A Horse's Story

Chapter 10

So I was again sold on, hopefully to a better place this time...

But when I was unloaded, I could see that this place was no better than the last, with only one field for 20 horses, it was very cramped, and was full of poo. The other horses looked badly neglected, and broken. They hung their heads, not bothering to look up. The water in some old buckets was slightly green, and there wasn't a good patch of grass in sight, only mud and poo.

I was the owners daughter's horse, and she was a demanding, bratty child. Each day she'd expect me to jump, and gallop like I used to. I tried my hardest, but with little food, and poor water, that was very hard. So if I didn't jump as high as she liked, or galloped as fast as she wanted, I would be whipped. Needless to say, I have another permanent scar, this one going across my flank.

I spent 2 years at this place, so I was 15, and was going out for a hack, when she turned me towards a massive log. She started whipping me, and then galloped me to the log, which I cleared. We had jumped it five times, and she was going for a sixth, when a squirrel ran out infront of me! I reared up, as high as I could, throwing her out of the saddle. She screamed at me, and started running towards me, her whip held high, so I turned and ran away.

I ran along the street, I ran along the beach, I ran along the showgroungs, and I ran along the fields, until I ran into a forest. My saddle had slowly come undone by then, so I rubbed myself against a tree and it fell off, as did my bridle. I lay down against a tree, and tried to get some sleep.