There comes a time when old friends go and new ones appear and so it is with Henry. Not that he has met his demise, despite being elderly and a little infirm. He has gone to pastures new.
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.Henry, our Irish Draught horse, has had a blissful life here in the Cotswolds after a hectic time in his earlier years on the hunting field. Recently, and with the fine spell of warmth, his days have been spent in glorious semi -retirement basking in the sunshine.
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.But even the gentle hacking around the farm with She-dog at his heels has proven too much and so he has spent many weeks resting and generally enjoying life.
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. But now it is time to say goodbye and he has returned to his original owners to spend the rest of his days as companion and chaperone to young foals.
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.The always sensitive-to-events She-dog seems to know that her companion is leaving never to return. Goodbye, Henry!
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.Hello Ernie! Seems quiet enough looking over the stable wall……
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.Barney has seen this all before. Once he would have kicked out at any newcomer to his field just to show who was boss. Now he just can’t be bothered – I know the feeling. So he stands there while Ernie circles sniffing and snorting ……
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And then they are off!
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Ernie cannot decide what he wants to look like. He tries the fairground horse look first ……
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….. and then the bucking bronco ……. while Barney looks on bored by all the antics.
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Ernie tries out the rocking horse look ….. finally stopping to try out the local food
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The view’s not too bad either! Home could be a much worse place …..
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Life in the English Cotswolds 
The fairground look is quite impressive!!…as are all the photos of this beauty. Sad to see Henry age though…he should be happy as a supervisor of young foals teaching them to "respect their elders")))
what a slice of life you offerbeautiful horsesand land….you are blessed
Well isn't he lucky to have you! And, I feel pretty lucky having visited you in such a timely fashion. I just returned from turning out my girls and the younger one was racing around like crazy. I have 2 horses, a young and highly spirited black mare. And, an older bay who thinks bucking and jumping was so 10 years ago… I thoroughly enjoyed this Johnson. How exciting to have a new pony! ;>)
The horses are beautiful… I've always wondered why they put those 'blankets' on them. What is the reason?
Thanks Bren & Suz. Both the horses and ourselves are very fortunate living where we do. Never get tired of the views and the peace and quiet.Johnson
Hi KateThanks for the visit and glad that you liked the post.Horses are a great source of amusement and pleasure, aren't they?Johnson
Thanks Joy. The reason for the rugs is to keep them warm. Barney (in the blue rug) is ridden throughout the winter months and so has his coat clipped off – partly to keep him cool and dry when charging about with me on his back (of course, the rug is removed when he has a saddle on!).Ernie, having just arrived and not been ridden for a long time, had his full winter coat still on. Since these photos he too has now been clipped and is sporting a brand new rug. He rides like a dream – at least, so far.Sometimes you will see horses with rugs on in the summer. These are usually if the horses are being shown:to keep them clean and their coat from bleaching in the strong sunshine. Sometimes, just to keep flies off.Hope the answer makes some sense. Thanks for your interest.Johnson