Ruminating on horses

Are horses ruminants?

At the moment I am horse-free, having sold my gorgeous arab Rocco (see me and the mad arab in pic) in the autumn after nearly four mostly happy years. This is in many ways a blessing - in fact let's count them:

1. It's been a sh*tty winter and I haven't had to wallow about in the mud and dark, scrape mud off horse, pick poo out of 6 inch snow drifts etc etc etc (etc etc etc)

2. It saves a LOT of money not having a horse. Especially a Rocco who seems to cost more money than most (I'm still paying off his last vet bill). This is especially helpful when one has just been made redundant.

3. It saves a lot of NHS time and taxpayers money (yes, horse riding really is more dangerous than ecstasy, well it is when I do it anyway).

4. I'm actually quite scared of riding (see number 3), so getting on my horse was stomach-clenchingly stressful for me at times. Falling off was quite a relief in a "see, knew that would happen" kind of way.

The problem is, having owned a horse or three for the last seven years, and ridden since I was fetlock high, not having direct access to one is rather like not having access to a handy loo. I'm getting this overpowering urge, but nowhere to relieve it, and it's starting to hurt. I know the last couple of years have challenged my confidence (and the occasional orthopaedic surgeon) but I still remember the happy days of tearing around the countryside with wild abandon and zero control and loving it.

So, when it comes to horses, a warning to my nearest and dearest - like with the job, I think I am "resting" rather than giving up.....