Pachyderm squee!

[badseed1980]

Eeeee!

I just saw ELEPHANTS! They were walking the Ringling Bros./Barnum & Bailey elephants through Cambridge this morning. A few of us left the office to go watch them come by on Memorial Drive (including the head of the department!) Some of them had grasped the tail of the animal in front of them with their trunk, which just made me go "awww." One stopped and trumpeted at us. He did it right in front of a bunch of babies, so it was almost like he was going, "Squee! Babies! How cute!" The elephants were followed by a bunch of horses. Some were all white, some were all black with braided manes. Then there were a bunch of miniature horses, which were just adorable. It just added a bit of magic to my morning. :)

Also, seeing the horses made me realize how much I like them, and that I'd really like to learn to ride someday. *sigh* If only lessons weren't so expensive.

Comments

[zzbottom.livejournal.com]

Size queen ;)

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Water, meet monitor. :P

I liked the MINI horses too, yo!

[zzbottom.livejournal.com]

Heee!!!

[brontosproximo.livejournal.com]

Dammit. I had to work from home today and miss the oliphants.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

Awwwwww. But the big question is: were you close enough to smell'em? Ephemelants are wicked cute, but damn, they don't smell cute.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

No they do NOT! It's like a cross between cows and pigs.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

And exponentially larger, thus producing more bad-smell molecules than either cows or pigs. That's a whole lotta stink. Good think they''re cute and entertaining.

[j4yx0r.livejournal.com]

I don't know of anything in the Boston area, but Caren might be able to help you. She has her own horse and knows lots of people in New England. Maybe she can set you up with something. She'd probably give you free lessons, but that would be a bit of a hike.

~j

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it would. There are some places in the Bostonish area that have cheaper lessons available for groups. I may look into that one day or something.

If I'm ever rich I'd love to own a horse, but not unless I'm so rich it wouldn't be any drain on my finances.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

When I was a kid and my mom took me to the circus, I cried. I was appalled at the sight of animals performing tricks for humans, even then. It still bothers me: wild animals shouldn't be used for our "entertainment." The only way to get elephants to "behave" is by beating them with batons with hooks on the end. An elephant is huge, and it has to be brainwashed into thinking the men with the hooks are stronger, tht there's no chance for escape, so don't even try. They do that by regularly beating them when they're small, breaking their wild spirit with chains. It's disgusting. Ringling Bros has had many lawsuits brought against them for animal cruelty. I wish no one would pay to see their animals and they'd go out of business.

It's weird to me that our culture anthropomorphizes animals -- i.e., Disney with Dumbo and Bambi, etc., -- and yet we're unaware of how to really be kind to them.

[scypres.livejournal.com]

I don't know if there's anything like this in Boston, but my barn offers free lessons in exchange for barn work (mucking out stalls, etc.). You might ask around.

If you were here I'd teach you to ride on my horse!

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I'd do that if I had the kind of time it would take to take the lessons AND do the work, but as it is, I'm not sure I have time for lessons!

An old friend of <lj user=evaelisabeth> and <lj user=onyxtwilight>

[krkhst.livejournal.com]

Riding is easy, just don't fall off, and your riding. Everything else is busy work. If some one near you has a horse and will let you ride, just go out and piddle. Nothing in the world like it, nothing in the world tops it, nothing in the world is better - it is worth *making* time for.

Re: An old friend of <lj user=evaelisabeth> and <lj user=onyxtwilight>

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Alas, I don't know anyone near enough to me who has a horse, where I wouldn't need a car to get there.