With Thanks

I was talking to Frosty and Ace about how we want to eat more grass than we are allowed. The fluffy dog, Lady, came over to the fence and said "We all sometimes want more than we have. I would love to eat cookies all day, but when you think about it, we are lucky that we are living on a farm with good friends of all species, plenty of food, space to run and play and people who put our needs first." We had to agree that we are thankful for all of that, especially me, because I was once in a place that had none of that. So Happy Thanksgiving to all creatures great and small!

The Mistake

Today I made a mistake. Maybe the worst a horse can make. I am very possessive of my stall and don't like the other horses to get too close to it. I show them this by throwing my head out with my ears pinned back and snap, trying to bite them. They keep their distance, I can tell you! This morning Ace and Cloud went by my stall on their way to the pasture and I snapped and snapped at them. In a bit, as I was finishing my breakfast, I saw something come near my door. "They've come back!" I thought, so I rushed at the door, threw out my head and snapped hard. It wasn't Ace or Cloud. It was Mom! She fell on the floor, with her face bruised and cut.

What had I done! She got up and went to the house. In a while Dad came out. He led me to my pasture and put out my hay and went back to the house. Later, Mom came out with Mama J and worked with me on minding my manners while being led, while standing tied, and while walking out of my stall. If I got pushy I got a sharp tug on my halter to remind me I was to respect people. When I did well they petted me and told me I was a good girl. I didn't mean to hurt my Mom, but now I have bars on my stall door so I can't bite at the other horses either. It was a big mistake I made and I lost the priviledge of putting my head out of my door. It is a lesson I hope I will remember.