Though her halter hangs on the gate, Veronica is not immediately visible as you enter her paddock. There’s the momentary panic that accompanies a horse not being where you expect to find them, but this lovely, social mare reveals herself to the call of her name. She peers from behind a tree in a way that seems to beckon you over: look what I’ve found.
The tree is surrounded by netting, and within the netting a blackberry bush has taken root, some of its spindly arms reaching out between the holes. Bane of our existence, blackberries are, with their fast-growing, oppressive vines, stealing real estate from other, gentler plants. But there’s a sweet spot in the year when those vines bear fruit, and this is what Veronica wants to show you, that she has found a wellspring of treats — if you’re brave enough to fight the thorns, that is.
Veronica demonstrates her bravery for us, using those prehensile lips of hers to delicately separate leaves from vines. Then, in another, even more impressive showing, bites off a berry. When she pulls away, she doesn’t have a single scratch, and not even a little bit of lip stain. It also turns out that if you take a berry for yourself, she is more than willing to share.
You may not be able to lead a horse to water and make it drink, but turns out a horse can lead you to a berry patch and get you to eat.
