Truer Words

 This.  This, right here, is the undeniable truth (found on social media.)

If you have ever had the pleasure of adding a miniature horse to your herd, you will whole-heartedly agree with me.  These adorable miniature versions of horses can be holy terrors.

My herd comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. 

 And I've got to admit... the largest of them all is definitely the easiest. 

 Whereas the smallest... well, let's just say it's a good thing they are so small!

The thing is, we miniature horse owners have no one to blame but ourselves.  We let these adorable little equines get away with bad manners that we would never in a million years allow a full-sized horse.   A full sized horse needs to understand personal space.  A full sized horse can step on your foot and break it... or press against you and break a rib (speaking from experience).  And while there may not be a mean bone in their body, their size and the weight they carry presents the danger.

With their diminutive size, these little fur balls on hoofs are generally not a threat to life and limb.  And so, we horse Mommies tend to overlook bad manners.

In all honestly, though, now that Red and Ollie are older, they have settled down quite a bit and are less prone to the shenanigans of their earlier days.  Years ago I would tell Ollie on an almost daily basis that if he were a big horse, he would be heading to the glue factory.  (Of course I would never... but threats are sometimes effective 😉.)

It was during his early years, that Ollie would occasionally walk up behind someone and bite them in the buttocks - just enough to give a good pinch.  The funny thing is, he never did it when I was around - but I'd hear stories.  It's hard to discipline a horse when you are not there to witness the infraction.  Still, he was never mean - just mischievous.  And cute - and there lies the problem.

In all seriousness, though there is truth to the original statement above - my entire herd is super easy to deal with.  Each of them has their own personality and quirks - but all of them are congenial and trustworthy (except around unlocked gates!)

I'll let you in on a little secret.  I am accruing another smaller herd lately.  Luckily, this herd needs no hay and no chow!

Aren't they cool?  I have a can of canes and walking sticks beside my front door (decorative and useful at the same time).  Lately, on a couple antique market forays, I have located three of these horse head canes - two are brass and one is pewter.

I am a bit of a collector and love antiques.  Although, I try to keep this collecting business in check.  But there are things that I have a hard time passing by when I find them... like wooden boxes with latches, old crocks, and crockery with advertising (and a few other miscellaneous oddities.)

To me, there is something magical about an item with a history - an item that has withstood the test of time.  It's bothersome to me that goods are no longer made to last.  Now, we live in a throw-away society...with all of the accompanying problems.

I have no fondness for shopping for modern-day, new items - but, turn me loose in an antiques market and I am in heaven!