Pet Lovers

[Witchy Woman]

I just finished cutting up a watermelon for my husband's daily lunches.  I buy one a week, cube it all, and he has a nice cool treat for these hot days.

A woman that lives adjacent to his family's farm has two older horses that graze the fields.  They both had tough lives and now spend their days just being horses.

I mentioned that I had watermelon for my husband's lunch and she asked if I would bring the rinds for her horses.

So, each week, I cut the rind (I leave lots of melon on it) into small cubes as a treat for them.  

On Sunday, when we visit the farm, we drop off the cubed rinds/melon and the horses are patiently waiting in their stalls for their bowls to be filled.  So funny!

Talk about a slobberfest!  They seem to love it and, not having many teeth, I think they appreciate the small pieces.  

It just does my heart good to see them eating with gusto.  I told my husband if they were mine, I'd probably overfeed them.

Just love horses, but never had one.  These old guys seem to appreciate a pet on the nose and a soft voice.  

Such beautiful creatures!

[eddyandme]

We need more Kind Souls like you in this world right now.

I LOVE horses too. but never had one.  Give them a pat and a kiss for me, please!

[SloopJohnB]

@Witchy Woman   Loved reading this.  Cows and bulls love watermelon, too.  The ones in a nearby pasture love it cold, especially in this weather.  🍉🐮🐂🐃🐄

[drizzellla]

Thanks for going to the trouble and thinking about the horses.

We got a watermelon for July 4th. I cut up chunks of the watermelon for the birds, squirrels and rabbits. And you know what - no one touched them. I was shocked. I thought at least the squirrels would give it a try. I picked up the chunks and threw them out. I didn't want to attract bugs.

I had put oranges out a few weeks before and they weren't touched either. 

Glad the horses got a tasty treat.

[Sooner]

@Witchy Woman Oh trust me--you do NOT need to cut it up for them.  That's half the fun!

We had three horses and a cousin who raised watermelons for grocery stores.  ACRES of melons.

It's so fun to watch them with a half melon.  We either scooped the inside out with a big spoon or an ice cream scoop.  When you get sometimes 5 melons on the porch at a time, you can just scoop out the heart.

We'd take the halves to the horses and one would carefully drink the juice out and nibble on it then.  Another one would stomp on it with that hoof and slurp up the pieces.  The other would just tear into it in big bites and sling the juice all over. 

I really miss that!  

[Witchy Woman]

@SloopJohnB 

Watermelon for all!

Mine is always cold when delivered.  I'm not sure they care, but it makes me feel better

Who likes warm watermelon?

[Witchy Woman]

@drizzellla 

I used to leave mine in the compost pile, but the only takers were box turtles.  Even the deer ignored it!

I'm happy to take it to the horses because they REALLY enjoy it.  

[Witchy Woman]

@Sooner 

In my mind, they enjoy it longer in tiny pieces

Plus, they have few teeth.  I'm sure they would eat it no matter what the size, so cutting it up is more for me than them.

[Witchy Woman]

@eddyandme 

Consider your nose pats delivered!  They both come to the fence when I walk my sister-in-law's Yellow Lab and there is always lots of sniffing back and forth.

Their eyes are so haunting....I so wish they could talk!

[On It]

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@Witchy Woman wrote:

@SloopJohnB 

Watermelon for all!

Mine is always cold when delivered.  I'm not sure they care, but it makes me feel better

Who likes warm watermelon?

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I like my watermelon warm. Growing up on the farm, we had a watermelon patch. My daddy and I would go pick some every other day or so and pile them under the shade tree in our back yard. Ours were never refrigerated. To this day I prefer the taste of a warm melon. To eat we cut the melon in half and ate the heart of the melon. We never kept leftovers because there were always more to take their place. I miss those times.