Boots crunch in the leaves signaling the start of a new day’s work. Maria is the owner of the New Day Ranch, a sanctuary for horses of all kinds. She wakes up every morning at the crack of dawn to tend to the dozen horses that reside at the Ranch.
It is almost winter and she wanted the horses to enjoy the time they had outside before it would snow. Maria opened up the stables to let the horses out into the pasture accompanied by her two dogs Max and Twilly. She pulled them by the bridle, two at a time until the six that slept inside were freed into the fenced in fields. Max and Twilly ran out with them barking as they chased each other through the leaves.
Maria idly walked along the wooden fence until something odd caught her eye. At first she though a whole section of fence was missing towards the far end but she knew that that couldn’t be the case. Mildly concerned she walked up to the gap and saw that one of the boards had been kicked over. She picked it up, the wood soaking wet. Maria put the board back into place when she realized there was blood on it; her hands were covered in it. Afraid she looked around for her horses. In the fields there were two stallions, six mares, a colt, and two foals. After making a head count she realized one of her mares is missing, a Cleveland Bay named Aida.
She climbed over the fixed fence and ran by the tree line, hoping Aida didn’t stray too far. Not having any luck she whistled for her dogs to come along and the two collies came running. With her dogs she traveled into the woods, Twilly walking farther ahead her paws making perfect impressions in the mud. It was easy for them to run through the mud and leap over roots and branches but for Maria it was a struggle. After several min...
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...move forward. The mare’s ears lay back against her head and she roared with aggression and fear as she tried to kick her way out. Chris stroked her neck to try and calm her down.
Trying again Maria pulled on the rope and Chris tried to motivate her to climb out. He managed to dig out both her back legs seeing a large scrape that she received from hopping the fence. “Come on girl.” Chris coached and the mare, with a burst of energy, kicked her way free. The dogs barked and Maria did her best to hoist the two up from the muck. They were both relieved to finally free Aida. Chris gave the mare a carrot and helped Maria wipe the mud off of her. After wards Maria tossed a blanket on the horse’s back and walked her home.
The two walked her to the stables, cleaned her up, and mended the cut on her leg, the frightened mare now warm and safe from her horrifying ordeal.
She then moves on to describe each of the characters, and in doing so, their surroundings and how they fit in: "He was cold and wet, and the best part of the day had been used up anyway. He wiped his hands on the grass and let the pinto horse take him toward home. There was little enough comfort there. The house crouched dumb and blind on the high bench in the rain. Jack's horse stood droop-necked and dismal inside the strand of rope fence, but there wasn't any smoke coming from the damned stove (28)."
The Mother is among a family of four who lives on a small farm and takes immense pride in what interests her, however her passion does not particularly lie in her two children; James and David; nor in her husband and their interests; but instead lies within her chickens. Though chickens bring the most joy to the Mother, they are not the sole animals that live on the farm. The animal that draws the most interest from the father, James and David is their horse, Scott. At a young age, Scott was used as a working mule for the family and grew up alongside the Father and two Sons. To the father, Scott was like one of his own sons, and to James and David, Scott was like their brother; but according to the Mother, “He’s been worthless these last few years”(Macleod, 267). Ever since Scott was young, he was a burden on the Mother’s lifestyle; she never took a liking to the horse even when he served as a source of profit for the family. The Mother had never appreciated the sentimental value that Scott possessed because he had never been a particular interest to her. Once Scott had aged and was no longer able...
Ovidiu found a horse that had been tied up. He did not know who owned the horse. He also did not know how long the horse had been tied up. However, Ovidiu knew that he had to free the horse. He called on Four Paws International for help. They gave the horse a tranquilizer and cut the chains from the horse.
“A horse can do anything you train it to do”, my dad used to say; indeed, it’s true. I had been training racing horses for a while now, but this horse and this race was something different. My horse suffered from a small ankle injury and was due to race in 3 weeks. To prepare him for this race, I took him to the vet to get checked, I fed and trained him every day and finally the day of the race, I put all my trust in him and waited for the outcome.
The first thing she worried about after she woke up in the hospital was being able to ride again. She had taken riding lessons since she was three. Her dad bought her a Palomino barrel horse when they moved to Utah. She started competing in rodeos when she was seven. Her mom got her into pole bending, barrel racing, and breakaway roping. She did the best in barrel racing. That was her favorite event. She thought that after the accident she would be able to get back on her horses just like she used to. But it wasn’t the same. Her balance was very bad and she could barely stay on. She got so upset that she couldn’t ride anymore that she told her mom to go sell the horses and that she would never see them again. She would not go near them. Then one day she got a phone call for an interview. They asked her to sit on her horse and for them to take a picture for the interview. She decided to give it one more try and her balance was better than it was before. They started working with her some more and they figured out a way for her to ride again. They put straps on her saddle so her legs wouldn't fly everywhere and they also put a seatbelt on her saddle so she would stay in. They also taught the horses to listen to her voice and not her
“Farmers restrict the amount of water given to the mares because the water dilutes the concentration of their urine, making it less profitable.” (Carmody). The farmers become strict when watering the mares, the most in a day they are allowed to be watered is two times. The mares were fed hay or straw, which provided nutrients, but also provided a measure of boredom relief. Mares were also fed grain or pellets. Once the mares reach their third or fourth month of pregnancy is when they are placed alone, fitted with a short rope or chain, harness, and a urine collection bag which crucially scrapes their legs, causing sores. The mares are described to be showing frustration, constantly pawing at the ground, kicking, or chewing the wooden partitions. The mares were miserable, due to their confinement and their advanced stage of pregnancy. When investigating the horses living quarters and checking on their harnesses and ropes, some horses would stand there, unbothered and quiet, while others would dance and get nervous when someone walked into their space. The odor in their barn was described to be horrendous, it was not the pleasant horsy smell everyone knows of, instead it was a sort of musky smell that permeated the air and held fast to everything it encountered. When the mares are placed in their concrete stalls, they do not get any form of protection from
Starting back from the time I was only four years old, I have endured many moments with horses that led to my decision to become an equine veterinarian. From caring for my pregnant Palomino horse after she was attacked by my American Bulldog, to having to euthanize my Appaloosa horse, witnessing multiple equine colic incidents, and having a Quarter horse with navicular disease. Even at the age of ten years old, I was waking up on my own at 5:30 AM just to feed my horses. After trekking all the way to the barn in the extreme cold and six inches of snow, I was happily greeted by Cody, my Appaloosa. In that one moment, the early morning responsibilities and freezing temperatures faded away, and were replaced with a refueled passion for veterinarian medicine.
“ But somebody must go’ Tess replied. ‘It is late for the hives already. Swarming will soon be over for the year….” (Hardy 31). Tess decides to take charge for the family and she goes with her brother Abraham. “ I think I could go if Abraham could with me to kip company. “ (Hardy 31). On their journey the horse dies “ The pointed shaft of the cart had entered the breast of the unhappy Prince like a sword, and from the wound in his life’s blood was spouting in a stream, and falling with a hiss into the road.”(Hardy 35). The reason for the horse dying was from misleading the carriage and Tess and her brother falling asleep.” Tess awakes from the sleep into which she, too, had fallen.” (Hardy 35). The death of their white horse symbolizes and foreshadows further negative events that Tess will go through with white horses being
...-discovery which can help readers to have a better understanding of our purposes in life, along with a better understanding of ourselves. Harjo’s use of her culture and her feminist views ultimately leads to a better understanding of the horses in her life. Although the horses are different and contradict themselves, in the end the speaker loves the horses in her life all the same. Considering that every line in the stanzas begins with,“She had horses . . . ,” reinforces the speaker’s Native American identity, which Harjo wanted to continuously incorporate in her poem. Effectively labeling the horses as both loved and hated, the dichotomy between her emotions and experiences, and her reason for attempting to reconcile them, becomes clear. The speaker's life is made up of the various "horses" in her life and by uniting them, a whole sense of self can be accomplished.
Sliding the barn doors open, I step into a warm, comforting environment. Musty straw mingles with the sharp aroma of pine shavings, complementing each other. A warm glow from sporadically placed incandescent lightbulbs richens the leather tack, all cleaned and hanging ready for the day's use. From it wafts the smell of a new pair of shoes. The fruity essence of "Show Sheen", applied after yesterday's baths, still lingers in the air. Even the harsh stinging scent of urine and manure is welcome at this early morning hour. Breaking open a bale of hay, I sense the sweetness of the dried timothy as it engulfs my olfactory system, making me wish my queasy stomach had not made me skip breakfast. I am nervous, as are many others. I know that the day ahead will bring excitement, dread, triumph, and defeat. The unpredictable nature of horse shows causes frenzied questions, like salmon spawning, to run constantly though my mind. Will the judge like my own particular style? What if the red flowers bordering the first jump spook my horse? What if a piece of paper on the ground blows into the ring? Will this horse show be a success? The outcome depends not just on me; but a...
Michael was nervous beyond belief. He was about to try to ride one of the fastest animals on Earth. The noble horse. His dying mother’s last wish had been for him to be able to ride horses. His now widowed father had looked for the best riding academy in the United States of America. And here he was, in one of America’s best riding schools, renowned in all degrees, according to his dad’s iPad reviews list. His dad wasn’t very interested in Michael however. All he cared about was his work. But he was interested in his wife’s last wish. He even insisted on driving Michael to every one of his lessons in his Honda.
Gelfred cut the creature’s head and tied it to the back of his horse. “Let’s go,” he said.
I couldn’t contain my excitement, I was literally having a “sugar rush.” I walked into the garage to get some items prepared for tomorrow. This was my first ever FFA (Future Farmers of America) livestock show and I was prepared. I looked at my precious male rabbit Scar, and boy he was a beauty. I admired him for a little while, until I noticed, and huge scar under his chin and on his stomach. I rubbed my eyes, to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. This was real. I wondered how he could’ve gotten so beat up before the show. I let out a huge groan, as I started to solve this problem. My whole family stepped outside to see what I was complaining about now. I told them to look at Scar, and they saw the terrible bruises. My sister suggested that I should’ve separated the males from the females, since this was the time of year their hormones start going loco. I slapped my face, and sighed, there was no possible way this could be fixed. My mom suggested I put vaseline on his cuts, and my dad told me to separate the males. I didn’t know that rabbit fur was at least ten dollars on the market, the judge was definitely going to notice. We all finished caring for Scar, as we put Scratcher in another cage, we all shared a quick laugh. Then, my mom started scolding me for not closing the cage door. We all just watched the rabbits, as I hoped for a win tomorrow, and I just knew they were going to be there for support, since it was my first time ever being in
Even though the girl thought that she would be in trouble for letting the horse out she did not regret it, even though she wasn’t sure why she had done it. After everyone arrived back home they had dinner. Laird was excited and showed off the blood that he had on his arm from the horse. During dinner Laird told everyone how she had let the horse out of the gate. She began crying and her father said, “Never mind, she’s only a girl.” Finally she didn’t protest it and thought that maybe it was true.