The Horses: Mine
☆ April 27, 2010
Ranger is my horse. Quarterhorse. Nine. It’s difficult to see here, but the blaze on his face is the shape of a candle with flame. He’s not perfectly put together but has that disinterested confidence that makes him gorgeous. And he moves well. And his mane is the same color as my hair.
Ranger is solid. He’s ever-alert but I’ve never seen him frightened. He stepped on an empty plastic water bottle the other day (hey, litterbug!) and it popped like a gunshot and he walked on without so much as a twitch. He saunters into trailers and plows through streams and swamps, heads straight down the steepest of draws and up the other side without pause. This is, probably, only remarkable to those who’ve been with a horse who spooks at everything. I’ll describe that in detail when I get to Flicka.
Ranger is cool. He was never mean to the older horses, Houdini and Sunshine, when they all lived together. Now Ranger and Flicka and Kota have their own pasture; the three of them do well together and have similar levels of energy and attitude. Kota thinks he’s god’s gift but he’s no match for Ranger, who simply ignores him; this delivers a greater blow to Kota’s ego than any bite or kick could do. Flicka flirts up a storm with Kota and takes him to the corners to make out, but Ranger is her rock.
Ranger is perfect, for me. I trust him completely yet he challenges me, and this is my perfect combination in any partner. This is why my best friend and I have stayed tight for eighteen years, and why I love Mike the way I do (although this is pretty nice, too….) I ride Ranger with my eyes closed. I let him carry me home in the dark. I can push myself to become better, with him, and I know that he will push me, too. And because of all that ~ the trust and the work and the surrender and the growth ~ sometimes just walking a familiar path together fulfills everything.
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April 27th, 2010 @ 1:08 pm
Yup, yup, when you get your dream horse, you know it. That was Willow for me… who’s now old and semi-lame and it is so sad to see him age… been riding Panama moving cows lately and he’s great, but he’s not Willow…
April 27th, 2010 @ 1:09 pm
So sweet :) Love the way you write about the horses, Ranger seems like a great horse.
April 27th, 2010 @ 1:23 pm
Ranger is beautiful but I do like “this” too.
April 27th, 2010 @ 1:23 pm
Aww. Love it. Also love the picture of Mike, lol. Guy – shirt + jeans = HOTT.
April 27th, 2010 @ 1:27 pm
You are very fortunate to have found such an extraordinary equine companion. I feel the same way about my four legged furry child / dog.
April 27th, 2010 @ 1:30 pm
Have you ever read the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich? (Wonderful, funny, plucky series that is great reading in the summer or when you’re feeling blue.) There’s a very cool character in the series named Ranger, whose personality seems to be much like your Ranger’s! :)
April 27th, 2010 @ 1:34 pm
Just a feeling of calm when reading about Ranger.
April 27th, 2010 @ 2:29 pm
He reminds me of the horse I had growing up. Her name was Duchess…and she was my perfect young teenage companion! (before boys…LOL)
April 27th, 2010 @ 3:00 pm
oh how i love a horse who doesn’t spook and who knows the way home on a dark night! so glad you know that joy.
:)
April 27th, 2010 @ 3:29 pm
You most definitely can see the candle and the flickering light in the picture. I can even see the wax drippings down the side of the candle. * what I really enjoyed in the comments is to see the one from Carol!! I have been enjoying her blog for the past month and it’s cool to see that everyone is paying attention and keeping in touch with everyone else. I like that. Friends from afar but connected. very cool!
April 27th, 2010 @ 4:00 pm
I used to ride a horse El Dorado..who came close to how you describe Ranger..I had total trust in him..never spooked and understood my moods and what I wanted..almost like intuition or a best friend that finishes your sentences or reads your mind…It is a wonderous thing to experience that!
April 27th, 2010 @ 4:17 pm
:)
April 27th, 2010 @ 4:25 pm
Oh my gosh. I’m imagining many scenarios/horses I’ve been on where that plastic bottle boom would have been the.last.thing.i’d.ever.hear.
April 27th, 2010 @ 4:59 pm
Hubba-hubba Ranger!!! (Mike too!)
April 27th, 2010 @ 5:04 pm
If you haven’t already, you must read Chosen By A Horse by Susan Richards.
April 27th, 2010 @ 5:43 pm
I certianly know what it’s like to have a horse you can trust that much. My horse Jazz is like that for me. She’s a little more spooky than you say Ranger is-she does start at a few things, but for the most part she’s safe and steady, and I can ride for hours on her. I live on only 30 acres with houses surrounding our farm, so I can’t wander all that far-that must be amazing. (And she’s a bit of a klutz so I think that she’d trip if I tried to ride her home in the dark.)
I totally, completely, understand what you are talking about in this article. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling?
April 27th, 2010 @ 6:28 pm
You are such an incredibly beautiful and lucky young woman. And I am so completely green with envy. Any time you want to swap the country for the big city for a time (Washington, DC!) just let me know!!
April 27th, 2010 @ 8:09 pm
Ranger sounds great! It’s amazing what the right horse can do for your confidence and your relationship with him or her. I’ve rode some pretty spooky horses, so I can definitely appreciate how good he is! There’s nothing more fun than riding a horse that you trust over any terrain!
April 27th, 2010 @ 8:14 pm
Yay Ranger!
When your equine soul mate finds you, it’s so amazing. Such a special bond. Unfortunately the ones I’ve had that connection with haven’t been mine. Previously they were lesson horses. Now it’s an 18+ hand, black percheron named Batman (yes we have Robin too), that I get the pleasure of working with. I drive him as a carriage horse. It’s not exactly ideal, but he seems to be happy. He’ll really be mine one day. Even if he’s old and crippled after years of work, he’ll live out his last days with me.
Batman is a handful. He’s very spooky, he can be awful on the ground, he’s HUGE, but if he trusts you, he’s a dream to drive. We had a lot of bad experiences together, but then one day… it just changed. We figured each other out and we’ve been hooked ever since. It’s hard to explain the connection I have with him, but I’m sure you (as well as all horse people) understand.
April 27th, 2010 @ 8:45 pm
On the subject of horses spooking… Years ago I once went riding with my sister, father and grandfather on the family ranch. At one point Grandpa warned us to be ready to control the horses: there was a new water tank around the next bend that they hadn’t seen yet.
Sure enough, they stopped short, tossed their heads a bit and stamped their feet. It was a NEW THING that hadn’t been there the last time, after all!
Glad that Ranger is such a steady, wise soul.
April 28th, 2010 @ 5:18 am
Ditto Marian. Just lovely!
April 28th, 2010 @ 5:24 am
I love this, Shreve. Developing that sort of trust and partnership is so key with horses, and really with many other aspects of our lives. Ranger is a beauty.
April 28th, 2010 @ 5:34 am
I believe that the connections we can make with our four-leggeds push our boundaries and make us better human beings.
Blessings to you and yours.
April 28th, 2010 @ 5:39 am
Don’t you just love it when you have that bond with a horse. I have it with my girl, Kitt. Most people don’t understand how you can have that kind of special relationship with a horse. Kitt and I have dealt with Pitt Bulls, Boom Boxes, Little kids running up to her (we used to ride through a state park) ground bees, you name it, and she stayed calm and focused. I even taught a crying six year old how to ride on her.
The only time, and I mean the only time, she refused to move, she was right and I was wrong. We were out on the trail on a perfectly blue sky day and she flattly refused to move. I did everything I knew to do to get her going. Finally, she started. It wasn’t fifteen minutes when I heard this booming in the background. I looked back and there was this huge dark cloud and lightning striking the ground. I gathered up the reins, gave her a pat and told her to take us home, fast. She did and we got to the barn just as the storm hit. It was doozy complete with a funnel cloud.
Your guy is gorgeous, his conformation looks fine to me.
April 28th, 2010 @ 9:53 am
It is so amazing to read about the connections between horses and humans. It is so different than any other animal. I am so glad that you have this connection. I know you treasure it.
April 28th, 2010 @ 1:52 pm
I adore reading about you and your animals…you remind me of Ayla from Clan of the Cavebear and her connection with her animals….
April 28th, 2010 @ 2:52 pm
How I miss my horses! I live near the lake and bordered by woods, but my place is too small to have a horse again. Most of all, I miss the wonderful SMELL of a horse – I could never get enough of it. I understand your connection to Ranger – I had that too with Brandy, my horse of 17 years. It is blissful.
April 28th, 2010 @ 2:53 pm
Beautiful Ranger, and oh my how yummy on Mike.
April 28th, 2010 @ 10:25 pm
I just love the way you speak of your animal (farmily) and human family. So much love, respect and trust.
And this photo is magical! The colors and clarity remind me of an old-west book cover or old postcard depicting a western scene. Amazing, Shreve.
April 29th, 2010 @ 9:53 am
Beautiful pic of Ranger. He’s all Quarterhorse, all right.
His color reminds me of Pronto Don, the QH gelding I had a teenager (many years ago now!) He would hang out in the pasture with me like a big dog while I read, and once got into the tack shed and helped himself to the oats in the plastic barrel (he got the lid off, too!) Smart boy!
April 29th, 2010 @ 9:55 am
He’s beautiful! Both of them!
April 29th, 2010 @ 1:00 pm
As a young girl I played a game with Dan, my gigantic (1800+ lbs) Percheron, that consisted of giving hima half ear of corn and while he ate it I would run to another part of the pasture. I would then call him with the other half and he would come running at full gallop and slide to a stop within inches of me to get his treat. The first time my dad saw this he nearly had a heart attack..he thought I was getting ready to be trampled to death. I knew better!
May 1st, 2010 @ 12:40 am
I mean it in the most utterly non-creepy way possible. But that photo gives me goosebumps and shivers. Does he realize what he does to women? Seriously?
May 2nd, 2010 @ 4:32 am
great post as usual!
May 7th, 2010 @ 11:06 am
Hi Shreve…I know this is off-topic, but have you heard Grace Potter? They’ve been around for awhile, but I had not been aware of them. They are awesome. Check out the video.
May 30th, 2010 @ 2:40 am
Your posts about horses make me tear up everytime- I’m not sure why exactly, but it’s like when I walk past the pasture down the road, and the wind is blowing in the exact right way, and I smell those horses, and that barn, and the tears well up. I have so many great memories of growing up, but my experiences with horses are by far the greatest.
I had a horse, Sunny, that was my best friend when I was a kid, and I still miss her to this day.
I adore your writing, thanks for sharing.