Withering Heights: You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

Yesterday was a long day and 'Mr F' hadn't seen much of me as I had to leave early and didn't return till very late in the evening.

Upon my return I went to check on 'Mr F' and to give him his evening feed. When he saw me turn up he came running down the field as though saying "Hey! Where the heck have you been!"

I really am not wanting to humanize these noble creatures as they are nothing like us. There was a time some months ago when I did not spend as much time with 'Mr F' as he was used to. I noticed eventually that he was having a kind of depressed expression in his whole body posture and the eyes where kind of dull. As soon as I spent more time with him he picked himself up again. They are, in their own way, affectionate beings. They don't cling though, they don't attach themselves. Their affection is honest and pure and not needy or selfish.

Every time 'Mr F' walks towards me, so open and so innocent ... to me it is the door to the real world ... not our 'imagined' and 'thought up' world but into a world were we know without knowing.

From the very beginning, back in 2013, this is what drew me to 'Mr F' and of course the other equines. But 'Mr F' in particular and he taught me more than any human in my life has. I think that says quite a lot about him.

But to stay on topic: today, quite knackered from yesterday's 4 hour Aikido course many miles away (hence my absence) I was contemplating whether to ride or to go and take some macroshots of insects and moss. Looking at the weather forecast I decided for the latter. There was always time to ride in the evening when the rain had gone.

After another cup of tea I went into the boy's field equipped with my camera.

Again, I didn't get far - 'Mr F' straight away on hot pursuit ...

... 'hello there what are you up to?'...

It was still quite cool for spring and many insects were using the warmth of the stonewalls to raise their body temperature.

I didn't get to take many photographs because 'Mr F' was very keen in looking at everything I was looking at, much to the distress of the insects who of course took off at the sight of the horses nostrils!

When 'Mr F' had enough of watching me looking at 'things', he began nuding me for some attention.

Ah well, I don't mind some 'quality time' and we spent some time together sratching eath other's back.
It appears that he somewhat needed to make up for yesterdays' lack of contact as he had his head rest on my shoulders and was breathing down my neck.

... hello ...

... and again "oh hello, here I am again ..."

'Luke' at first tried to join but was very clearly told by 'Mr F' to get lost and so he wandered off to the top of the field, minding his own business for a while.

But eventually 'Luke' tried to join us again and this time I made a point of grooming him first. He does this 'hook' thing where he kind of 'grabs' you and wraps his head and neck around you.

Often this is how our group grooming starts. I 'wriggled' myself gently out of his 'embrace', all the while still scratching 'Luke' while he continued scratching me.

But today I noticed that each time I choose a different spot to scratch, he would try and do the same on my body. So I experimented and indeed, if I'd go to his legs, he'd do the same, if I scratch his withers, he would try and do the same although there seems to be some confusion as to where my 'withers' are ... we settled on my arm being the extended 'neck'.

Perhaps this was just coincidence. I'll test this again next time.

'Mr F', who was this time not interfering, stood right beside us. Eventually he moved himself into position, with a quite expectant body position. We all spent some time grooming each other, and as always, it is a most welcome back massage! Although 'Mr F' isn't quite as gentle as the others ... Just as well I don't spend much time at the beach, I guess people would wonder about the scratch marks ...

After some time I left the two boys to it and they continued on their own, although 'Luke' had to work hard!