I was going to write about all the fun Xmas items I had been researching today –

(and I will write about that tomorrow…)

…But then this popped into my inbox:

‘PEANUT HAS BEEN FOUND!’

I thought I’d tell you about it…

GOLD COUNTRY TRAILS COUNCIL

Most of us riders out here in the Gold Country (where gold was discovered in California) belong to GCTC.

We use the GCTC to buddy-up and trail ride together, or solicit to clear trails and other horse related work, and some of us use the email tom-toms to keep everyone informed about what is happening around us.

The GCTC email list is large so it is a great tool.  Lots of people simply use the email system to list horsey things they are selling.

But sometimes we use it to circle the wagons and help people.

Well, yesterday, I saw this email posted:
—————- Begin Forwarded Message —————-
Subject: [GCTC] LOST HORSE – Perimeter-McCourtney area!
Date Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 4:17 PM

=========================
LOST HORSE IN GRASS VALLEY
GCTC member Jamie is frantic because her sweet old horse,
Peanut, went on walkabout.

He is being boarded at a pasture near Perimeter and McCourtney. She has
called Animal Control, but nothing yet.

Peanut is a sorrel QH gelding, a bit of gray, well over 20 years old.

He went missing Saturday evening. If you have any information, please
email Jamie – it goes straight to her phone.

I live exactly there.

Those are my cross streets.

Exactly.

I know where this horse lived and I know how dangerous it would be for him to go on a walkabout…

MY AREA

My area isn’t highly traveled.  But, it is dangerous because the roads are narrow and windy.  All of the land is cross-fenced.  So, if a horse was going to go somewhere, he’d have to walk in the road.

Yikes!

I was deeply concerned when I saw this notice.  I had hoped he went right instead of left from his paddock.  If he went right, he would walk directly past my house and perhaps I could nab him.  If he went straight, he’d end up in no-man’s land, which wouldn’t be good in this foul weather.

If he went left, he’d head down the car/truck traveled, narrow and winding road.

And that, we came to find out,  is precisely the route he took…

PEANUT

I knew of Peanut.  Although I had never met him personally, I had seen him out in his pasture every day.  He seemed happy enough.  So to know of him just that little bit made me even more upset at the thought of him walking around on Perimeter Road by himself.

Why had no one found him yet?  It isn’t like he could hide…

Some one had to have seen this horse!  I mean, he wasn’t a shapeshifter or anything… he is a big ol’ horse!  Walking down the road…

There was no way he hadn’t been noticed.  Someone had to have him…

That was what I was surmising, anyway.

RESOLUTION.

Today, this was in my inbox:

From GCTC member Jamie  – and she was looking for someone to
enjoy him as a companion….

PEANUT FOUND
“Peanut has been found! And, it was a total blessing in
disguise! He went back to my old property and the new homeowner’s
girlfriend fell in love with him and wants to keep him.
Peanut will be the perfect horse for her to learn how to take care of
horses. And, I’ll be guiding her along the way :)
~ Thank You Sooooo Much ~ Jamie”

Hmmmmm.

Peanut went home.  ;)

THE MORAL OF THE STORY…?

So I started thinking about all of this…

Was Peanut upset that he was being boarded and decided to take it upon himself to go back home?  (Smart boy…)

Was Peanut disappointed that he had walked so far only to find that his Mom didn’t live there anymore?

Did he try to turn around and go back to the boarding barn?  Or did he think he had done enough traveling and this would be fine?

Was he just happy to be back in his old home – whether she was there or not?

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED.

But besides all of that… I cannot get over the fact that he walked home!

I can tell you, it wasn’t easy… I’m sure he had never walked it before.  He may have driven that road in a trailer, but he had never navigated that route on his own – ever.

I’m also sure he didn’t cut through pastures because everything is totally fenced and filled out here.

I don’t know if he traveled at night, but if he did, we have very scary clawed animals – and it is really, really dark.  No streetlights.  Large spreads where you cannot see the houses from the roads.

–No light to see a big horse on the road if you were driving.

The fact that Peanut decided to walk home – and he didn’t turn back even though his route was treacherous – made me feel very melancholy for him.

He purposefully went home, no matter how tough it was,  where he felt he would feel better about his life – if he just got there.

And the fact that his owner didn’t live there anymore once he did arrive, must have been a disappointment.

…However, he did find a new friend there.

Someone who wants to keep him right there.

Right with her.   At home.

Probably exactly what Peanut wanted.

All he had to do was get there…

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!

 

 

 

 

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