At the moment, my two main steeds wot live within my paddocks are the solid, chunky type. Ada, who is young and not yet under saddle, is an Irish Draught, and if you don’t know anything about horses, they are a big ones.
Someone said to me once, ‘Gosh, when she’s all grown up she’ll be big enough to run a township over’ and I said ‘Yes!’ in such a thrilled, delighted tone that I had to add a cough and a disclaimer.
‘I mean, not that I’d ever do that’.
Although I consider myself a good person, I do love riding a horse I can capture kingdoms on. I’m also quite attracted to the idea of jousting, although riding around with a big stick does seem awkward, especially when you have to open gates, or your nose gets itchy, or you think you might like to stop to take a photo of something.
Anyway, I’ve gone a little off course because today’s happiness is actually about my dogs. Or, if we’re more specific, my dogs and horse as a glorious combination. You see, as I ride my patchy pony, Merc, around the farm, my dogs track right round with me.
There is Lupin, big as a wolf who lopes with a stride that appears to have no start nor end. A cyclic, fluid movement that’s easy on the eye.
And then there’s Frankie, who is not so stylish in her run but really terribly cute, and that counts for a whole lot.
Sometimes, they run behind me. Sometimes they’re at my side. And my absolute favourite is when the sun catches all of us and I see us a unit moving forward as four shadows, the subjects of our self-appointed Kingdom.
Where shall we ride today?, I ask them and we canter off together.
And the good people cheer and shriek and clap their hands for all to hear. FOR THE GOOD OF THE REALM! I hear them cry. FOR THE GOOD OF THE REALM!
My #9 Happinesses in my Kingdom