That Time I Went to the Netherlands and Played with Wild Horses

Sonndeg, 3 Abrëll.

Do you know those perfect spring afternoons? The ones with blue skies and just the right amount of clouds, with a light breeze that's both warm and cool, with the perfect amount of sunshine? The ones that make you wish that you could freeze time, never moving past that moment? Now take that wonderful feeling ... and add a baby horse.

 

Wait, what?! Let me explain.

This past weekend, I took an impromptu road trip to the Netherlands with two of my housemates, Vicky and Jens. We wound up venturing to the city of Nijmegen and visiting a friend who was staying there for the holidays. (Don't worry, I'll post the low-down on Nijmegen tomorrow!) While we were catching up over coffee, she casually mentioned that the city had a nature preserve just a few minutes' walk down the river. "You might even see some of the wild horses," she added ... and we were sold.

The park in question is called the Gelderse Poort. It's a nature preserve located on the Waal River in the outskirts of Nijmegen that is home to cattle, beavers, badgers, geese, and -- of course -- wild horses.

We spotted our first wild horses about ten minutes in to our adventure and basically lost it. And then we got to the beach and it got real. As in, "dozens of wild horses frolicking in the river" real.

At this moment, we still had not decided whether or not to approach the horses, although they were already interacting with other beachgoers. That is, until the horses started to approach Jens...

All the horses were sweet, but it was the smallest -- and most adorable -- ones who seemed the most eager to approach us and be stroked. After sniffing our hands, they would usually let us approach and give them some cuddles. (Don't worry; we made sure not to disturb their mamas!)

Best. Day. Ever.

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about our time with the wild horses. And by the rest of the afternoon, I mean the rest of the weekend. Heck, we're STILL talking about. ("Do you know what I'd rather be doing?" "Stroking wild baby horses?" "Yep.")

DISCLAIMER: In case you are interested in going out and getting yourself some pony friends, I should mention that approaching, befriending, and petting wild horses is probably not the smartest idea. These horses are wild animals and although they leave in a public area frequented by people, there is no knowing how they will respond to human visitors. When we first arrived, we waited for the horses to approach us and were careful not to disturb them while they were eating, sleeping, or nursing.