10/13/2026
~The Olaf Flake~
Our little gelding Olaf lost a battle to colic early last year, and I still think of him every time I go to the pasture.
The little Icelandic with the big personality would stand back away from the herd. He was a real loner when it came to other horses, but never shy or distant with people.
He would patiently wait as I threw the hay for everyone over the fence. The overly exuberant mare, the gelding who bossed him around, the older horses who needed more hay than most, and then, after almost all of it was distributed, I would walk down the line and throw what lovingly became known on our farm as the Olaf flake.
Away from the others, in his own little spot. Individual, and incredibly special.
When we lost Olaf, I had some worries that he would slowly fade from our everyday lives. After all, our routines can sometimes change when a member of the herd is no longer there. We stop looking for them in their usual spots. The turnout order is upset, and theres one less halter or bucket to carry out to the pasture each day. We stop expecting to see their faces waiting for us. And eventually, the everyday moments that once included them become something we merely remember instead of something we live.
But every morning, when feeding time comes around, I still throw the Olaf flake.
I don't know who eats it. I never stay to watch. And sometimes, I admit I tear up when I do it.
In my mind, I still feed my little guy in his special spot.
It's such a small thing, really. Just a flake of hay. But somehow, it means so much more than that to my heart.
I think sometimes we worry that when our horses leave us, we'll lose all those little pieces of them, too. But maybe we don't have to. Maybe they stay with us in the routines we keep, the stories we tell, and the little things we continue to do because they mattered.
I still throw the Olaf flake. And in that small way, I let my little guy know he still has his place here. ❤️
