It was a very happy holiday season for this Virginia's Eastern Shore horse.
I just can hardly believe that Wiley, my beautiful Arabian horse, first arrived on Virginia’s Eastern Shore one year ago last month, my most unique Christmas gift ever from my son ! As they say, how time flies ! Wiley really, really loves it here on the Shore, romping around with all his new friends, soaking up the cool breezes off the water, enjoying the Eastern Shore’s temperate climate, munching the delicious pasture grasses, visiting friends on other farms because the Eastern Shore really is an equestrian paradise. At Wiley’s cosy anniversary party, the guest of honor calmly munched carrots and sugar cubes in his stall while my son and I toasted his good health with some pretty nice champagne. But truth be told, Wiley’s first Christmas in his new home, a brand-new and spacious barn on a large waterfront farm just south of Cape Charles, Virginia, was just about more than the poor little fellow could handle. Just trying to figure out which stall buddies to give apples and which stall buddies would prefer carrots was pretty taxing, plus having to decide whether it was truly necessary to put a bow on them all. And then having to decorate his stall because he didn’t want to seem like the barn Grinch ! Not to mention that the older horses were all party, party, party into the wee hours, keeping Wiley and the other colts up half the night. It was enough to give a young horse dark circles under the eyes. Although he loved all his Christmas gifts, including a new halter and a beautiful new green plaid blanket, soft and warm as a down comforter, ( nicely gift-wrapped for him by Dover Saddlery www.doversaddlery.com ), Wiley still insists that it’s lucky that Christmas comes only once a year ! He thinks the craziest thing is that the barn is already looking forward to the Christmas holidays next year. But I let him know not to worry, come next December, he and I will face it together. P.S. If you love horses and are thinking of a move to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, please call me at 757-678-5200 and I will e-mail you some data sheets on our great “horse-friendly” properties.