The Green Halter

I had a somewhat funny experience the other night when Soon came in without his Green Halter.  As some may have noticed, he wears a bright and somewhat gaudy old Kelly green nylon halter.  This came from his race trainer/owner, who had halters to match his stable colors (green/white). 

Green Halter!

I joked the day I came to look at (and purchase) Soon that the green would eventually go, and that my colors tended to be in the navy blue/red/white realm instead of bright green.  His previous owner pretended to lament, but in all honesty I didn't see the thing sticking around.  I usually only put my horses in leather halters, because Triple had a special talent for wrecking them (I'd rather her break 8 halters than her neck).  So I bought Soonie his new navy blue breakaway halter for every day stuff, and I have the two leather halters sitting around from Triple.  But...they never got on him.  Horses at this barn only wear halters when they are going to/from the turnout.  Halters are usually "community" halters so there's no promises made the horse will come in with the same halter.  Ever.  So taking that into consideration, I left Green Halter on Soon, because I figured if it was going to travel, I don't want it to be one of my nice ones.  I figured no big deal if it got lost or trashed.

Green Halter again!

Ohhhhh was I wrong.  Over time it's become an endearing little symbol of Soonie, and much to my amusement, it is the ONLY halter that consistently comes in with its owner.  First because it's BRIGHT GREEN and second because it's one of the few cob-sized halters that actually fits his little pony face.  The guys all know it's Soon's halter, and they always bring him in with it.  It's cute and in a funny way actually kind of means something to me.  And now I just can't bring myself to part with the stupid thing, because Green Halter came with Soon from the track, it's his last physical connection to his former career.  So when it didn't come in with him the other day, while I didn't completely panic (think Cameron on Modern Family) and run outside and swap it, it kind of made me go, "Huh.  I miss Green Halter."

(for a split second I did scream in my head "GREEN HALTER!" like Cameron)

Fast forward to the next day and it was back on his stall door, and all was right with the world again.  When we move back east and Soonie settles in to his new barn, he'll be wearing his leather halters, but Green Halter will still be our little mascot.  I don't want to become a hoarder of stuff, but I can't bring myself to get rid of it.

Green Halter back where it belongs