Joy of going to the horses, today. Always accompanied by my friends Rita and Laura and Peggy the Boxer / German shepard female mongrel. Immediately at the wooden pass we receive cheerful greetings of the watchdog. Alike at the entrance something different is happening, which is unusual. Ludwig the gelding is bristling with anger, striking out forwardly and backwards at Siegrun, who is reaching out for shelter near the fence. I am freezing. Usually Ludwig is known as a settled character?! But there is Gabi, the eldest one, who is paying attention to us on the farm. Running and blustering with Ludwig bringing him back to the here and now. This is a close shape! With ease we are walking to the horse stable. Extensivly we are hugging the horses, the chicken, the rabbits and the goat. With enthusiasm we are heading for our jobs. The stables are to muck out, the horses are to be groomed. They need water at the drinking trough and food. Namely today there is a huge parade downtown. The sun is shining and we are having hot weather. We are preparing the wooden carriage. Packing it with bales of straw, dung fork and trapping. The pieballed Seppl, the sonny but the eldest one is choosen for the job beforehand of the horse buggy. My friends and me mount the carriage taking the reins. Getting started! We are so excited. Arriving downtown we are joining the parade, which is colourful, clamorous and there is music from all ways. The public is amazing and cheering us. Even a photograph is taken of us and appears in the newspaper the next day. Us beaming this is to say. We have the most beautiful horse-drawn-carriage. In the afternoon we are returning back home. Here we are going on the horseback of the red Icelander longing and guided by Gabi, the eldest one. Thereafter, we are visiting everybodies on the paddock. Also Seppl, the shorty but the eldest is grazing out there. But today there is an incident. Seppl the Shetlander tweaks my right bottom cheek fairly well with his pony-bit. Ouch! This hurts me. Turning around and kicking at him in his right flank. Shouting Drop it! Are you crazy! It must not happen again! Remaining are traces of a blue and green and purple-yellow bump for a little while. Happily my friends and me return back home for supper at sunset and a pleasant breeze.

Carmen K. Gross

Footage by CKG – Photograph “Footprints & Hang-gliders” (AMS-Zandvoort aan Zee, North Sea/The Netherlands)