Fall Pony Round-Up, Horse Crazy

The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has announced that the Fall Round-Up will take place on October 10 and 11 (Friday and Saturday) this year.  Foals who were too young to separate from their dams will be available for pick-up by their owners, and a few foals born after Pony Penning may be up for sale...  If your passion is ponies, be there!
   In horse racing news,  Will Take Charge, the 3-year-old male champion of 2013, is retiring to stand at stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky.  Game On Dude, the 7-year-old gelding, who won an unprecedented three "Big Caps," is also being retired from the track.  Right now, the older champion will stay in Bob Baffert's barn, while his owner's decide where to send him for retirement.   And California Chrome, who won the first two legs of this year's Triple Crown, returned in the Pennsylvania Derby - his first start since the Belmont Stakes.  He ran in third place, but faded in the stretch and finished sixth in the field, behind the winner Bayern.
  "Horse crazy."  I grew up with that term, or label.  Luckily, my Mom had been "horse crazy" when she was a youngster, too.  But I've never grown out of, as some people do; as Mom did.  Mom grew up on Chincoteague and Assateague Islands - her family has been there since the 1640s.  Until she became the female head of the family, when her Mother died, Mom walked from Peterson Street down to the Beebe farm each Sunday - to spend the afternoon with her cousin, and friend, Alma, and in hopes of being able to ride one of the Beebe ponies with the Beebe kids. She remembered with great happiness that they were able to ride almost every Sunday afternoon, after they had done a few chores.  She was really intrigued with Zane Grey cowboy books, and loved to see western movies.  She loved every breed of horse she ever saw, and delighted in going to horse shows, until she had to stay in a nursing home.  She particularly loved to watch Saddlebreds "Rack On!,"  Hackneys in harness, and Morgans - but she loved all horses.
  I grew up in her footsteps - riding every chance I could and loving just spending time watching horses in pasture, under saddle, or running wild on Assateague. But what really constitutes being horse crazy?  Supposedly, if other (much earlier) family tree researchers can be trusted, Mom's family traces back to a Dane who was the Master of Horse for William the Conqueror, of Normandy and England.  I have no idea if it's true, but it's nice to contemplate...  I cannot accept the old belief that horses are a replacement for having a male's penis.  Contemplating the grace, lines, and color of a specific equine animal, for some reason just doesn't equal a need to be male and dominant, in my mind.  I would spend the majority of my time with horses, dogs and cats, rather than humans, if possible.  I prefer these critters' honesty to the sniping and one-upmanship of humanity.  My husband always said that I was more feline than human....  Maybe he was right - or, at least, I'm more connected to other types of animals.