A Horse’s Plea

I wrote this poem and drew the horse alongside it several years ago. They express something that still guides my life with horses: patience, kindness, and respect for the animal whose trust we ask for.

We bring horses into a world arranged largely around our purposes. We ask them to understand our signals, accept unfamiliar things, and find confidence in our company. It is worth remembering how much we are asking, and how much our patience matters.

"A Horse's Plea"

I am a prey animal living in a predator's world.

Be patient with me for I may not understand your intentions.

Be kind to me because you are of superior intellect.

Respect me for I have greater beauty and strength.

And, take care of me, for when I forfeited my freedom,

I gave you my wings.

Poem and line drawing by Patricia Mayer