It's Criminal

Sunday May 9 2010

It's just downright cruel, forcing a horse to get out of bed on a lazy morning and go out for a ride.

Could you do it?

Could you come up to a horse like Jose, totally passed out and make him get up?


He didn't even hear me talking to him, didn't open his eyes.


When he finally opened his eyes, he laid there a minute, then groggily sat up.


Looked at me. Smacked his mouth and licked his lips.



He stared at me after I put his halter on.


Unmoving.


Not even a tug on the rope convinced him to up.


He gave me a chance to change my mind. Or feel really, really guilty about it.


OK, if that's how I really wanted it, he'd get up.
One leg. (Wait, in case I wanted to change my mind.)


The other leg.


Staggered up, stood there, stretched his back, smacked his mouth and licked his lips some more (just like I do when I wake up!), blinked his eyes hard (just like I do when I wake up!). Yawned.


Followed after me, his feet shuffling along the ground, his eyes half closed.


I felt so guilty I let him graze on the way to Carol's.




Turned out to be quite the beautiful morning for a ride, and Jose didn't mind being out.







Next time, though, I would be more considerate if I picked a time when he's not zonked out.