A Triple Trouble Thanksgiving

On behalf of my three goons, Happy Thanksgiving from our farm to yours. We hope you all enjoy your nagging family members, really great food and plenty of room for holiday activities — I know we will be!

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches I made it a point for myself, Buns, Payco and Hot Sauce to all gather around the hay feeder and state what we were thankful for. I provided them with a Thanksgiving feast of the finest second cut hay, and fresh water. There were also some Uncle Jimmy’s horse treats involved in order to bribe them to be honest in their responses.

Photo by Marcella Gruchalak

I went first to show them how it was done. While drinking a yellow Red Bull, I cleared my throat and prepared myself to share what all I was thankful for. Before I could even start Buns walked off to take a pee, Hot Sauce spooked at the neighbors driving their side-by-side up the road and Payco, well he just walked off because he didn’t want to be the only one standing there.

After gathering them all back up I started again. “This year I am overly grateful to have three healthy horses, a farm to call my own, a freshly graveled driveway leading to the barn, a new truck that’s reliable and pulls my gooseneck trailer with ease and a dog that likes to travel. I’m also grateful for the great people who have helped me be successful this year as a horsewoman. Penley Horsemanship did wonders training you, Payco and Tune the City got my new truck ready to haul. DeAnn Sloan kept me motivated to trail ride with Kamille as it got colder and Horse Nation allowed me to write about it all. Buns, I am grateful for you because you’ll go fast paces for me but then slow down and teach Kamille how to ride. Payco, I’m grateful for you because you have taught me so many things about riding and how to be a better horsewoman. And Hot Sauce, I’m grateful for you because you’ve been kind and attentive as you learn how to become my next great horse.”

Photo by Marcella Gruchalak

As I concluded my piece I asked which of the three of them would like to go next. They all looked at me and Payco said, “Well, the youngest should obviously go first,” as he looked at Hot Sauce. Hot Sauce sighed and rolled her eyes. Buns then said, “I’ll go if you need someone to go,” and I replied, “Thank you, Buns. Go ahead.”

Buns, a total momma’s boy, started, “I am thankful for you, mom, and how you feed us on time every single day. How you put my blanket on me when it’s cold out, how you travel and let me see new places and how you take me to shoots almost every weekend. I’m also thankful for that time you could have put me down but instead you took care of me to fully heal.” My heart just melted — and this is exactly why he’s a mama’s boy.

Photo by Mr. Quigley Photography

Payco and Hot Sauce laughed and Payco said, “He’s such a suck up!”

“Okay, Payco, on that note, why don’t you share what you’re thankful for next.”

Payco cleared his throat, puffed out his chest and began. “Well, obviously I’m thankful for my good looks. I have the perfect head, long thick hair and a coat color everyone desires. I’m really thankful that Buns has learned not to annoy me anymore. Also, I’m grateful to be the one that gets first pick of hay and, yeah, I guess I’m thankful for shooting weekends too.”

I knew he’d give a response something like that so I replied with, “Okay, Payco, that’s great.”

Photo by Melissa Jackson Photography

“Okay my darling, angel, love bug, mare. What are you thankful for?” I knew a sassy response was going to follow the flip of her head.

“One thing I’m grateful for is when you take Payco and Buns shooting for the weekend. They follow me everywhere and it’s so nice to have time to myself when they leave, but I am also grateful when you bring them back because I begin to miss them. I’m also thankful for great food — really, really great food and plenty of room to run!”

Photo by J. Gerard Photography

As I began to thank Hot Sauce for her statement, the wind picked up and  a plastic bag tumbled across the pasture. Within a second, Buns, Payco and Hot Sauce all took off in different directions. Across the pasture they flew.

I give up. I shrugged my shoulders, picked up the bag and walked out of the pasture towards the barn. There’s no use rounding them all back up to say Happy Thanksgiving. On behalf of my three goons, Happy Thanksgiving from our farm to yours. We hope you all enjoy your nagging family members, really great food and plenty of room for holiday activities — I know we will be!