A few months ago I got an email from Nancy Tusinski, Adult Program Director at Springfield Town Library, informing me of an exhibit coming to the Library this spring. The exhibit was titled “The Literary Horse”, and consisted of photographs of real-life contemporary horses accompanied by literary quotations. Nancy said that the exhibit’s creator, photographer Vanessa Wright, liked to have local horse people involved wherever it was on display, and asked if I had any ideas or suggestions for how Baymare Farm might want to be a part of the event.

Immediately I thought of Becky, our dear miniature mare. What better way for library visitors to experience a horse-themed exhibit than by getting to meet an actual horse? So what if the actual horse is on a smaller scale than the chargers and warhorses of myth and legend that populate literature. Becky’s compact size makes her not only more energy-efficient, but much easier to get in the front door of the Library than the average warhorse.

Nancy accepted our offer with enthusiasm, and Becky’s Big Day was officially put on the calendar. Our plan was for Becky to make an appearance at the Library on the last day of the exhibit, when Vanessa herself would be there to take photos and talk about her work. Becky and I would come into the building, ride the elevator to the second floor, and set up for visitors in the Children’s Library surrounded by a great selection of favorite horse books. I would give a brief talk about Becky, then people could come meet her, pat her, and get a picture taken with her if they wished.

Though I encountered some disbelief and skepticism from people when I told them of our plans, putting a pony in a library is nothing new. When I was a little girl growing up in Elgin, Illinois, famed author Marguerite Henry lived in the nearby village of Wayne. Her books were some of the greatest treasures of my young life. One of my favorites was Newbery award winner Misty of Chincoteague, a story about a family raising a pony foal and the celebration of “Pony Penning Day” on Chincoteague Island off the coast of Virginia. The real Misty lived with Ms. Henry in Wayne for a time, and was a regular visitor to area libraries, including ours in Elgin. So now, over fifty years later, it seemed both logical and a great honor to follow in Misty’s distinguished hoofprints.

On the morning of her public debut, Becky was thoroughly groomed and prepped. She had a date with the horse vacuum, then a red ribbon was braided into her forelock and a little glitter brushed into her flowing mane. Finally, I fitted her out in her new halter and lead rope, and together we strolled down Elm Hill and into town. We enjoyed receiving smiles and waves along the way, though an amazing number of people drove right by us without even a glance. We paused at the old horse watering trough near the bus stop. Recent rains had filled it, and Becky sniffed at it and then took a few sips. I wondered how many years had passed since another horse had drunk from that basin.

We got to the Library right on time, and a good-sized crowd had assembled to watch her arrival. She had a smooth trip on the elevator, and we took up our station in the Children’s Room with no fuss at all. For over an hour, little Becky performed like a trouper. She stood patiently while dozens of strangers, some who had never touched a horse before, came up to pet her and have their picture taken with her. Her attention never wavered. She responded with interest and courtesy to every person who met her. I found I was able to step back, several feet away at the end of the lead line so that I wouldn’t show up in everybody’s photograph, and she continued to stand perfectly still.

Even though I went into the day with one hundred percent confidence in Becky’s ability to carry on safely and with good humor, I was absolutely swept off my feet by her performance. Not only was she tolerant and well-behaved, she was completely invested in every moment. Each person had her total attention, each of the hundred or so photos from the day shows her alert and focused on the job at hand.

Finally, once everybody had had a turn, we loaded back on to the elevator for the first floor and were soon out in the fresh air and hiking back up Elm Hill. Becky got a bucketful of carrots when we got home, then I turned her out with her companions to enjoy a lovely roll in the mud and the horse equivalent of recess for the rest of the afternoon. And that was Becky’s Big Day.

Thanks to Becky’s and my steadfast assistants, Kathy and Sofia Gulick for smoothing the way, to Nancy Tusinski for taking us on, and Library Director Russ Moore for trusting us in his Library!

Visit www.TheLiteraryHorse.com to learn more about this wonderful traveling exhibit.

Thumbnail photo by Wendy Svec, all other photos c. Vanessa Wright and used with her permission.

Tags: Horses

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 18th, 2011 at 9:11 pm and is filed under Farm Journal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.