No, my horse isn't that chubby... YET!

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First things first - Henry is getting spoiled. He moved from the far end of the barn to a stall that is across from the tack room door. When I got to the barn last night, there was a young girl stroking his neck through the grate while he was trying to eat dinner... obviously not very safe, so thank goodness he's a kind soul and not aggressive about eating. Then, as I was grooming him, a woman (I presume the mother of one of the students in a lesson that had just wrapped up) walked by his stall, told him he was a good boy, and dumped carrots in his feed bin.

This is a little disconcerting because I believe it is common courtesy to ASK before you pet or feed someone else's horse. Maybe I'm too uptight, but I might have to follow suit with a few of the other boarders and put up signs asking people not to feed my horse. Who knows what kind of crap people might feed him? I know people who feed treats are well-intentioned, and possibly don't know any better, but I really don't like the thought of my horse getting nippy, rude about treats, or overfed. I mentioned it to another boarder and she was shocked, pointing out that it's one thing if just one person does it, but if it's five people a day thinking "oh what a lovely horse, he deserves a treat!" there is a distinct possibility that Henry might pick up some of the aggressive habits some other horses have. I didn't say anything to the girl or to the woman, as I don't want them to think I'm just mean or that I don't want my horse to have pets and treats. He IS a good boy, after all. Maybe I'll put up a sign asking not to feed him because he's watching his figure...

However, most of the people at the barn are great! There is a holiday party coming up and always friendly faces around. It's so nice to feel like there is a barn community again, after several teeny tiny barns with hardly any people, or REALLY stuck-up people, or whatever. I realize there is never a drama-free barn, but so far, so good with this one (this time - there was TONS of drama when I rode here pre-college)... I've got my fingers crossed and I'm knocking on wood that things will stay nice here.