“Paw-paw, I’ve got a horse!”

My 15-year-old granddaughter, Kallie Rose, bubbled withexcitement as she shared her latest joy. Yes, as a grandfather andan animal lover, too, I smiled with approval.

“His name is Rebel. He’s chestnut colored. He’s realgentle.”

Obviously, Kallie Rose loves animals. She has two parakeets andbreeds miniature poodles for a hobby/biology project. She alsoworks part-time for Gulfport-based veterinarian Dr. JeffPeterman.

“Could you keep Rebel for me, Paw-paw?”

There seems to be no greater, earthly love than what agrandparent has for a grandchild. Keep a horse?

A new level of love was going to take shape.

My love affair with horses goes way back to my grandparents’farm in Wisconsin. It continued as a young, 4-year-old childgrowing up in Houston, Texas. My favorite treat was going to a ponyride on Friday nights.

I wore cowboy boots, a cowboy shirt and blue jeans, plus aleather holster and a six-shooter. Cowboys were my heroes, startingwith Roy Rogers. The little horses at the arena were miniatureTriggers to me.

The handler would help me climb onto the saddle. There were noreins, just a saddle horn to grip for security. Riding the sturdysteed around the circular track, I would smile, drink in the dampevening air and dream of the last roundup on the lone prairie.

Spurs weren’t required. The little horses would respond to thehandlers’ slap on their rumps. We would bounce along for severalbone-rattling yards before slowing down to a pleasant gait.

Back to reality, Kallie Rose informed me that the horse, Rebel,would be arriving on our property in a few weeks. Rebel was aneglected trail ride horse, another victim of Hurricane Katrina’seconomic wrath on the Gulf Coast.

First of all, my wife Laurie and I had to build a fence around aproposed pasture. This project began in early April. After twoweeks of vacation, plus countless, sweat-soaked hours, the fencepost holes had been dug, posts implanted, trees cut, wire strungand boards hammered into place.

It’s amazing how simple outdoor labor can make your musclesache. We didn’t have to wait until the next morning for the pain tobegin. That’s also known as the aging process.

At last, Rebel’s new home was ready for occupancy.

Rebel, a 14-year-old gelding, got to know me sooner thanexpected. I was placed in charge of administering a daily wormtreatment for 6 straight days. No matter how carefully I tried toconceal the large, plastic syringe, Rebel could see and smell themedication.

To say the least, he was a patient patient. After prying openhis lips, the medication would be squirted in the corner of hismouth.

What did it taste like?

Rebel would react by curling back his lips, shaking his head andgiving a snort. He had my sympathy.

The feeding routine also was a new experience. Horses have smallstomachs, so they should be fed at least twice a day.

Did John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry have to feed theirhorses? Didn’t they have an assistant or a sidekick to handle thisresponsibility?

Fortunately, I was accustomed to feeding my yellow lab, Benton,before leaving for work each morning. Setting the alarm clock 10minutes earlier wasn’t much of a (yawn) problem.

Horses prefer grain or vitamin enriched pellets. It usuallycomes in 50-pound bags. The good stuff sells for a minimum of $5per bag.

According to the vet, horses need fiber, a.k.a. hay and grass.This is a lean time of the year if you are looking for hay. Mostfarmers won’t harvest their first crop of hay until early nextmonth.

We are still learning the negatives and positives of the haybusiness. Horses prefer fresh hay, less than a year old. Cows, bycontrast, have four stomachs, and can chew contentedly 24/7 on oldhay.

I soon learned that horses have sensitive skin. They are muchmore susceptible to cuts, scrapes and insect bites than cattle.That explains why horses and cattle are blessed with long tailswhich they use to swat the buzzing, biting insects.

Certainly, God had a plan when he put tails on livestock.

God also had a plan when he gave grandparents the joy andprivilege of helping out their grandchildren.

Write to sports editor Tom Goetz, c/o The DAILY LEADER, P.O.BOX 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602 or e-mailsports@dailyleader.com