Blackie

I came across Blackie and his mom while walking to Plomari; I found out later that he was a newborn. I’ve never seen a newborn colt before and was impressed by how long his legs are. I may have been the first person to take his picture–he was quite camera shy and a little startled to be photographed.

Soon after I returned from Molyvos to Ayios Isodoros a week ago Monday, Mare and colt were moved to a pasture next to my apartment. I can often hear them, especially at night when it’s pretty quiet. I’d like to feed them some treats–can anyone tell me what would make a good treat for them? I remember from the horse books I read as a child that the kids in the book would feed horses apples :).

Lesvos is known for its horse breeding and you see horses almost everywhere you go.  I was amused to see a sign at the gate of a famous monastery, Moni Taxiarches, that said that no horses are allowed on the premises. There are quite a few festivals on the island involving horses. There’s one in Plomari in August, which has a special song associated with it. The men of Palaio Xori (meaning old village), a mountain village particularly known for its horses, bring their horses down to Plomari, the largest town near the village, and dance on the horses!