A Lesson Before Dawne
A Lesson Before Dawne
In the midst of my dreams, my mom woke me up at quarter to five in the morning. "I think your horse got out."
I rolled over and moaned as I thought to myself, "If I don't go find her, that'll probably be ok. She'll still be there in the morning. She won't go anywhere without her mom." Then I told myself that it wouldn't be socially acceptable among humans to just let my four-year-old mare wander around the yard while I sleep. So I got up, threw on some clothes and shoes, and went out into the chilling, snowy world.
I called out to her, "DAAAAAAWNE!" No horse. Well, except for her mother, Ima - a twenty-two-year-old mare. So I went into the barn and grabbed a halter and lead rope. I went into the pasture and followed a line of hoof prints dancing through the snow (that's what Dawne likes to do). I walked by Ima, who turned her head as if to say, "Good morning!" So I scratched her face as she chewed on her breakfast and sniffed me to find out what I was up to.
I proceeded to follow that little line of hoof prints and came to a gateway. I heard something following me. I turned and Ima was slowing walking up to me. I put the halter on her, "If you're going to help me find Dawne, you're going to have to have a halter on you." I had no problem with my equine companion of eleven years joining me on my journey to find HER baby.
We walked a few steps farther and I saw what appeared to be a little white blaze sitting among the darkness of Dawne's sorrel head. I took the halter off Ima and walked towards the gateway that Dawne mangled and broke through. In the darkness, as I approached that little white blaze, I could see more of what was my horse. She was patiently standing beyond the corrals of my neighbor's horse and goat.
I walked through a barrier of sticks and fences and finally got on the same side as Dawne. I started to think to myself, "Ok, what is she going to do now? Is she going to want to play? Am I going to have to use this halter to keep her from running into me?"
Dawne surprised me. She dropped her head and slowly walked up to me.
"Hi Dawne," I whispered as I scratched her head. She stood there looking at me as I prepared the knotted-up halter to slip over her head.
We cautiously walked through the neighbor's yard as Dawne eyed their tire-swing and trampoline. We stopped a few times to gather her courage. "It's all right, Dawne. Let's go home." We finally made it out to the road. She amazed me every step of the way. She was calm and quiet and walking patiently by my side. I was so proud of her.
I scratched her face when we got back to the barn. I scratched it for quite a while. Although I wished I had been in bed, I think that morning meant a lot to Dawne. It meant a lot to me. I was so happy to find that my "baby" needed attention from me.
I'm finding that my busy schedule as a college student is keeping me from going out and spending some time with my horses. Those rare moments when I am at home, I spend trying to build up my energy for a new day, or studying.
Now, I'm trying to make more of a social event out of their meals. It's not too much to spend a few extra minutes out there scratching and talking to my horses as they eat. My horses need me, and I need them . . . as I learned that day, just before dawn.
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Last revision: May 5, 2002