Trudy Andrew | Canadian Author

Horse Tails

What Boys Will Do

I wouldn’t want to be dating, in this day and age. It seems to me that the choices of good people are far fewer. Too many are too wrapped up in themselves to share their lives with another person in a meaningful way. Expectations are too shallow, too self-serving, not giving enough. To receive from a good relationship, one must be giving of themselves as well. People aren’t being raised with the same values as when I was young, and it shows. It’s a worry for parents who care about their kids. They want them to find the right person, to be happy and loved, as well as love. Thankfully, my boychild has found his other half.

They love the same things, cars, tractors, working on the house, going for long walks in the wilderness, simply spending time together. They both love their family, and are great kids to be proud of. He was raised on the farm with animals and riding horses. She was raised in the country and has always had cats, dogs and knew the rescue horse her mother had. Well, put an animal loving person with another, and it’s a pretty good thing. If the girl is a horse lover, it will bring your son back to his roots, and rekindle his enjoyment of horses.

At the end of one of their long, wilderness walks, they stopped at a riding stable, and went trail riding. Yes, it’s funny to go trail riding when there are a dozen horses at your parents, but it is fun to do. Hubby and I used to do the same when we were dating, and after we were married as well. We used to laugh because there we were, willing to pay to ride someone else’s horses, when we had many at home. They had so much fun that the trail ride inspired both of them. They had to come here afterwards, and play with ponies. I didn’t walk out with them, but I did hear the silliness my boychild got up to.

Pleased to show his new love all the horses, he couldn’t leave out the three way out in the back pasture. They walked all the way out there to visit the giant Belgian, Levis, his Morgan gelding, Magic Lee, and one of sweetpea’s, Mandan, or Danny as he’s fondly known around the farm. Like the rest of the horses, they’re a curious lot, always interested in what you’re doing, what you may have as a treat, and all enjoy a good scratch. Now, until the trail ride they’d just gone on that day, the boychild hadn’t ridden in many, many years. For some strange reason, that simple fact, didn’t seem to register in his mind. For some strange reason, he suddenly decided that it was a good idea to hop up onto Levis. I suppose he was confusing Levis with Tom, the most dependable, reliable and gently Belgian ever. Tom was a horse that sweetpea played with from when she was very little. He was a completely different horse, yet right then and there, we’re pretty sure, that the boychild was thinking Tom, though he knew the horse before him was Levis. The boychild is tall. At six foot four, he’s not a small guy, but Levis is nineteen hands high! Still, no halter, no saddle, the boychild still thought it a good idea to hop up there, and not surprisingly at all, Levis moved off.

Levis is a lovely, sweet horse. For all his great size, he’s a gentle giant. Because of health issues and too much happening in life, sweetpea and I hadn’t gotten around to teaching him to be a riding horse. He was a harness horse, and had been shown, but have a rider … nope. So, surprised by the large person on his back, Levis moved off, first at the big, ground-shaking walk that heavy horses have, then that increased to a trot, then a big canter as he circled the perimeter of the eight acre pasture. I’m sure if he’d had a halter and lead, the boychild could easily have guided the big horse, but as it was, Levis was making the decisions. Lucky for the giant boy, Levis is a great horse, and the boychild didn’t pay for his rash decision. Levis simply cantered all the way around the big space, until he came back to where the boychild’s new girl stood waiting, and stopped. I suppose riding is like riding a bike, you never quite forget how to do it. I would imagine that all the years of riding bareback also came into play. Still, like riding a bike, it’s just as easy to fall off, too. Luckily, this time he simply hopped off. Well, not to push their luck or anything, of course the boychild’s sweetheart, had to go up as well. Thankfully, Levis had an inkling of what was going on, and this time, he pretty well stood.

The pair of them came back to the house, exhilarated by their experience, but to be reprimanded by both sweetpea and I. After all, sweetpea handled the big horse the most, and Levis hardly knew the boychild at all. Anything could have happened, and we’re relieved nothing did. We learned that day that no matter how old they get, boys are ridiculously silly at times, and that Levis is even more awesome than we thought. The next time the pair of sweethearts came to play with ponies, we pulled out Mack Charger for them to brush and ride … bareback. This coming summer, they’ll both be riding more, and she’ll be getting riding lessons from myself and sweetpea. It certainly appears that we’re going to have another rider in the family, and that’s pretty wonderful. That she’s brought him back to horses, is even better. It’s going to be, so much fun.

I think he knew right off the bat, that she was the one for him, but I knew straight off that he was the one for her, too. They complement each other so well, and bring out the best in each other. He wondered when was too soon to ask her to marry him, and we told him if he felt it was right, to do what was in his heart. I knew she was as smitten with him, as she told me that she hoped to be a part of our family, for a very long time. What’s even more wonderful is, her family loves him as well. What could be better?

So began the search for the perfect time, the perfect setting to propose. It was almost comical, how many times he had it planned out, yet something would happen to ruin the moment. They would go out, he with the ring in his pocket, the perfect plan in place, and something would stop him. One time it was because there were too many people in what is usually a beautifully quiet place on a trail. Another time, he looked down, only to see yellow snow. He certainly couldn’t ask her where someone had relieved themselves, beautiful area or not. There were other places and times, yet they also had issues crop up. Hence the trip to the Rocky Mountains, surely there had to be the perfect place, the perfect moment, and finally, there was. Our tiny family has grown a bit more, and we’re looking forward to some happy events. Life is coming up roses.

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About Trudy Andrew

Trudy Andrew lives on a small farm just east of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she enjoys her Morgan horses. A dreamer since she was a child, its no surprise to those who know her well that her imagination would find an outlet in writing, as it has in the past through artwork.
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Location

 Oakbank, MB