The guys in 51
Lazy August days. The horses have had it good this week. We’ve had a cool spell, temps down in the 70s most of the day and even milder at night. Recent rain has greened up the grass and given it back some of its tenderness, and not that much is going on. Summer peace and the singing of the cicadas fill the farm.
What, Tripper? (Johannesbourbon, Rail Trip, Cherono)
The horses on the main tour route probably do wonder what’s going on. All the fun visits (and carrots!) they enjoyed during the middle of the summer have been temporarily suspended again due to increased Covid-19 cases in our locale. None of us – horse or human – likes this, of course, but it’s necessary to protect our essential horse care staff. We look forward to when it’s safer to unite our horses and their fans.
Johannesbourbon
Meanwhile, all the horses, whether on the tour route or not, are enjoying quiet naps in the shade and the security of their “family” of humans who, from their perspective, exist to serve their every need.
Alphabet Soup
A few evenings ago Laura walked the farm with her camera and lots of carrots. From the horses whose photos she caught, it was quite a hike, past Alphabet Soup and Gorgeous George, past Area 51, up to where Slim Shadey and Starspangled Heat live.
Slim Shadey
And then around the bend to the paddock Wake Forest shares with Brilliant Decision…
Brilliant Decision’s “summer blond” look.
… she got lots of good photos of Wake Forest and Brilliant Decision.

Here’s Wake Forest peeking over Brilliant Decision’s back. He’s almost too little to do that!
Got a carrot for Brilliant Decision?
Then she hiked all the way to the far end of the south part of the farm, what we call Farm #2. (It’s all continuous, but that makes it easier to identify where a horse or staff member is.) I wasn’t there, but following the trail of her photos is fun.
Awesome Gem being handsome.
Awesome Gem shares a paddock with Ivan Fallanovalot and Big Blue Nation at that end of the farm. Also in that neighborhood is longtime resident Discreet Hero. Though the population in that paddock has changed some during the last few years, whoever else is there, Hero sticks with his best friend, Cappucino Kid.
Discreet Hero
Then it looks like she retraced that long trek and headed up the main farm hill, taking the back way and saying hello to claiming king and son of Street Sense, Persie.
Persie (Racketeer in background. Not sure whose withers are between them).
And all the way back to the big pasture shared by Affirmed Success, Kudos, Interwin, El Oh El …
Kudos’ tail catches the sunset.
I think I know where she was going … what particular horse may have been her goal …
Miss Du Bois
Sure enough, Miss Du Bois had an eye out for her favorite human. Miss Du Bois has been flourishing in the love she gets from Laura, Carole, Antonio…she’s an easy horse to love!
Ivan Fallanovalot
An invigorating hike. I’ve enjoyed pretending to be along. I hope you have, too. This weekend my ipad and I will be covering as much of the farm as possible, as I continue my project, making video clips of all the descendants of Secretariat living on the farm. There are so many that they’ll probably make for more than one video I hope to post over the next few weeks. Then, I’ll do the same with all Old Friends’ decendants of Seattle Slew. Fun projects, I must admit! Until then, take care and stay well.
Beth
photos by Long-walkin’ Laura
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