Ever since I was little, my favorite pastime had been swimming on horseback. While I was home I took my pony Shawn in the pond for a little swim. He is an excellent swimmer and enjoys it just as much as me, jumping in the water and splashing about with his little hooves. Most of the pond is shallow enough for him to stand in but it quickly drops off in the middle and he has to break into a full swim. Tiny little fishies kissed our feet whenever we stood still and it tickled both of us silly. I’m always so happy when I’m with my horses. Shawn has been my best friend since I was five years old. It’s unreal how much we have both grown up and yet we still go along, swimming and frolicking about like we’re still youngsters. I really wish I could fit him in my apartment. Better yet, I wish we had a pond in my apartment for us to swim in on a daily basis. Ah, the sacrifices of city life!

We only swam for about twenty minutes; we had to leave before the water moccasins made an appearance. If you have never had the chance to swim with a horse, I highly recommend you do so. It is the most incredible feeling.

For the sake of my pride and your eyesight, I am really glad that Tessa’s pictures were so far away (believe it or not, I zoomed in and cropped these). Please keep in mind that these pictures were taken after a full day at the beach…and I am still that white. This is what my “tan” looks like. How am I a Floridian again?

Now that you know my favorite pastime, please share yours!

-Keiko Lynn

p.s. This same day, I swam with two manatees! One of them lifted me up when the current pulled me under. It swam beneath my feet and raised me to the surface. It was incredible. They are the friendliest creatures. I wasn’t drowning or anything, just struggling, but it sounds much cooler to say that a manatee saved my life. So we’ll go with that.