Naked Freedom

It’s happened. Spring has properly arrived in Hampshire, and though long overdue, it is very welcome!

It’s warm, it’s sunny, there is no whipping wind, no rain clouds, no flies. I should be out on the trails with my best boy, right? Wrong.

Of course I could be. I definitely could have saddled Max up and gone out for a ride amongst the busy tractors in the busy fields but I had another thought.

My back is stiff and painful after yesterday’s play time, though I still could have ridden for all that. I guess the riding thing doesn’t really bother me that much one way or another. I enjoy it, but I don’t need to be out there every day riding my horse, just because I can.

As the warming sunshine beamed down, and the grass beckoned brilliant green, I thought “Wouldn’t it be wonderful for Max to be out there being a horse with no flippin’ rug on for a change? Wouldn’t he like to celebrate this good weather too, by feeling the sun on his bum, basking in the warmth and having a couple of bloomin’ good rolls to get rid of that itchy, moulting hair?”

Bonus now too because there aren’t really any flies about yet, but they will descend upon us so soon, and it will be fly masks, fly spray and general foot stomping, tail swishing, head shaking irritation so a day like today, really nice to just let him go be a horse outside.

I checked the 24 hour forecast, weighing up at what time I might have to wander back to the yard to put a rug on against evening chill, but really the temperature isn’t going to drop dramatically until around midnight (too late for me to be fumbling with velcro and clasps in the dark) and though it will go down to single figures, about 6 Celsius at 1.00 am, the temperature will then climb again.

So then I had the argument in my head. Well, I said two figures before the rug comes off at night, not one. But how can I leave him all afternoon and evening in a rug when it’s so gorgeous and warm?

Then I looked across the lane out my window at the momma cows and calves, who have no more hair than Max does, living perfectly happily and unperturbed in all kinds of weather and I let go of my inner mum (put on your cardigan, I’m feeling chilly) and gave in to my inner horse (“Let me be free!”) and decided today is the day to go for it.

Luckily, I have assurances from my friend who is doing the evening yard check that she will very happily go and put Max’s rug on if she feels it is getting a bit too cold, but we both know he won’t need it. It just means I’ll sleep a bit better tonight knowing that somebody is ready to rug him up if necessary.

And Max? Oh he’ll greet me tomorrow needing a good groom and covered in mud and all sorts, but who cares about that. Max with nothing between him and the night sky but moonbeams is a happy picture to lull me to sleep and dream of my own dun coloured, cheeky unicorn.