The Mare

Velvet

The next time I came to see Ginger, it was late, so I didn’t go to the barn until morning. Nobody was there. The radio was pulled out of the office on an extension cord, and it was playing embarrassing cowboy music, but there was nobody. The horses had gotten watered and fed, but their stalls were dirty and they were looking with nervous eyes. Then I realized I didn’t hear Fiery Girl kicking. I got scared and went to her. She was standing in the middle of her stall, but when she saw me she came up to the bars and looked at me with her eyes saying something I at first didn’t understand. Then I saw: Her stall was full of shit, and she was saying Help me.

I wanted to, but I was scared and I told her.

Help me.

“But there isn’t even anybody here in case you hurt me.”

Help me. I won’t hurt you. Help me.

We looked at each other without any more words. She still did not kick or bite. I said, “All right. I’m going to trust you. But if you hurt me, I will never see you again.”

And I got a wheelbarrow and a fork and went back to her stall. Normally I didn’t go into the stalls to clean, but I didn’t want to put a halter on her. I blocked the door with the wheelbarrow and went in. She got out of my way and let me clean. When I was finished with one half of the stall, she moved and let me do the other. She didn’t look at me. But her neck was soft, and her head was down. With her trembly lips she said, Thank you.

I stayed in the barn and talked to the horses for like an hour. But no people came until I left. That’s when I saw Beth, the girl from my first visit. She told me Pat and Beverly were at a horse show and she was taking care of the barn. I thought, Not very well, and she got pink in the face like she heard me.