Animal Stories
By Rosemary - 10 Mar 2013
In Reference to: Tender Moments
It makes no matter how many times I read this beautiful story it always brings me to tears.
I am reminded of a horse that came into my uncles care, a thoroughbred of impeccable lineage, bred and born to run, but he was fearful of his own shadow, what he had in majesty and speed was diminished by his fear of the outside world.
Then one morning my uncle found the horse instead of cowering in his stall outside in the pen, his head held high his ears erect and his nostrils flaring. Something had changed in the few hours from my uncles last rounds of the stables till the dawn breaking.
My uncle thought that mayhap the horse had just settled into the surrounds and was finally going to be free of whatever it was that caused such fear.
All through the day the horse remained in the pen, he accepted being groomed and even accepted being exercised, but his eyes never truly left his stall.
When my uncle did his final check of the horse that night the horse was
sleeping a long deep peaceful sleep.
The next morning though once more the horse was back cowering in the corner
of the stall and the mystery of the day before heightened.
Something had given the horse his courage back and now that something was
missing.
Over the coming weeks the pattern repeated itself many times.
Until finally one morning my uncle found the reason for the horses courage.
A black rabbit was in the stall with her was her newly born babies.
My uncle had seen the rabbit before he knew it was not a wild rabbit but a pet rabbit that had escaped from someone’s home.
Now here the rabbit was nested into the stable with the “courageless”
horse standing guard and at the same time a look of pure joy covering all of
him.
My uncle then faced a true dilemma, the baby bunnies were clearly of mixed
bred wild rabbit and pet rabbit, if left to grow they would became a pest,
if taken away what would become of the horse who only found his heart when
the rabbit was near and now was standing guard over mother and babies.
Best solution was to ensure that mother and babies were safely housed within the stall, then as the babies grew find homes for them.
The visiting vet desexed the mother rabbit who by now was again quite
tame and very used to be hand fed so she had no need to go far.
Although the horse never really went on to racing glory, he did achieve wins
to his name, then he went to the show arenas where he excelled in dressage.
All the while his courage was waiting for him in a purpose built cage in either the horse trailer or the stables.
Both horse and rabbit were sated by love for each other, it was just
magic to watch them together.
Yours in service
Rosemary