It was shortly after lunch one November day and I was at work when my phone lit up. It was a text from my friend, Elizabeth, to me and a couple of other friends asking “Does anyone want to go to Nancy’s tonight for a supermoon ride? We can stay overnight and come back on the first morning ferry in time to get to work, a little late. First one who replies ‘yes’ gets the spot in my trailer.”
I stared at my phone for a moment, then looked up at my 3 colleagues. I said “listen to this” and read the text out loud. They all immediately cried “you should go, say yes, say yes!”
“But I’d have to leave work an hour from now and come in late tomorrow,” I replied.
“That doesn’t matter, you can’t pass up this up, hurry up and reply!” My supervisor was not in the office so I could not ask her, but I knew she would be supportive too. I quickly typed “yes” and hit “send.”
A few hours later Elizabeth and I were loading hay into her truck, piling tack in the trailer, putting shipping boots on the horses, and writing notes on their stalls “gone to NY until 11/15.”
The horses loaded easily and we drove to the landing to catch the ferry across Lake Champlain from Vermont to New York state. As the sun was starting to set, Elizabeth expertly threaded the trailer over the narrow ramp onto the ferry. I had only had my new horse, Tupelo Honey, for a few months and I was bursting with excitement. We had ridden once before under a full moon and I was thrilled that Tupelo was proving to be just the kind of horse I was hoping for – one who would go on adventures like this with me and not be jumpy or balky.
By the time we arrived at Nancy’s farm it was dark. We unloaded the horses, gave them water, hay, and a rest, then tacked up. We started out and Tupelo, who is normally a slow walker at the back of the pack, strode out in front of Rio and Scarlett. He didn’t seem nervous, just excited. A supermoon is a full moon that appears larger and brighter than a normal full moon due to being in the part of its orbit closest to the earth. Owing to the dense forest around Nancy’s house, we could only see the moon flickering through the trees.
For the next few hours, we rode on a loose rein, trusting our horses to follow the trail, which they always did. At some points it was so dark among the trees that we could see virtually nothing, but the horses stepped out confidently, never hesitating. Nancy told us that one time she got lost when riding alone at night in the network of trails, so she simply dropped the reins and her horse, Scarlett, brought her home.
As the full moon rose higher we started to catch glimpses of it through the trees and at times it was so bright that it illuminated the trail. Then we would be plunged into darkness again, but the horses never missed a step. I was in awe of their ability to see and their willingness to carry us through the night. I wondered what they were feeling – where they scared? Did they wonder why we were doing this? Did they know how vulnerable we humans were and so wholly dependent upon them in that moment? I admit that I was a bit scared of the pitch-black forest, and my appreciation for my horse grew exponentially on that ride. He had only known me for 2 months and yet he carried me with so much care and confidence that I felt completely safe. I was able to enjoy the magic of the forest and the moon.
Back at the house, after a delicious meal I crawled into my sleeping bag on Nancy’s screen porch (it was a warm November and I prefer sleeping outdoors in all but the coldest weather) and fell asleep to the sound of the horses munching hay in the paddock.
It was about as near to heaven as I can imagine.
~Monica
Ugggh….I wished I’d been there…
♡♡♡