His muzzle as soft as velvet

Nuzzling my hand for a treat

Gentle eyes of deepest brown

My handsome grey dapple steed

He stands hip cocked for a brushing

Fine white hair mixes with dust to float on air

Not a flinch as the leather saddle settles

Buckles buckled, cinches belted in pairs

Head lowers to accept the bit of iron and copper

He sucks at the sweet iron bit like candy

Now that he’s distracted, the cinch is snugged

He’s all decked out and looks just dandy

Quietly he stands for old bones to mount

He walks on from a gentle nudge from my knee

Our partnership was a long time coming

In the beginning he would gladly run me into trees

An animal of independent thinking must have respect

It’s a give and take of horse and rider to learn

Many mistakes are made along the way

Much like a puzzle the pieces twist and turn

Then the day comes that the pieces start to fit

No longer is a test of wills, the partnership revealed

This gentle giant that has a heart that beats like my own

Has captured my love and our fate is sealed.

Dee

©January 2008