On my way home today...

...and I guess not many commuters can claim this, I decided to make friends with one of the horses I pass on the way home (and I have to confess, this is only because I saw a posse of young kids doing the same a few hundred yards away to horse number 2), to be completely honest, I have a healthy respect for the kind of damage a large quadruped can do to the human frame, and I guess *one* of the possibly predictable graveyard markers for me may be "Better Safe than Sorry"...but throwing caution to the wind I strode up to the poor animal and brandishing my fist, rather as I would to a Hagrid-sized-dog (a french horse did once attempt to consume my entire hand, but that is another story), I let it take my scent...it regarded me for a moment or two, somewhat nervously, with it's huge eyes, and then, without another moments hesitation, nestled firmly into my shoulder, flicking it's head a few times in appreciation as I ticked it's ears and stroked the profusion of loose hair from it's mane...glancing back, the tiny horse was watching me all the way across the field as I was walking away... :)

Update - I took flyingpops over to meet the horse a little while later, but it was clear that there was no way she was going to get anywhere near the animal, this, I think, spooked the poor creature a little bit because it wasn't *quite* as friendly this time...oh well...