse had an obsession. He also decided toes were just like fingers as he offered his jaw for a scratch.
Finally relieved of his curiosity of something he had never seen outside cowboy boots, Harley placed himself by my head. After inhaling my breath – now slow and calm, he cocked a hip and fell asleep – shading my face with his beautiful head and drooping lip. There we sat, dozing in the sunshine with Harley standing guard over me as if I were a member of his herd. Before long, he also felt safe and lay down next to my chair like a good horse/dog for a nap.
What Harley and I shared under that hot summer sun – from his total trust in me to relieve his pain to the my trust in him not to eat my toes and the best nap time we have ever had – was a special occasion for us both. The bonding between us was etched in stone and gave just a hint of what will come as we eagerly hit the trails together.
Harley and I rewrote Zac Brown’s hit that day to “I got my toes in the stirrups, faithful Harley beneath. Not a worry in the world, many trails to see. Life is good today. Life is good today.
