Chapter One: Poco and the Friend Who Came Calling
Poco was young, cold, and alone. Sure, he had the dog for company, but there were no other horses nearby.
She came on a snowy morning and introduced herself. Poco was wary as she haltered him and asked him to walk and trot. Beyond that, her gestures seemed foreign. She gave him a pat, removed the halter, and left after about half an hour.
Then the loneliness returned.
A couple of weeks later, she returned with a trailer. Poco stepped inside, wondering whether something better might be waiting when the doors opened again.
Within an hour, he arrived at a large farm filled with about thirty horses and many different owners. His huge stall sat at the end of an aisle near the feed room, a premium spot that earned him a few extra treats from the other horses’ owners.
His loneliness was over, but a new challenge had begun: finding his place in a herd whose members often came and went.
Life in a large herd brought its own lessons. Poco learned when to give way and when to keep his distance, with his Arabian speed and endurance serving him well. He never became the herd’s leader, but he found companions of his own choosing and a place among the others.
She visited Poco every day. At first, he resisted the exercises, but he soon discovered the satisfaction of mastering each task and took pride in doing it perfectly.
Not long after his arrival, she returned with the trailer. This time, it was not there to take Poco away. It carried someone new.
Poco heard the calls from inside, and when she opened the door, a smallish flea-bitten Arabian pranced out. She called him Tril.
Poco waited by the fence line as she led Tril toward the gate. She brought him through and removed his halter. Poco approached, head held high, to introduce himself. He touched Tril’s nose and found the softness of a friend.
Moments were all it took, and they became inseparable.
