I should have been born into the horse world. I was one of those girls who wished for a horse for every birthday and wound up crying every birthday because I never got one. I honestly think that's why I'm so in love with big dogs, especially the giant breeds like the Danes and the Mastiffs. They're almost like horses. When Talos gallops past me in the backyard, the ground vibrates. If I close my eyes, I can convince myself that I'm sharing the backyard with a horse.
A couple weeks ago, I found my calling in life. I should be a recklessly wealthy woman living on several hundred acres with both a stable full of horses and a kennel full of dogs. Well, not really a kennel – all my dogs would be house dogs. But that's just a minor detail. Back to my newfound calling…
I went to the Howard County Iron Bridge Hound Race a couple weeks ago. It wasn't a race for hounds, it was a horse race over rolling meadows, through the woods, and over some pretty impressive jumps. It was dog-friendly so Nemo accompanied us.
Unfortunately, Nemo didn't share my love of horses. He was quite suspicious of the large, snorting, smelly things if we're being honest.
At the conclusion of the race, this really nice man (the keeper of the hounds) let us come out and get our picture taken with him and his horse. As you can see from the top picture, Nemo really didn't want a whole lot to do with the situation. The rider was patient and spoke softly and calmly to Nemo, who obliged us, but would not untuck his tail. He has his limit, I suppose, and we were just a tad over it.
The day was great fun for all of us. I am asking for a horse for my birthday. And a 300-acre farm. And 30 hounds.
jane says
May I suggest you raise one of these for your next project after Talos? 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLdO2cBAusw
Laurie Luck says
Hi Jane, thanks for the comment. I’ve seen Panda in action at ClickerExpo in Newport, RI. What a cool horse! I like the big horses, just like I like the big dogs. My favorite horse to ride when I was taking lessons (when I was 12 or so) was the biggest horse in the stable – he was about 17.2 hands. And I was in love.
Dolores says
Your childhood was my childhood. I did dogs for 30 years before moving to horses. Now, I’m living the dream. Never give up on the dream.
Laurie Luck says
Dolores: thanks for the encouragement! It’s nice to hear you’re living the dream! I want to do both: dogs and horses. They kind of go together, right? 🙂
Rattlerjen says
What a great idea for getting dogs used to horses. It did not occur to me, but those fox hunting horses are used to a ton of baying hounds at their hooves. I am going to check out events here in Virginia that are dog friendly.
A perfect place for human socialization too.
Thanks for the idea.