I had these two solid, hard plastic horses growing up. I have no idea who I got them from. They looked like real horses, not Barbie horses. One was a mama horse, and one was a foal. I never played with them. I don't remember liking them very much. But I had them on display on my shelves because I had got them from someone. Thinking about them now, they were way cooler than my other cheap ones. I wish I had appreciated them more when I was younger. A few years ago I sold them at a garage sale to a little girl. I was so happy she liked them and I knew she would play with them. And even though I had never played with them and didn't particularly like them as a kid, there was a large part of me that was sad as I watched her carry them away.
One of the great things about the streets in Portland is the occasional metal ring in the curb of the sidewalk. When I first moved here I had no idea what those were for. And then I saw a toy horse tied up to one once. How cool, I thought. Turns out that that is exactly what they were used for. People used them to tie their horses up outside stores while they went in to shop. There are even some on residential streets. They aren't everywhere any more. As curbs have been replaced by the city, I do not believe that they include the metal rings again. I feel like finding one is like finding a treat. A nice way to remember history. Some of the rings are still in pretty good condition and some look fairly mangled and deformed. And every once in awhile you see one with a horse tethered to it. These are the best rings of all to see. I wish I had one outside the front of my house. I would definitely find a horse to tie up there.
I am thankful for the toy horses tied to rings outside stores or houses around Portland.
kk
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