I had occasion a couple of weeks ago, to go and pick up a mare that I used to own, and since her sale several years ago, have had the privilege to breed to one or the other of our stallions each year.

Since this happens regularly, and Puffy usually comes here to foal and then stay until she is confirmed pregnant, all of our other mares are well acquainted with her. As such, we anticipated a rather low keyed homecoming which did prove to be uneventful until after we had safely installed Puffy and baby into the foaling pen.

Zeus, as most of you know, lives in his backyard pasture at this time of the year and was busily grazing when we ushered Puffy and Misty, her one week old foal through the backyard and into the pen. I don't know at what point he realized that there was someone new (to him) in his presence, but suddenly this little 24" STUD (he thinks so anyway) skyrocketed across the yard and up the bank to the fence, all the while nickering sweet nothings to this white vision before him.

Now let me explain, Zeus has looked longingly at several of the mares this year, but this was no casual glance. Zeus was so stricken by this beautiful mare, that he stood transfixed at the fence until we brought everyone in to feed, a time frame of about two hours. He stood so still staring at her this whole time that I thought he had suffered some rare kind of immobilizing trauma, but in fact, I think he just believed he had died and gone to heaven.

For the past several days now, every time she ambles over close to the fence Zeus stations himself as close as he can possibly get to her and nickers to her in his sexiest teenage voice ever. She of course has no use for this tiny two year old juvenile, but for him it is true love. I think all of us can relate and have empathy for Zeus if we remember our first teenage affair of the heart.

Recently my friend Chris Jolly stated that "Ruffy" my little 6 lb Chihuahua has to be dogdomes Jimmy Cagney because of his rather gruff but squishy personality and I agree. On the other hand, I guess in Zeus case, I'd have to call him a horses equivalent of Dudley Moore and Puffy of course has to be Zeus'............'TEN"