Barn Scents

I'm about to make a statement that only true horse lovers can relate to:

I LOVE the scent of the barn and everything that goes in it.

I am most acutely aware of my love when the weather changes and the barn scents change with it. On Monday, I enjoyed my first crisp Autumn morning in the barn and as I inhaled the aromas of hay, wood shavings, and horses, I was immediately taken back to my first horse lesson 17 years ago on a similarly crisp Saturday morning. It's true what they say about your sense of smell being linked to your memory. Just a whiff of the changing weather in a barn will automatically send me back to one of many horse memories I would have otherwise forgotten. Barn time is one of the few times where my mind is forced into being content with the moment and I just enjoy what I'm doing.

Forget lavender candles...give me the scent of alfalfa,

sweaty ears,

and yes, even manure anyday.