To love a Horse

I remember way back when... I was a little girl in the Bronx. I lived on the bottom floor of a 3 story brownstone. At the entrance there was a storage shed and it was in that storage shed that I fantasized that I could keep a pony.
I have always loved horses. They are beautiful, magnificent, stately, proud and move with grace and power.
What is not to love.

When I was a teenager living in New Jersey, I remember riding my bike up to the horse farm in Wycoff. I think it cost me $10 for a half hour of riding. I went as often as I could. A girl scout weekend trip to a hotel/ranch, I remember picking the biggest horse, not only because of his size but also his "presence".
Every opportunity I got to ride a horse, I did. I also have stopped on the road many times to watch horses playing in the field. And those county fairs, the only reason I went was to see the draft horses : ).

Valley of the Kings is a Big Cat Sanctuary that I volunteer at every Sunday.
My job is farm chores and one of my duties is taking care of the horses!
Last year, when I first started, I was in the upper compound, this beautiful brown horse came up to the fence and we stared at each other for what was approximately 2 minutes. I was mesmerized and the exchange of energy was incredible. That horse is Casey. I always make sure I get to talk to Casey every Sunday and I do my best to make sure he gets treats and whole grain bread : ), of course the other horse get treats too but I make sure Casey gets his special bread.

I also get to take care of RC, who is blind, and her two companion donkeys. RC has become very special to me.
She has the most wonderful soul and we have a loving bond. RC came from a local farm and was kept in filth, not taken care of at all and that abuse eventually led to an infection in her eyes and the loss of sight. RC has empty sockets. It took getting used to at first but now I don't even notice. I love giving RC kisses on the face and I know that she enjoys it too.
It is my mission to give RC special attention, special treats and all the loving I can. I bought her a special brush and every week we have bonding time while I brush her. There are times when she is not in the mood and I let it go. I'm disappointed, but I respect her space.
When she is accepting, like today, we all enjoy the moment. As I brush RC, Monchie and Ranbow the donkey's are always right at my side letting me know that they wants to be next. While I was brushing RC's neck, being gentle, and always talking to her, she moved her nose to my face and gave me a series of kisses.
She had never done that before. I get hugs and horse purrs but the love she showed me at that moment with her kisses was incredible.

To love a horse- the dream of that little girl, so long ago, has finally come to fruition. It was so worth the wait.