Do you have a Golden Horse? You can spot him from a mile away.
He is "golden" because of his heart of gold. This is the horse that takes care of you even more than you take care of him. You know you can rely on him to not spook, not get unnerved and let you enjoy what it was you set out to do. In fact, it seem that he enjoys his job even more than you do!
If you have a Golden Horse, you will soon realize how lucky you are. You will never want to part with him. Because as you learn and grow through his graciousness, you realize how much you are benefiting from him, and how much he is giving you. Every ride becomes a gift and every workout is easy because of his willing nature. You become the rider of your dreams because he lets you!
Although that calm generosity can be learned by good training, upkeep and handling, some horses are just "born that way." So, for all the Golden Horses out there, here is a poem of gratitude.
*****
The Golden Horse
Interested ears forward pricked,
patiently waiting through soft velvety nose-kisses,
the Golden Horse
loves the grooming attention;
two hours of brushing, polishing and wiping
with nary a fuss but more like a sweet relaxation
reminiscent of a day at the spa.
Solidly standing for the mount,
quietly ambling the first strides
into 100% effort.
Team player to the point
Of two becoming one.
Reciprocal listening, flickering ears back and forth,
gives and takes and loose flowing backs,
seamless communication seemingly telepathic,
mindreading aids and signals, snorts and strides,
bounces and swings -
there is no better synergy
than when two combine.
Patiently waiting through your confusion,
Kindly caring through less-than-perfect risk-taking,
he is the ultimate teacher
in your quest to grow.
One of a kind.
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