Archie, Archie, Archie

So--the first step in getting a new horse after having just gotten a new horse, and having had to give up not only the horse, but also all the Karma that goes with naming it--is naming it. Heather's barn is full of enthusiastic ten year olds with good ideas. "Silver" (the pony is red), "Feather" and my favorite, from the little girl who probably rides my new pony better than I do, "Golden Archway." I named him Archie.

And Archie stuck. His first two weeks he was Horse until I was certain he had all the Archie attributes. Heather  insisted he have a show name even though my ambitions probably extend no farther than competing in the egg and spoon race at a  local gymkhana, so I named him Sea Buckthorn which is a tenacious sea bush that is used extensively in Scotland to hold the dunes. It is thick, has prickers, and sports bright orange berries in the fall, shortly before they sour. Archie is sometimes orange.

I like Scotland. It works. Archie it is. Arrrrrchie!