I wrote a post recently about the rebirth of a stable in Ontario, Canada,where there had been much suffering and tragic loss of life for horses. The people responsible for the abuse, the Small family, still have to appear in court. Animal and horse lovers have signed petitions to put pressure on the courts to see justice for the animals who suffered and perished. Criminal law barrister, Sid Freeman, is putting together an impact statement. In an Ontario Equestrian Facebook group she asked for some of the creation stories of horses. to add to the statement. Two wonderful stories emerged and I want to share both of them with you. It does not matter what deity, god, or higher power you believe in, the horse is a divine gift for mankind.
THE HORSE
And on the tenth day
God looked down
At what he created
And said
‘Man will need an animal
To work alongside him.’
So God created the horse.
God said
‘I need an animal
That will be willing to work
At the hands of the master
Starting at the crack of dawn
All day
In the hot and cold
Rain and Snow
All through the night
And all day
Everyday.’
So God made the horse
God knew he needed an animal
That could carry and drag
And push and pull
Run and jump
And do all the things
He needed to do
Only for food and water
And sometimes barely that
So God made the horse
God made man
Less than perfect
So he needed an animal
That would accept that
He would be worked hard
Beaten, whipped, chained
Tied, starved and neglected
And at the end of the day
Used up and left to die
So God made the horse
And in the end
When his time is up
When that man walks his pastures
For the last time
He will see that soft eye
That warm body
A gentle touch
And as he looks up at the sky
With a tear down his face
He will think to himself
‘Thank you, God…
…for making the horse.’
~ Sonny Garguilo
Here is the second creation story taken from Eventing Nation.
After making the little girl, God said:
“You’ll need something to lean on. Something with substance that will teach you the value of hard work, perseverance, and to never give up. A thing that won’t cast judgment when you mess up in life. Because you will often, it’s just part of growing up and becoming a decent human.
“You’ll need something whose impressive physical presence must be respected at all times. A being who could break your bones in a whisper but will never break your heart. A creature who will be there for you when you cry for hours after someone you love lets you down. An unspeaking breathing being that will teach you to check all the noise in your head and completely listen to what he is saying.
“Sometimes in life you need to let go and just hang on. I call this trust. The terrifying ability to follow something blindly out of the conviction of only your heart. It will keep you centered and restore your faith when life happens. When you realize that you are forgettable to the world you won’t be to this creature.
“Something that will keep you truly humbled yet teach you how to fly!
“You need to understand the painful reality of death. Sometimes it’s ok to let go. That kindness will always be rewarded before the use of force. And that courage means trusting him to get you safely to the other side.
“Something to get you out of bed in the trying times. When you feel like you have nothing he will remind you that you are still wanted. Something to give you perspective about what’s really important in life.
“You’ll need a best friend. Do not take this relationship lightly. It just might save your life someday when you see no out. Treasure it always I’m trusting it to you to take care of for a reason.
“A creature who will restore your faith about all of the goodness in the world even when you are so broken down that you cast Me aside.
“In turn with time and healing he will bring you back to Me. Know that your struggle won’t be made alone, and don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
So I will make a horse.”
All the photos in this post have been taken by me apart from the first one which is from the Brooke. This is a charitable organization that helps working equines and their owners. Here is the Brooke’s statement about their work. “We reach over two million working horses, donkeys and mules across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Our staff include vets, animal welfare experts, and advocacy and development specialists.” As opposed to the Small family the Brooke works to alleviate the suffering of horses.
Here in Ontario we will demand that the Smalls, who allowed the horses in their care to suffer and to perish, are brought to justice! Fellow bloggers from the USA,Canada, England, Scotland, Australia and India ,who read my first post about the abuse, have expressed concern about what happened. I promise to update once the Smalls have had their day in court which is now scheduled for the end of October.
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