16. Horses in the moonlight

Yesterday, I stayed up far too late (reasons: distractions and reading), and just as I was going to bed, I decided I wanted to look at the moon. So I put my toothbrush in my pocket and went outside to gaze at the moon. It was hanging yellow and large almost directly overhead. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw that the trees had really clear moon shadows. It was like it was really midday, but someone had turned down the intensity of the sun. I looked towards the horses, and I could see some movement there, so I decided to go to them.

They were standing there peacefully, watching me approach. Horses have great night vision (at least better than humans), and I was also making quite a racket, snapping lots of twigs and stepping on other noisy things as I approached, so the horses were well warned of me coming. When I reached them, my eyes were totally adapted to the amount light the moon gave. I could pick out the different horses and see quite well what they were doing, but I couldn't see their faces very well, and therefore decided to stay cautious.

I ducked under the fence (a single wire electric fence), and stayed well outside the horses' space, except when some of them offered to say hello to me. Most of them were standing resting and snoozing, as they would normally do during the day, and really, nothing had changed in their behaviour as a result of nightfall. This is completely normal for horses, in case some of you thought that they lie down and sleep for eight hours straight like we humans do.

I just stayed there with them and experienced nature in the moonlight. I saw the moonlight highlight the white socks on some of the horses, I studied the bushes, and realised I could see every single leaf. Everything looked different, but also just the same, bathed in moonlight. I saw the horses relax, and relaxed and breathed with them. I felt the magic of the night all around me, in the fireflies that would light up occasionally over a bush, in the song of the crickets, and in the horses standing there so quietly in the moonlight. I let the small amount of stress that was still in me trickle out and disappear into the night.

I left the horses with a clear and relaxed body and mind. I had spent my first midnight with the herd, and it was beautiful.


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PS: Total side note: Today's biggest laugh (for me at least), was this video. As a bonus, it is also informative.