
Well, Tao- with human friends we all have different stuff we do together too. I enjoy just being around my horses too. I love to ride, but my favorite thing is just to groom my horses, and pet them, and feel their breath on me and lay my head on their neck. My second favorite is probably just hanging out in the pasture or paddock with them. Kind of "being a horse" with them. They are excellent companions. My gelding particularly loves going for walks or jogs, like a dog- on his lead. Actually, provided there is nothing intensely exciting going on, he doesn't even need a lead. He just likes to walk around with me. I've had him the longest (8 years) and we play games together as horses do together, too (though he knows to be gentle, since I'm a weakling LOL). I'll run and he'll run beside me, like we're a little herd of two. And then I'll start being all crazy and jumping around and turning quickly and he gets all crazy and spins and bucks and does little rears. LOL And then we'll take a break and I'll scratch his back like horses do for each other. He has a lot of tricks he's come up with on his own to surprise people, too. It's very funny to see what he comes up with, and he seems to retain the antics that make people laugh and do them over and over. Whenever I am depressed or upset with life, I can cry on his lovely shoulder and he'll pull out some silly antic to make me laugh. He'll do it over and over until I am laughing and feel much better.
I always figure that one day, my body may not let me ride. But I'd still have horses... I can't give up that connection. It's one of the biggest things that gives me joy.
They're incredibly intelligent creatures in a way that is totally different from human intelligence, and they have a power and grace that humans simply can't aspire to. The most graceful human athletes just can't approach even your run-of-the-mill horses. Horses are living art.