Staring Destiny in the Face
Staring Destiny in the Face
Staring Destiny in the Face
In the small barn where I boarded my horse, I stood, looking wistfully at Champ's brown face hanging out from the stall window. "Dad," I said, "It's so hard to say goodbye to that face." But I knew there was no other choice, and that this was what he would want. Not to be put down, for that was too hard for me. Champ was to be sent off to Southern California where he would spend the rest of his life in a safe, secure and grass-covered retirement pasture. That thought comforted me greatly, and a smile formed on my face at how happy my little quarter horse would finally be in just a few days.
As my dad and I stood there, I remembered when I first realized what Champ's fate was. Our ride that day had gone well, despite the fact that all he could do without injuring himself further was walk. I was fine with that; as long as I was with my favorite horse in the world. Champ and I had come to trust each other extremely well, and our bond was very tight. After I rode, my bottom still sore from sitting on his bare back, I led him in his stall and, while unclipping the heavy bridle, something just seemed to click inside my head- that I could not do much for him anymore. Boarding him at a ranch was costly. I couldn't barrel race on him like I had dreamt. My heart sunk at the thought, but I had to let him go.
It didn't occur to me how long we had been standing there for. Minutes? Hours? It felt short, but now, whenever the memory returns, that moment seemed to pause in time.
My teeth grated in anger. It shouldn't have had to end up this way. If people weren't so cruel- treating animals like toys and dragging horses by ropes at stupid, pointless rodeos- then my friend would be happy and freely running with other horses across hilly pastures.
"Shall we go?" my dad asked.
I sighed. No matter how long I stayed, Champ's fate would always stay the same.
"Yes."
Rodeos, horse-racing, unprofessional shoeing, neglecting; those and countless other things destroy our most powerful and precious creatures. I think horses today would rather run free, instead of living under captivity with the company of humans. However, these modern times- taken over by streets, tall buildings, houses, and cars-leave no room for the wild. Is it too late to change that? Or at least make things better, so that horses can run free without the trouble of being run over by a car, or some angry business man chasing them away?
I still wonder about that to this day.
In the small barn where I boarded my horse, I stood, looking wistfully at Champ's brown face hanging out from the stall window. "Dad," I said, "It's so hard to say goodbye to that face." But I knew there was no other choice, and that this was what he would want. Not to be put down, for that was too hard for me. Champ was to be sent off to Southern California where he would spend the rest of his life in a safe, secure and grass-covered retirement pasture. That thought comforted me greatly, and a smile formed on my face at how happy my little quarter horse would finally be in just a few days.
As my dad and I stood there, I remembered when I first realized what Champ's fate was. Our ride that day had gone well, despite the fact that all he could do without injuring himself further was walk. I was fine with that; as long as I was with my favorite horse in the world. Champ and I had come to trust each other extremely well, and our bond was very tight. After I rode, my bottom still sore from sitting on his bare back, I led him in his stall and, while unclipping the heavy bridle, something just seemed to click inside my head- that I could not do much for him anymore. Boarding him at a ranch was costly. I couldn't barrel race on him like I had dreamt. My heart sunk at the thought, but I had to let him go.
It didn't occur to me how long we had been standing there for. Minutes? Hours? It felt short, but now, whenever the memory returns, that moment seemed to pause in time.
My teeth grated in anger. It shouldn't have had to end up this way. If people weren't so cruel- treating animals like toys and dragging horses by ropes at stupid, pointless rodeos- then my friend would be happy and freely running with other horses across hilly pastures.
"Shall we go?" my dad asked.
I sighed. No matter how long I stayed, Champ's fate would always stay the same.
"Yes."
Rodeos, horse-racing, unprofessional shoeing, neglecting; those and countless other things destroy our most powerful and precious creatures. I think horses today would rather run free, instead of living under captivity with the company of humans. However, these modern times- taken over by streets, tall buildings, houses, and cars-leave no room for the wild. Is it too late to change that? Or at least make things better, so that horses can run free without the trouble of being run over by a car, or some angry business man chasing them away?
I still wonder about that to this day.