C.W. Post Campus | Public Relations

Horse Sense: English Professor Gives Special Care to Pony at C.W. Post

In honor of the big race at Belmont Park this weekend, we thought we would tell you a little about a special member of the C.W. Post Campus community of the equine variety.

One of the Campus' more enduring residents, Snowball is a pony who lives at the North Shore Equestrian Center, which is located on the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. A bit of a curmudgeon, Snowball doesn't get along too well with other horses so he is by himself a lot.

Although Snowball doesn't care for company much, he does have one favorite person on Campus -- Dr. Joan Digby, director of the Honors Program and professor of English at C.W. Post.

"He's a bit of a grouch, but the truth is he really is a good soul," Dr. Digby laughed. "Snowball is quite a character." Several times a week Dr. Digby takes Snowball for a walk and treats him to carrots, which tend to put him in a good mood. Snowy also gets special attention from Jenny, one of the riding instructors.

Dr. Digby enjoys Snowball's company so much, she's written a poem about him.

Posted: June 6, 2008

WATCHING SNOWBALL GRAZE
By Joan Digby

Watching Snowball graze,
I catch the lazy rhythm
of his rumination.
Stepping through the field
he buries his soft nose in grass
tasting the menu of an August morning.

Dew still hovers on the clover,
most succulent of flowers in the field.
I think of landscape gardeners
with their "Weed-Be-Gone,"
poisoners of a horse's richest fare.
They know nothing-he everything
about this pastoral land.

Tethered to his halter
I wander as his pupil,
learning to avoid the bitter plantain,
leave the blue cornflowers to adorn the fence
and bees to drink the roses.

Watching Snowball graze,
I catch the lazy rhythm
of sunlight spreading on the meadow,
feeling no urgency to leave this place
where the swishing of his long melodic tale
sings promise of a radiant day.

Long Island University

C.W. Post Campus