When the urge to buy another horse strikes me, I (sometimes) try to get "my fix" by getting one that doesn't eat!
We spotted this little item at one of the local antique malls! I knew what a netsuke was because I watch waaayyy to much Antiques Roadshow (BBC Version!), but I wouldn't have bought just any netsuke. You've probably guessed by now, there's a horse!
Shown above close to actual size
Limiting ourselves to equine related things, helps one stay focused when trolling the shelves...we make a game of it to see who can spot the most "horse stuff". And we pass on a lot of it! But this, well....we liked it immediately! Then the longer we looked at it, the more interesting it became.
We've got a happy (maybe even smug) looking woman and her feisty pony! Gotta have that!
But wait................................... there's more to this story...
Hmmm. Yep...something definitely happening here!
Well, what do you think this story would be? Could it be, "Honey, I told you that wouldn't work". There's just something about that smile!
I've yet to find any Japanese folk tale or myth to explain this, but I haven't really had time to research very hard. That will be more of a "Ithaca New York Winter" project! And right now, it's perfect horse working weather! Not too hot, not too cold. Just cool enough and breezy enough to discourage those nasty bugs!
And on that note...I'm off to train some horses!