The Well of Lonliness

Something... unpleasant... happened last weekend. It's only now, since I've had a week to process the incident, that I can talk about it.

Halter loosened for head brushing. I am not normally this slovenly.

Mother decided to take me for a little drive. I was behaving well. But when we got to the down slope by the sheep pasture, I decided enough was enough. I wanted to turn back, walking on the grass. Mother disagreed, I started to run away. Mother was forced to drop my lines or be drug along behind. I galloped away, across the bridge and back up the hill. When Mother found me, I was eating grass while the red mare herd in the small stared at me.

Mother gathered up my lines, and guided me back down the driveway hill. She drove me with shorter lines than before. I was behaving well. But when we got to the down slope by the sheep pasture, I decided enough was enough. I wanted to be on the grass. Mother disagreed, I started to run away. Mother attempted to snug me up, at one point she had the one line with all her weight trying to haul me around, but I ran. Mother was forced to drop my lines or be drug behind me. I galloped away, across the bridge and back up the hill. I heard Mother exclaiming behind me. There were not nice words being hurled in my direction. Granted, I'd never made her drop her lines before, but some of those things she said really hurt, you know?

Mother found me on the lawn, by the extinct dog run. She came to gather up my lines, but I attempted evasion. Not so easy when one has two 20 plus foot lines hanging off them. Mother muttered something about no more driving in just a halter and did I really want a bit? Oh, she could find a bit. Mutter, mutter, mutter...

Mother led me to the multipurpose.There were odd low mutterings coming from her. She lunged me in the multipurpose for a while. She made me work on HO-up. She muttered. I behaved. She muttered even more.

She took off my driving equipment, and led me along the postal route. She muttered. Last time we had retrieved the mail, Mother was very pleased at how well I handled the traffic along the fast rode. This time, she didn't stop at the mailbox. We kept on walking, along the fast road.

It was Friday evening. Many, many cars went by. Mother walked between me and the road, and other than an occasional "good boy" was eerily silent.When we switched to the other side of the road due to space limitations, I asked her to walk again between me and the road. This was my first oh-so-close-to-fast-moving-cars experience. So, really, I was a good boy.

I admit, the two motorcycles that roared past gave me a bit of a start. Not their appearance, as I'd seen motorcycles before, and their approach did not scare me, but just as they passed and continued on they made a dreadful growling roar. I skittered to the side for fear they would attack. Mother plodded on.

We walked to a funny parking lot where humans were getting out of their cars and Mother let some of the curious humans pet me. There were quite a few young humans, and they all thought I was pretty handsome. Is this why Mother led me along the fast road? No, we're moving on, and not back the way we came.

We walked along a quiet road with houses built back on long driveways. One or two cars passed and then nothing. Cows dotted a nearby hill, then passed out of sight as we continued.

After a while, I realized it was quiet... too quiet. Were it not for the sound of chirping birds, there was no sign of life... no humans about, no cars, no dogs, only the clip clop of my hooves on the road.

We had walked miles from home. I had no idea where we were, or where we were going.
I was with Mother, who did not seem at all like Mother.
I tried to call Aunt Nancy, but no answer.
Mother had me halt. I called out for any horse in the area. The only response was the chirping of birds.

I plodded onward. I had given up hope of ever seeing my red mare herd again. Mother showed no sign of turning back. What was wrong with her? With us? Where was she taking me?

We trudged up a long, steep hill. I was heartbroken... so far away from my herd, and getting farther away with every step. Plod, plod. As we crested the hill, Mother kept looking at me oddly, but I was too bereft to care. She turned off the road and we walked up a steep lawn next to some wood board fence. Mother continued to stare at me. WHAT?!?

Then I heard one of my red mares call to me. Close. I looked up, neighing loudly... She was less than 80 feet away. I was home again!

So, I've spent the last week trying to sort this all out.




Obviously, Mother had sensed my anguish and teleported me home.