BEASLEY AND THE LAVENDER TOTE by JUNE V. EVERS
Copyright 2005 JUNE V. EVERS
I recently bought a horse trailer. I am a horse person of over 35 years and this is something I have always wanted to do is load my horse up and go at a moment's notice. I own a 6-year-old PMU foal named Beasley (Baby Beasley). I got him at 18 months and he is such a great guy filled with personality.
Now that I have my trailer, I had to buy lots of things for it. I call these things accouterments. A little french for my hum drum life...Some things I bought are my hay net, broom, extra mounting block to get on Beasley from remote locations, extra halter and lead rope, etc. Another thing I bought was a little lavender tote to hold a few brushes, fly spray, horse treats ... whatever. It is so small, it's mainly for show...really, and to
be carried around daintily. Because this tote is so small, I can carry it fully loaded with just my index finger and thumb... for the full effect, I extend my pinky, of course! I do think I look mighty fine carrying this cute little lavender tote around filled with a few brushes and things.
This tote is basically for Beasley’s various accouterments when we go trailering. Beasley has lots of accouterments, he has something for every occasion. And, every time I go somewhere, I would fill this little lavender tote with some other item for that particular day. And for some reason, he has developed a thing about this little lavender tote. Everywhere I put it, he seeks it out and flips it in the air as if to say, “...a lavender tote...lavender! Come on! Look at me, do I look lavender?”
In the morning at our farm, I have a rather turnkey situation. I feed the horses and when they’re done, I simply open their stalls and out to the open paddock they go. The paddock is connected to the barn and when the gate is open it forms a kind of shoot for them to go out into the paddock.
When I let Beasley out of his stall in the morning, he goes directly to that newly purchased lavender tote, grabs the handle, sends it and its contents scattering. I thought, this can’t be. He must be responding to where it is located. Hence I moved it around? Still the same response. Hmm?
Then one day I took Beasley to a lesson, his first lesson since getting the trailer. Before unloading him at this farm where we were going to take the lesson, I proudly put out all of his daily accouterments on the fender of the trailer; his bridle, special blanket (blankey), wraps, shipping bandages and this particular lavender tote filled with all these special traveling supplies in various travel sizes (my tack store loves me). When I travel, the truck and trailer are piled high with all of Beasley’s various needs. (Again, my tack store loves me.)
So for the lesson, I take Beasley off the trailer and proceed to get him ready. Don’t you know it, he singles out that lavender tote, grabs it and flings it everywhere with all the various accouterments blinging off the trailer, flying in the air, clunking me in the head. (Yes, this all makes me look like the ace horse person I want to look like!!??!) At that point, I am no longer proudly displaying his various accouterments, I am running and gathering stuff from all over and trying to cover up my horse’s unruly behavior in front of all these other accomplished horse people at my lesson. ... ... ... Maybe I should have gotten him something more masculine?
JUNE V. EVERS is a 35-year plus horse person who readily admits to humiliation when confronted with it. She recently adopted a Premarin baby, named Beasley, which she is training to do....hmm, I do not know what but he is going to be good at it. June is also an author of 5 horse books: The Original Book of Horse Treats, The Ultimate Guide to Pampering Your Horse, Anyone Can Draw Horses, Horse Lover’s Birthday Book and The Wonderful Life of Lola. She owns Horse Hollow Press. When not working, she is trail riding all over or attending clinics with Beasley. |
