Reply #9: Poncho and Baby

[PufPuf23]

When I was a rural child in the 50s and early 60s, we had horses, cattle, chickens, pigs, and various cats and dogs.

Poncho was a special horse (and older than me). He was a gelded palamino and only 13 hands. We all first learned to ride on Poncho.

The other stock had their barns and stable and coop but Poncho was allowed to roam our yard with the cats and dogs and there was a graveled area where he pooped

Baby was a yellow cat that was Poncho's best friend and vice versa. From when Baby was a kitten, Poncho had a soft mouth to pick up Baby and one of Baby's favorite perches was on Poncho's back. Baby helped alot with horse and other flies.

My Dad used to get up very early and would smoke most of a pack of Lucky Strikes and drink a pot of coffee and fix himself breakfast at the kitchen table. We called this Dad "meditating". Poncho with Baby on board would be at the window and my Dad would feed sugar and carrots to Poncho and bits of his breakfast to Baby.

In summers my grandmother would come to stay during the day while my parents worked. She was addicted to Edge of Night and several other soap operas and TV (as well as electricity) was new. As there was no AC, there were screen doors. Poncho was allowed to open the screen door and put his front feet up the two steps from a covered cement porch to inside the living room and would watch the TV with my grandmother, Baby on board.

I haven't ridden a horse is over 30 years.