Ransom and the Kids

Ransom switched stalls for a few days to accommodate another horse, and his temporary room assignment was at the center of the action of the lower barn. This increased visibility had all the kids I work with on Tuesday afternoons ogling at the unfamiliar spotted horse.  “Look, he has a moustache!” Jacob exclaimed as Ransom’s unclipped whiskers brushed his hand.

Emma brought carrots for the horses, and since the kids aren’t allowed to feed by hand, she tossed one in the bucket in the corner of Ransom’s stall. Ransom hung his head over the gate, eagerly looking for a treat, oblivious to the set-up of his new quarters. The kids tried to show him by leading a carrot in front of his nose down the bars and rattling the bucket, but still he stretched a friendly head out, clueless. Finally, Hannah pushed his head back into the stall and it occurred to him to look in the corner.

When we all sat down and started with the question of the day – “If you won the lottery for a million dollars, how would you spend it?” – Emma’s answer was, “I would buy a horse that looks just like Ransom, only smarter.”

While Emma wasn’t impressed with Ransom’s brains, Ashlyn was in awe of his spots. I knew she loved appaloosas and sure enough, she had zeroed in on him as soon as she arrived, going straight to his stall. She stood back and watched him as he rolled in his bed of shavings, unsure if she was allowed to approach. I recognized the longing in her face. I remembered what it felt like to be that girl, in love with someone else’s horse, thrilled by even the smallest opportunity to engage.

“You can pet him,” I encouraged her. She stepped forward, and Ransom reached out his nose into her hand.