A very long time ago, whenever the moon was full, my older brother Jack loved to ride horses. We called them "Moon Dancers" because they were long-legged polo ponies who seemed to dance with excitement as we rode through the woods, down well worn deer paths. With nine children in our family, we obviously did not own the horses, but rather "borrowed" them from the polo field barn, just across the river from our home. The ranch hands loved to see Jack coming because he always had a good joke to tell and they said the horses needed to be excersized...many of the horse owners rarely had the time to ride during the week. Jack would ask them to sadle up a few horses and he'd walk tehm back through the woods to our home, so that my brothers and I could ride with him. We rode for hours with the full moon lighting our way. The many animals and birds in the woods at night, especially the deer, were thrilling to see and hear. The ranch hands slept right in the barn with the horses, so they told Jack to "Just let them go when you're done...they know where their stalls are...we'll take off their saddles." Whenever I think about those evenings with my bigh brother Jack and the Moon Dancers, I still smile. Jack is retired and now owns and rides three of his own polo ponies. |
