We’ve had some mild days this autumn. They come after a stretch of cold ones that had my girls anxious for hay at all hours. They seemed to be girding themselves for the long winter ahead.
But yesterday, we got into the 50s. The warm interlude had the horses more relaxed than usual. They looked downright dopey, like you might look if you had to keep your heavy coat on while standing in someone’s living room for some time.
One, then another lied down along the fence line in the sun.
Soon, all but Comet were down, eyes fluttering, mostly closed. Comet slept standing. I’d never seen the down/up ratio so high.
I grabbed the camera and slipped into the pasture to capture the moment. I started taking shots from afar, sure that they’d stand as soon as I got close.
Nope.
They let me walk amongst them.
What a cherished position.
They continued to sleep, breathing regularly, moving their ears to different sounds, letting out slow, quiet farts. I could hear their stomachs gurgling as I passed from one to the other.
If they were humans, they’d have just had breakfast. They’d be listening to classical music and dozing off with the Sunday paper in their laps. I’d be that fidgety kid being ignored.
Oh, what an honor to be ignored!