One Reason We Love Having Horses

There are many things to love about having your own horses - riding, grooming, cleaning up, spending tons of money, vet trips - just kidding about some of those. However, one of the things I (Dan) love most is the structure it brings to my life. Horses love routine. They love to eat about the same time each day. For me this is a good thing.

For 31 years I had my job - four years in the Navy and 27 years with Procter & Gamble - to give me the incentive to get up each morning at a certain time. When I retired in 2000, I found it hard to get up at certain times in the morning. It was often easier to just sleep in (some times that still sounds nice).

Now with the horses I get up every morning between 6:00 and 6:30 AM to feed, water and clean up after them. Besides giving me the structure I need, I also love that time of day.

I love sunrises and sometimes our sunrises in New Mexico are wonderful. The colors over the Sandia Mountains can take your breath away. It reminds me what an artist God really is.

The world is quiet this time of day. Where we live we can't hear any traffic noise and the neighborhood dogs are still inside their respective homes so we don't have to hear them barking. The air is still as the inevitable winds haven't started. There's a peace that seems to envelop the whole world.

The horses always seem glad to see me, but of course I know they're just glad to be fed again.

It's not uncommon to see rabbits - both bunnies and jack-rabbits - running through the yard. We've been here long enough that some of these bunnies have been born here and seem comfortable with our presence. It's not uncommon for a young bunny to come toward me and sit and clean himself within about five feet of where I'm standing. The jack-rabbits are much more skittish. They always run as soon as they see you.

One morning I encountered a coyote at the end of our driveway. We looked at each other for a few moments and then he sauntered off into the sage. Sometimes an early morning hawk will fly over beginning to look for his or her breakfast.

After feeding the horses, I walk through our back paddock looking for the little piles our horses thoughtfully leave for us through the night. I often stop to watch the colors as they begin to scatter across the sky. Sometimes I just have to take a minute to thank God for all his blessings - especially the one I'm watching at the moment.

The colors change as I watch. They start out as a dark pink against the dark blue of the still present night sky. Very soon the pinks darken to deep reds. Within few minutes the yellows and golds begin to appear and the reds and blues combine to make purples in parts of the sky.

Within a minute or two more, the reds, pinks and purples are gone and the yellows and golds fill the sky.

Another minute or two and it's all gone. The daytime sky blues are taking over. At most the colors last only about 5 - 6 minutes at most. Their brevity is a reminder of how brief things in our lives can be and how important it is to take the time to stop and enjoy them when they are with us.

I'm grateful that I have our horses to give me a reason to watch this show each morning.