Each morning, I go out to the pasture, but to get in the gate, I have to agree to kiss a pony on the nose. After the kiss, a carrot or cookie. Maria says I am falling for Chloe the pony, but I tell her I am basically a dog and donkey guy. She says I am in denial. It is not just her pony any longer, she says on her blog that it is our pony.

I’m not sure I’m there yet, but I am fond of Chloe. She is one of the proud and strong and loving women on the farm. I love giving her a hose bath every day, and she loves getting a bath, she is out in the hot sun all day covered in flies, I bet the hosing feels very good to her. I do love giving her her daily bath.

I do love Chloe’s independence, and I love her sweetness and calm. And she is tough as nails. On the whole, she is far less imperious and moody than the donkeys. They love you when they feel like it, otherwise you can just get lost.

Chloe loves Maria and she loves attention.

She is happy for us to put her fly mask, she accepts the halter with grace, she learns quickly, loves being groomed and is always up for a kiss. Maria is brimming with love, her emotions are on the surface, where animals can see and sniff them.

Mine, I think, are buried deeper. Animals do that for us, they help us understand who we really are.