Meet Merlin

I was photographing birds in the park today when this gorgeous creature and his rider came down the trail. She saw me with the camera and asked if I wanted to take his picture. Well, what would any blipper say when asked a question like that? She rode him up closer to me...much closer than he was when I took this picture, and we chatted a bit. I asked if she rides him out every day, and the answer was, "As often as possible." Apparently he doesn't like to ride indoor so she will bring him out, even in light rain, and he loves the snow. He gets angry with her when she doesn't bring him out for a ride and lets her know it! I told him I was sorry that I didn't have any treats for him because he was obviously hoping for something, and she handed me a large "cookie" that he gently took off my hand. That is possibly the first time I ever gave a horse a snack. Isn't he a beauty?