Fair Time

(post by Jason)

Our retirees have been enjoying some pretty nice August weather; sunny warm days followed by pleasantly cool evenings. The daytime temperatures are in their season, but the slightly cooler nights feel more like those of September than they do August. This gets a definite reaction from both me and the horses; I feel good and the horses are very playful and full of spunk !

This cooler weather got me to thinking about summer winding down. Each year just before school started my family would take a day and visit the mother of Canadian summer and fall fairs, the CNE in Toronto. The CNE was all about fun, midways and rides, at least to me back in those days. To be sure, the CNE included a big livestock show, but it came too early for most 4-H projects to finish. The 4-H kids would continue to compete at local and regional fairs throughout September and October in preparation for the real championship show, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

One of the highlights of the Royal each year is the sold out Royal Horse Show. If I remember correctly the horse show is held in the main coliseum on the first Saturday evening of the fair. I remember sitting for hours as a child watching the horses and riders practice on the days before the big show. When we got tired of that, we would spend another few hours walking around the horse barn looking at fancy signs, tack rooms and lounges people had set up and being in complete awe over how far these people had come to show at the fair. We were also very much in awe of the fancy tack and various human accoutrements (chairs, TV's sofas, etc. as well as decorations and plants) they brought along with their show strings. It was a little different than the straw bales, folding lawn chairs, coolers and pillows that I was used to over on the cattle side of the fair.

There are days I wish the horses in our care could talk. I'd sure like to ask some of them what *they* remember about being shown in various capacities all over the world !

_______________________________________

Lily was still in her "happy place" after having her teeth floated

Romeo was as well

Kennedy was also in his happy place but he had not yet had his teeth done when I snapped his picture. After throwing a royal fit about being in the barn he then decided it was soothing to watch everyone have their teeth floated. He watched several horses have their teeth floated with his lip drooping and ears at half mast.

Tiny entertained himself by chewing on the cross ties while he had his hooves trimmed

Hoffy, Apollo, Tony, Ivan and Elfin

Leo and Levendi

Homer

Murphy, Dutch and Wiz

Thor and Slinky