Picked by a Pony
The message was loud and clear.
Two nameless brown ponies with thick winter coats were standing on the far side of the paddock enjoying a bale of hay. As I pulled in, they lifted their heads for a glance and went right back to munching. Both of them were alert with perky little ears smartly monitoring the parking lot.
I was visiting their farm to meet a horse with potential to be a good partner in my coaching business. After a brief exchange with her, it was clear that she wasn’t interested in my kind of work. As I walked back to my car with the farm manager, one of the nameless brown ponies came to full alert, gave a whinny, and ran full tilt toward us. He arrived at the fence with a screeching halt and pushed his head through the rails.
Most ponies don’t walk away from hay to seek scratches from a random stranger. He wanted me to take him home. The message was loud and clear, so I asked, “Is he for sale?” The manager gave a chuckle and then realized I was serious. He promptly responded yes and offered up the basic information.
We finalized the purchase details while the pony stood there leaning into my scratches and claiming me as his person. As I drove away, he trotted along the paddock down the driveway until he was redirected by a cross fence. I was smitten.
On moving day, I found out this little guy had never been on a trip. Since ponies are often measured in terms of shenanigans and drama, I was concerned about putting him on the trailer. In what seemed to be a validation of his choice to partner with me, the pony walked up the ramp and stood quietly in the trailer without incident. For me, it was the sign that officially sealed the deal.
This once-nameless pony is now named Cheese out of respect for his role as chief smile officer and his affection for being photographed. Thanks for choosing me, and cheers to a lifetime of happy pony shenanigans.
Originally published in book 5 of the 365 Series by Jodi Chapman. 365 Soulful Messages: The Right Guidance at the Right Time contains 365 true stories (from over 200 contributing authors) of such experiences – ranging from the miraculous to the mundane (but still important), from the spiritual to the secular, from the subtle and nuanced to the dramatic and impossible to miss. Available on Amazon
