#085-365 Entrance

This is the gateway into a beautiful Horse Stud on the way to The Pennyfarthing Pub, and my next post will be fences, to show what a wonderfully well thought out complex this is. I was travelling at 100KMH when we went past this gate so I had to stop, do a "U" Turn and go and snap it again, Sally is so patient.

Funny thing about horses though, I Love Them (Except the ones that like to watch the other horses from behind - The ones I wager on), and every now and then I meet one that really wants to be friends and enjoys being stroked and being told what a beautiful creature they are, but that isn't always the case.

When I was in the Army, working in Melbourne, they seemed to want us to stay fit so ordered that we utilize a nearby running track called the "Tan Track" at least three times a week. I complied (As You Do) but under duress, as the Crystals and I have similar philosophies - They Da Do Ron Ron and I - Do not Run Run I Do Not Run. There were not only Soldiers, Sailors and Air Force personnel and public servants using the track though, the Police Horses were trained on the inner track.

One day I was begrudgingly trudging along, minding my own business, when I noticed a horse coming towards me was becoming increasingly skittish, as we drew together. Being a survivor my defences went into overdrive and simultaneous to the horse launching itself over the dividing hedge between us with those enormous teeth snapping at me, I disappeared over the hedge in the other direction. The poor young policewoman who had been riding the horse, had dismounted and was trying to use her quirt, to calm it, when I called from the safety of my side of the hedge, don't hit him, it isn't his fault! Just climb back over the hedge, he will follow to protect you from me when we are on the same side. She replied that doesn't make sense, I replied I know but just try it.

She shrugged, clambered over the hedge and sure enough the horse gracefully leaped the hedge and put it self between her and me. Being the hero I am I quickly scampered back on my own side of the hedge and the horse seemed to settle down although it wouldn't take it's eyes off me. The young officer, secured her mount to a tie ring and came back (I think to check that I was okay, cause she didn't arrest me or anything (Surprised tammy?) She started to apologize saying that she had been unable to control him as soon as he had seen me, it obviously concerned her, so I tried to put her mind at ease.

I told her that I had never laid eyes on the horse before, having only come in from four years in Darwin the week before, but that I believed I must have been a mule skinner or the like in a past life as this kind of thing had happened before and it must be some kind of Equine memory from that past. It always happens with Stallions or Geldings that have actually run a herd in the past, and I guessed it was a defensive thing, and I gave off some sort of negative vibes. She said that my idea was ridiculous so as there was another horse coming around the bend, I did a quick check , saw she was a mare reached over the hedge and she came over and willingly had her muzzle stroked while the rider checked that everything was okay.

I later became friends with the policewoman and the stable foreman who wanted to meet me, it even got me out of running for three weeks till they could find another training track for the horse, and I accompanied by the forman and the rider, back to the stable, where I actually got to stroke the flanks of that horse, (While it was in a very strong stall) but it quiverred all along it's flanks for the entire time I was there, and the eyes were rolled right back in it's head to see what I was doing - I really think I terrified it, and couldn't get near his head. This was a shame because he was the most gorgeously defined black horse I had seen to that date, and was only surplanted in my minds eye when I saw Octagonal for the first time.