About Benny

I decided to write this blog about Benny. He's a twenty four year old Thoroughbred (though small). He's a retired polo pony and is one of the gentlest guys we've got. The young kids seem to like him the best and it's easy to see why.

Benny is allowed out of the pasture now and again so he can wander around and graze at will. We've been letting him into the garden (all finished now) to eat up some of the grass and weeds that are still around. Tonight he was wandering on the other side of the "big horses" paddock a goodly distance from his own pasture.

Willa called when it was time for him to get his nightly ration of grain. And pretty soon, here he came. Nice to have a horse that comes when he is called.

We also have Jonas the two year old grandson of Willa and Joseph here with his Mom to visit us while they are on their way to visist her folks in Utah. Joseph's son is currently in Afganistan. Jonas celebrated his two year old birthday this evening (though it's a few days early).

He is so cute! And tonight when Benny was walking toward us, he kept calling, "Come Benny!" Jonas really loves the horses.

And Sam (our Pyrenees dog), was so cute with Jonas this evening. Jonas started to drift away from Willa as they were walking down toward the grain room, and Sam just stepped right in and very gently "herded" Jonas back to Willa's side. Then he gave Jonas a lick, which Jonas really liked! Sam is a natural with young children.

This last summer during one of the summer camps, one of the boys who rode Benny had something going on with his health and consequently was in pain, though he never complained even once. Benny carried that boy with a smoothness and gentleness that I have never seen. Oftentimes, the horses know things we don't and I see them "teaching" the kids by being stubborn (seemingly) or by insisting that the kids focus, or challenging them in other ways. But Benny never challenged this boy--he just made his camp weekend very special. I think Benny is just a very special horse.