Miss Lilly

Meet Lilly, aka Cher. When Lilly was Cher, she was part of a duo named, of course, Sonny and Cher, but Sonny has left us and Cher has become Lilly.

Lilly is a purebred halflinger who belongs to one of my sisters. She is known and loved by all of us and probably has been "favorite horse" to all of my sisters and me at one time or another.

Before my sister owned her, Lilly lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Since then her home has been in Marysville, California, and on Orcas Island, Washington.

She is a small draft horse. Halflingers originated in Italy and were bred as pack animals during World War II. But a prettier horse you will not find.

Today was a special day for Lilly because she pulled a cart in a parade, a job she has been in training for only a couple of months. And it was a particularly difficult parade for a horse because it included many, many firecrackers being exploded throughout.

Here's Lilly with her trainers in the staging area of the parade. She was made especially nervous here by the intrusion of skateboarders and an ambulance passing through. But she overcame those traumas as well as fear of the firecrackers and did a fantastic job.

Halflingers are always chestnut colored with white manes and tails. Can you believe that tail?

Here you can see that she had her forelock braided for today's event. Normally, she has very full and very blond "bangs" that hang down to her nose.

The proud face you can see on the other side of her is her owner, my sister.

This was the picture I was most interested in getting in the whole parade. It's Lilly in front of Camelot Gallery, which is my sister's shop in Marysville. (Details of Camelot Gallery are planned for an upcoming post.)

The ladies in red are Lilly's trainers and the beige legs on the other side of her belong to my Sis. The plan was to have only the trainer in the cart with her, but given all the noise and commotion, my sister and the other trainer decided to walk along to give her a feeling of security (and to keep her from running away with the lady in the cart).

One of the trainers is giving her a sweet treat. I hope she doesn't have a sugar crash! I could see her really perk up when she realized what she was getting.

This was one horse who by the end of the day was sure the grass was greener in her own pasture. So goodnight to Miss Lilly.

Tomorrow is a new day.