Hello again faithful readers. It’s time to catch up on what has been happening at Mercy Spring Ranch.
Planning has already begun for the upcoming Ranch Family Dinner on Saturday, October 22. One of the big events of the day will be a demonstration by yours truly of my many skills at jousting and maneuvering the giant soccer ball. While other horses may fear these events (I’m looking at you, Connor), I excel in these competitions. Bring your cameras to capture all of the excitement.
The other horses will certainly get to shine on that day as well (though not as brightly as moi). Connor will demonstrate some fine posting trots, and possibly a little cantering. Ladyhawke will be her ever impressive self with the advanced riders. All in all, it should be a wonderful day for the whole herd.
It was reported last week that I was seen “dragging” a child behind me as I made my way to a tree for a light snack. If you closely study the video footage of that event, it will show that I was simply giving the youngster a lesson in dendrology (the study of trees). I wanted to show the structure of a leaf to the child, and afterwards did not want this tasty visual aid to go to waste. My motivation for rushing to the tree was the excitement of being able to educate the next human generation about the wonders of the natural world.
So on to more questions from my young friends. One young lady writes, “Why do you Clip-Clop when you walk?” Actually, I like the distinctive sound that horses make when they walk on pavement (it is hard to hear us walking in the pasture). Humans make interesting sounds too when they walk.
Some folks think that our front hooves make one sound (clip), and the back hooves make another (clop); but if you listen closely, all four hooves make the same sound as we walk. Your English language likes to describe sounds in this way, to make them distinctive and memorable. Thus you have clocks going tick-tock, people often flip-flop, and folks sing hip-hop. You never describe a horse going clop-clip. This made-up sound is a human linguistic quirk, not an actual sound that a horse makes.
Another writer asks, “How do you run so fast?” Well dear friend, this is how God made horses. We have many blood vessels that go directly to our muscles, which give us strength and speed. Having four legs rather than two helps us to run fast when we need to be in a hurry. We can run up to 55 miles per hour on a good day (but we never gallop that fast at the ranch).
Sessions are starting to wind down for the year. I will certainly miss all the children coming each week. I welcome the change of seasons, since this week is much too hot for my delicate constitution.
Happy Trails,
Gimli September 6, 2022