Safe to say I love you.

Hopefulllyyyyy going to see Red today, between the holidays, rain and just plain out cold weather-in the 20's, eww-my horsey time has been super limited and I haven't seen him since Saturday. Yeah, not cool with me. I normally see him at least every other day, so this whole not seeing him in a week thing is grating on me. :)) The biggest reason I wish I didn't have to board. I really miss just being able to walk out the door and see him, tack up and hop on. Bleh. Summer, come quickly because I'm really looking forward to riding more.

I have no updates but I wanted to make a post..so one came to mind and I was like "alrighty then,brain."

Everyone messaged me on facebook and commented on my blog and pinterest and instagram after the parade. The messages warmed my heart a lot. It's nice to have friends that understand where I'm coming from, as opposed to my other just "plain" friends who don't get into the horses. Sure, they may say they're sorry that I didn't have a good time, but they don't understand, A. how dangerous it could've been if I couldn't have handled it or B. how bad it feels when you let your horse down.

Every single one of my non-horsey friends blamed Red and that's not gonna go down. No, it's not his fault. He was perfect until we were forced to push his limits. I never, not once, blamed him. And I won't. Everyone was like "Maybe you should get into a safer sport." but no, it's not even a sport to me. This isn't just something I can quit and I wish they understood but they don't.

A few days before the parade, I was out in the pasture to go get Red. As usual, he had no halter on and I didn't bring a lead. Just trusted him to follow me, and like always, he heard me call and ran over. Awesome, as usual. Tucker, one of the rescues and whom we think is an appendix, as usual, goes off to go fight Red. He acts like a loon but he never offered to hurt me, he always knows his limits and stops, but Red is never cool with that and makes sure he pins his ears when he gets too close. Yesterday, he came just a bit too close for my own comfort. Who comes to my rescue? Big red lazy horse. Chases after him and makes sure he doesn't come back because I'm apparently a herd member now. The leader of Red and his little herd, yeah, but apparently, Red is intent on making it clear that I'm supposed to be safe and it warmed my heart.

A few months back, someone was on Tucker, having a lesson of sorts, trying to get Tucker figured out. I was tacked up, in a pasture, minding my business, when Tucker runs over before I can do a thing and hauls his back legs up to Red. Red moved just in time and never even flinched. Just moved. Never made a sound, never spooked, never freaked. I think he wanted to bite him or something but I gave him the cue to move on and he did, never even looked at Tucker again.

I was in the barn on Saturday, prepping. Red was in the barn  hanging out when one of the babies came in, followed by another baby. Bella, the nipper, kept biting at him and I was grabbing a lead so I could shoo her out safely without just smacking her butt. Red goes to nip back, I look at him and tell him no and he walks back to me, stays right behind, out of my way, and allows me to get them out. I told mom it's like he thinks he's a dog..

I ride that horse tackless. He's never offered to do anything but protect me when I literally have nothing to stop him with if he decides to act bad.

That horse has taken me from being a beginner, "I know nothing at all" horse owner to an amateur, and to, dare I say, a good rider. He was slow and easy when I needed him to be, and now he's versatile and knows what I want and when I want it. In the year and a half I've owned him, the only bad habit that has remained is his stubborn'ness when he's in the barn and I want him out, only when he's tacked up. Then I get on, give him a nudge and he's done. Walks right out. Yes, he spooked in the parade. Yeah, it was dangerous. No, it wasn't his fault and yes, I'll be the first to say that.

Honestly, it bugged me to hear everyone just want me to give up on a horse because he spooked once. Obviously my horse friends knew that it wasn't that big of a deal. At all. But my non-horsey friends? Nope. It makes me wonder what kind of passion they have? They aren't determined? Driven? If they'd give up after a second of bad behavior, it's a good thing they play sports with an inanimate object and they don't have horses.

Sorry guys, I'm in it for the long haul. I doubt I'm just going to give up.