I think maybe that’s part of it. I really lost him six months ago when I got the diagnosis. For most of that time he didn’t want to do anything with me. He was never a horse that enjoyed a lot of touch although he liked to hang out with people, and it got worse this year. There were a lot of days he didn’t leave his paddock. My communication with my horses includes a lot of little love touches and I didn’t get the grooming, hand walking, and hand grazing contact that I’d hoped for.
It’s not a socially imposed thing. I miss him, and just realized I’ve been missing him for a long time.