to fuel my jets for another ten years.
Finally, she asked if she could ride him.
With full understanding of his history, I acknowledged that she was a very small, very special girl. Leading him around at a walk, with her on his back, would certainly do them both some good.
With great care, I lifted Angelica up onto his back. Aftera few simple instructions, we were off. I led Promise as she “steered.” We had just made one full lap of the round pen when Angelica began to gasp for breath. With one hand pressed to her chest, she looked at me and mouthed, “I’m done.”
I looked back to see that the faint “bluishness” around her lips was now taking over her whole face. Immediately I dropped the lead rope and scooped her off his back. As I carried her out of the round pen, I asked, “Angelica, what do you need?” Her response was a weak, “I need to lie down.”
I handed her off to Karen, who was nearly as white as Angelica, and quickly dragged a picnic table over into the shade. Together, Karen and I helped her lie down on the heavy wooden bench.
I sat with Angelica as she continued to gasp. In dismay, I watched as her whole body slowly turned white.
Karen rushed to her car and pounded out a “911” to Angelica’s mother on her cell phone. While Karen spoke to the girl’s mother in the distance, I wondered,
Lord, is this it? Is this precious little Angelica now going home?
Kneeling beside her in the grass, I threaded my fingers between hers and quietly held her hand.
Slowly, seemingly everything in the world silently returned to normal. Karen came back with news from Angelica’s mother that some days are better than others and occasionally, when her daughter is excited or tired, this happens.
As Angelica stabilized, I left Karen with her for a moment to retrieve some juice and snacks from our home. Angelica was still curled into a fetal position on the bench when I returned. She was beginning to brighten a bit, but remained lying on her side. After settling the snacks on the table above her head, I went into the round pen to rescue Promise, who was standing at the gate looking for his friend.
His presence had brightened her before … perhaps he could do it again. I led my little blond boy over onto the grass near Angelica and dropped his rope.
Although he was free to graze, wander, or do whatever young horses wish to do … he chose to stand fast. Instead of satisfying his own instinctive needs by grazing, his intentions were fixed only on Angelica. Repeating what he had just done in the round pen, he took slow and deliberate steps toward the recovering girl.
As if not to wake her, he stretched his golden neck to its full length and with the speed of a setting sun, slowly lowered his chin until it rested on her temple. Because he was above her, she did not see his approach and she did, indeed, startle.
“Oh! It’s you,” she said, when she realized who was touching her. Then, she completely relaxed beneath the contact of his muzzle.
Once again, I stood in complete amazement of the simple awareness of a young horse to a young girl. All horse owners know that all horses graze all the time. That’s what horses do … all but
this
horse. He seemed to understand, and chose instead to stand guard over a very sick child who needed him more than he needed to fill his belly with grass.
Before me stood a young recovering horse standing guard over a young recovering girl. It seemed as if our roles had now reversed. Now it was I who could only watch in pure, astonished wonder while thinking,
Did you
teach
him to do that?
No … he did it because he wanted to. He must really like her a lot!
It was now my turn to stand in near slack-jawed amazement as this glorious wonder found its way into my heart.
A special call came in mid-November. It was Brenda, a dear friend. As a parent, I have told her that she ranks in my book as a superstar. Yet, in typical Bren fashion, she only rolls her eyes and
Finally, she asked if she could ride him.
With full understanding of his history, I acknowledged that she was a very small, very special girl. Leading him around at a walk, with her on his back, would certainly do them both some good.
With great care, I lifted Angelica up onto his back. Aftera few simple instructions, we were off. I led Promise as she “steered.” We had just made one full lap of the round pen when Angelica began to gasp for breath. With one hand pressed to her chest, she looked at me and mouthed, “I’m done.”
I looked back to see that the faint “bluishness” around her lips was now taking over her whole face. Immediately I dropped the lead rope and scooped her off his back. As I carried her out of the round pen, I asked, “Angelica, what do you need?” Her response was a weak, “I need to lie down.”
I handed her off to Karen, who was nearly as white as Angelica, and quickly dragged a picnic table over into the shade. Together, Karen and I helped her lie down on the heavy wooden bench.
I sat with Angelica as she continued to gasp. In dismay, I watched as her whole body slowly turned white.
Karen rushed to her car and pounded out a “911” to Angelica’s mother on her cell phone. While Karen spoke to the girl’s mother in the distance, I wondered,
Lord, is this it? Is this precious little Angelica now going home?
Kneeling beside her in the grass, I threaded my fingers between hers and quietly held her hand.
Slowly, seemingly everything in the world silently returned to normal. Karen came back with news from Angelica’s mother that some days are better than others and occasionally, when her daughter is excited or tired, this happens.
As Angelica stabilized, I left Karen with her for a moment to retrieve some juice and snacks from our home. Angelica was still curled into a fetal position on the bench when I returned. She was beginning to brighten a bit, but remained lying on her side. After settling the snacks on the table above her head, I went into the round pen to rescue Promise, who was standing at the gate looking for his friend.
His presence had brightened her before … perhaps he could do it again. I led my little blond boy over onto the grass near Angelica and dropped his rope.
Although he was free to graze, wander, or do whatever young horses wish to do … he chose to stand fast. Instead of satisfying his own instinctive needs by grazing, his intentions were fixed only on Angelica. Repeating what he had just done in the round pen, he took slow and deliberate steps toward the recovering girl.
As if not to wake her, he stretched his golden neck to its full length and with the speed of a setting sun, slowly lowered his chin until it rested on her temple. Because he was above her, she did not see his approach and she did, indeed, startle.
“Oh! It’s you,” she said, when she realized who was touching her. Then, she completely relaxed beneath the contact of his muzzle.
Once again, I stood in complete amazement of the simple awareness of a young horse to a young girl. All horse owners know that all horses graze all the time. That’s what horses do … all but
this
horse. He seemed to understand, and chose instead to stand guard over a very sick child who needed him more than he needed to fill his belly with grass.
Before me stood a young recovering horse standing guard over a young recovering girl. It seemed as if our roles had now reversed. Now it was I who could only watch in pure, astonished wonder while thinking,
Did you
teach
him to do that?
No … he did it because he wanted to. He must really like her a lot!
It was now my turn to stand in near slack-jawed amazement as this glorious wonder found its way into my heart.
A special call came in mid-November. It was Brenda, a dear friend. As a parent, I have told her that she ranks in my book as a superstar. Yet, in typical Bren fashion, she only rolls her eyes and
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