I was up on Oxen Pond Road, photographing Thimble Cottage the other day (will post those shots and that story later) when I bumped into an old friend.

In the spring, summer and autumnal months I run down this road pretty often. It connects several of the nicer trails in the area and there’s almost no traffic. It’s an old, dirt, farm road and along it is a field that has been used for horses for the past couple of years. This fellow, along with a somewhat shy female pony, are the current occupants.

Whenever I’d see him near the fence, I’d stop by, say hello and scratch him under the chinstrap or in other places that horses itch. He soon discovered that runners are sweaty creatures and would lick my arm in appreciation. It’s probably a bad habit, but after I got over being startled (during the initial encounter), it made perfect sense and seemed harmless enough. He never offered to nibble, so I never took offense.

I haven’t been by there in several months.

Yesterday, I paused by the fence to say hello and he came right on over and reached out and licked my hand (the only exposed skin available).

I wonder if he remembered me?

If anyone knows his name, or who owns or cares for him, please share!