A Horse is a Horse...or Not

Nathan has decided if you can't beat them, join them, and now goes out with me on the weekends to Sixteen Hands.  Today I grabbed my real camera and grabbed some shots and we discussed how different the horses are from each other.  I didn't know how distinct the "horsenalities" of horses were until I spent time here.  They are all unique and all bring their own flavor to the sanctuary.  As someone who had a lot of kids, I love this about the sanctuary.

For example, Willow is a deep thinker.  She watches what is going on and seems pretty mellow, but she is as strong willed as they come when pressed by something she does not like.

 Dakota is Mr Personality, winning over the visitors with his stunning looks and friendliness.  I call him Mr Hollywood because I have to fight to get a shot of anyone else when he is around.  He is ALL about the camera and will circle around with me to be sure I am taking pictures of only him.

Cherokee is our wise and gentle soul.  He is pure, unadulterated love.  If I am feeling down for any reason, five seconds with Cherokee is my favorite cure. 

Dallas is one half of what I call the Dynamic Duo.  He is energy, fun and joy all rolled up into one.  Just watching him race down the track makes me smile.  He is not really afraid of people so he can be quite pushy at times.  He is smart as a whip and curious about everything!

 Nova is a classy lady.  She is above most of the foolishness that the guys engage in, but can hold her own against them if she needs to.  I always imagine after she kicks the guys with all her might, scaring the living daylights out of them, that she walks away disgusted that she had to break a sweat in order to do it.

Most of the horses here have unique "issues", being rescued from abusive or neglectful situations.  So they have baggage, just as most of us humans do.  They are also able to still show us who they are, when they get to the point where they feel safe and trust us.  Again, like most humans.  It's a really interesting thing to be a part of that process and I am grateful each day I spend time there and learn more about it.

Living the life in FL!