Out of the Ashes
A Horse with Demons
Brooke Taylor watched the man unload the 16 hand silver thoroughbred/andalusian cross. He was gorgeous and every bit an athlete. Even the scars on his face and body didn’t take away from his beauty, but she doubted he would fit into the school’s program. He was fighting too many demons. The shipper cursed as the animal reared and tried to strike him. It was obvious the horse was very angry. Angry horses and children didn’t mix.
“Where do you want this devil Ms. Taylor?” he asked.
“In the paddock on your right,” she answered thankful to have an empty one. Over the five years she had been the director of riding she’d received dozens of donations. Some of the unwanted ones were easily turned away, but others like this one were not.
His owner had been an old man who had donated more than ten horses to their program over the years. He ran a rescue and genuinely believed in giving animals a second chance. He had loved her program and in his death willed his entire estate to it. Fifteen horses with nowhere else to go. Most of them would fit in fine, but this particular horse would have to move on if he didn’t settle down immediately.
“He is a handful, that one,” the guy said out of breath.
“Thank you so much Henry. I am so sorry about your boss. He was a good man and an amazing horseman,” she said offering her condolences.
“He was, though I don’t understand what he saw in that one. He claimed he knew another horse like it that a trainer nobody knew believed in. Said the guy turned into a champion on the track some 15 years ago. I can’t imagine that horse could have been near as violent or nasty as this one”
“I knew that trainer,” she said softly tears filling her eyes. “Bill knew him too. I never met the horse, but Bill told me he thought the trainer was crazy. The entire industry thought the horse was going to kill somebody someday, but he went on to win the Florida Derby and the Breeders Cup. Never hurt another person and his jockey swore there would never be another horse like him.”
“Well maybe the Phoenix needs to be with that trainer because he is truly one very screwed up animal,” Henry replied.
“That’s not possible. He died three months go,” she said softly.
“Too bad because if he were my horse I would shoot him.” She watched as he climbed in the horse van and drove away. Summer break was nearly over and Brooke had a lot to do to get the program ready for her returning students. She brushed away the tears she had shed and headed to settle the other new horses into their stalls.
“Where do you want this devil Ms. Taylor?” he asked.
“In the paddock on your right,” she answered thankful to have an empty one. Over the five years she had been the director of riding she’d received dozens of donations. Some of the unwanted ones were easily turned away, but others like this one were not.
His owner had been an old man who had donated more than ten horses to their program over the years. He ran a rescue and genuinely believed in giving animals a second chance. He had loved her program and in his death willed his entire estate to it. Fifteen horses with nowhere else to go. Most of them would fit in fine, but this particular horse would have to move on if he didn’t settle down immediately.
“He is a handful, that one,” the guy said out of breath.
“Thank you so much Henry. I am so sorry about your boss. He was a good man and an amazing horseman,” she said offering her condolences.
“He was, though I don’t understand what he saw in that one. He claimed he knew another horse like it that a trainer nobody knew believed in. Said the guy turned into a champion on the track some 15 years ago. I can’t imagine that horse could have been near as violent or nasty as this one”
“I knew that trainer,” she said softly tears filling her eyes. “Bill knew him too. I never met the horse, but Bill told me he thought the trainer was crazy. The entire industry thought the horse was going to kill somebody someday, but he went on to win the Florida Derby and the Breeders Cup. Never hurt another person and his jockey swore there would never be another horse like him.”
“Well maybe the Phoenix needs to be with that trainer because he is truly one very screwed up animal,” Henry replied.
“That’s not possible. He died three months go,” she said softly.
“Too bad because if he were my horse I would shoot him.” She watched as he climbed in the horse van and drove away. Summer break was nearly over and Brooke had a lot to do to get the program ready for her returning students. She brushed away the tears she had shed and headed to settle the other new horses into their stalls.