You run like a horse...

I was chatting with a fellow church-goer one day after meetings, when he mentioned that he'd seen me running earlier in the week.  "Oh?" I was not particularly surprised, but was completely unprepared for what followed.  "You run just like a horse." 

"Thanks," I say, as I'm thinking, What! All foamy at the mouth and sweaty and gallopy? Maybe because I'm enormous with a long ponytail and my neck stretches out when I run? Whatever the reason for the comparison, it was the most unusual compliment I think I'd ever received.  

Only later did I learn that this man's business is training racehorses.  He would recognize a good trot if he saw one.  So although it seemed odd to me at the time, perhaps it was the nicest compliment I'd ever received after all. 

I learned several lessons that day: Don't be surprised by anything the farmers say.  Don't judge the value of an opinion until you understand where it's coming from.  And always take as a compliment any comparison to a horse.  Now go out and run like a horse today.