Montauk Pioneer - May 30, 2008 - 'Tauk to the Animals

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." -Winston Churchill

When I was young horses were my life. I rode from age 8 to 19 and was obsessed for most of that time by anything to do with horses. It's said many young girls go through that stage; I hope so, it was heaven. I was active, outdoors, learning about animals and loving it - I wanted to BE a horse.

Horses simply make you feel good. You don't have to ride them, just being near a horse, grooming them, walking them, makes you feel more at peace. Then of course there is the riding; the wind in your hair, feeling their muscles ripple underneath you, having them respond to the simplest move of your leg or hand - more pure heaven.

I don't ride anymore, but I still love horses. My husband rode most of his childhood too. He no longer rides either, mostly due to a near fatal riding accident he had in his early 20s. He's fine, but they always tell you to get right back on after you fall off and he just couldn't, too much damage. I think the 3 years of rehab put so much time and pain between him and those wonderful feelings he could never ride again. Amazingly, he still loves horses, just goes to show you, once you're horse hooked, you're hooked.

Our Publisher, Kathy Rae, has a horse; actually she has a few of them. Her fiancée decided he wanted to learn to ride and got them each a horse, plus a spare just in case. Nothing like jumping into the stirrups with both feet. Turns out one of the horses was pregnant. So now they have 4, the baby foal was just born in early May. He's adorable, all gangly legs, brown eyes and soft muzzle.

When you've spent time with a foal you have really been touched by good fortune. When I was a teenager the farm I rode at had 2 mares in foal at the same time. My best friend and I practically slept at the farm. We got to see the babies born, watched them take their first faltering steps and saw them nursing for the first 72 hours.

One night someone accidentally put a nylon halter on one of the foals. Nylon doesn't break when it's pulled like leather does, it sort of stretches slowly. The foal's halter got caught on the door hinge...it wasn't a good thing.

The owner of the farm called my friend and me to her office as soon as we got to the barn that very sad day. She gave us the devastating news and asked for our help. The mare was still producing milk, it would be painful for her not to have the foal nursing. Would we mind milking her each morning, afternoon and evening for a few weeks? Would we? Oh, boy!

On about day 3 of this milking routine one of us innocently questioned the other, "What would mare's milk taste like?" It only took seconds for us to get a cup and sip a sample. Mares milk...tastes like chicken, ha, ha. We were giddy at the idea of having horse milk coursing through our bodies. How much closer to being a horse could we get?

Having spent my childhood around horses really helped make me a better person. I learned patience, responsibility, determination; I became a more confident person. As a matter of fact I think I was more patient, responsible and confident back then. As I write this, I'm wondering if maybe it was that shot of mare's milk that made the difference? I really should go visit Kathy's mare and her colt. I wonder if the little guy's willing to share? I could use a good dose of horse right now. Next round of shots are on me!