Derina Pyles
Horse Sense
“Come on Traveler, for the love of alfalfa, please get your big booty in the trailer! It’s already an hour past the time I wanted to get on the road.”
“Calm yourself, Hay-Woman. I just have to double check to make sure I packed some Bute in case my legs get sore from the long trip. And did you just say my booty was looking big?” He cranked his head around to try to catch a glimpse of his backside.
“Well, you are a quarter horse, so yeah, I said you had a big booty. That’s no shocker to anyone but yourself.”
I rolled my eyes as Traveler started to creep back toward the barn. “Don’t you go back in that tack room!” I snapped. “You have everything you need and then some. Can we please get on the road now? We have a 6-hour drive and I want to get you settled in and go check out some of the prospects before the sale tomorrow.”
My furry sidekick lowered his head and started pawing the ground, looking unsettled.
“What’s the matter big fella? You’re always up for a trip to the horse auction. You look forward to it every year. Getting to meet up with old friends, making new ones, looking at all the little colts and fillies. What’s with the procrastination?”
“I don’t know what procrastination means, but if you’re asking me why I’m putting off getting in the trailer, it’s not a simple answer.”
I smiled at his innocent intelligence. I sat down on the fender of the horse trailer. “Okay, I’m all ears. Well, you’re all ears but you know what I mean,” I said, trying to lighten his mood.
“Sometime back, I overheard you and your friend talking, you know the one you say talks too much and knows everything about everything?” I grimaced, embarrassed about that description. “Ya’ll were talking about how the auctions could be a money racket and really didn’t help the horse population, or the buyers who often got scammed with horses who had very bad behaviors or medical problems that couldn’t be treated.” Traveler looked confused and a little sad but continued, “I’m just not sure I want to go if that’s the case Hay-Woman.”
“Oh, I remember, we did have that conversation, but that was about kill pens, and sales that they have. Unfortunately, that is a very controversial topic in the horse world. People have strong opinions on both sides.
“Horse people can have strong opinions on a lot of stuff that has to do with us equines.”
“So true,” I agreed. “You know, that’s not the type of auction we go to Traveler. We go to look, and possibly buy the babies that are ready to start their riding careers. Lots of people that go to this auction are looking for life partners or horses they can train and make into good citizens.”
“Do you think some of those horses get sold to bad people with bad intentions?
“Yes, sadly, I do. The devil is always at work Traveler. Tempting us humans just like he did Jesus. 1 Peter 5:8 (AV) says, ‘be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about.’”
“I don’t know what vigilant means, but I’m going to make sure I keep a careful watch out for danger and evil.”
“That’s a good idea my sweet friend. We both will.”
