It was already dark when I got home, and as big as this Harvest Moon is, it wasn’t very high in the sky. The girls were already in the barn eating and the boys were still far away grazing, so I went out with their dinner calling them. Sterling appeared shining in the moonlight first trotting across the bridge, Harley shortly behind. Sterling greeted me in his usual lovely way and went and stood by his food bowl and waited. I got Harley all managed with his dinner and brought over Sterling’s dinner, he met me half way and we walked together back to his bowl, went through his dinner time rituals and I left him to eat.
After the girls were done and the hay ready, I went to let Harley out of the round pen where he eats and noticed Sterling standing in the shed, so I went to see why, because this was unusual. I began scratching his back and he moved forward so I was closer to his tail and he lifted it to pass gas, but it was gurgly sounding. I thought ” he does not feel well” so I went to his head and began to rub around his eyes across his cheeks and onto his ears, circling from base to tip over and over. I did this for about five minutes and his head was down by my knees. His eyes were closed but I could hear him masturbating, so I guessed he was enjoying this and wondered if he would be masterbating if he did not feel well.
After a little bit he lifted his head and looked out of the shed, thinking we were done, I went to let Harley out, usually Sterling comes over and investigates Harley’s food bowl or just visits, Sterling followed me out of the shed and instead of going in the round pen, he came right to me and put his nose on my hand and began licking and licking and licking, he licked it, for a long time. He’s 3.5 years old and has lived with me for 3 of them and he has never licked me. I had the distinct feeling it was a gesture of gratitude. My heart was moved, It was the sweetest thing.
Sterling Moments 
WOW!!