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The Miracle of Horses
I can still clearly remember the first time I saw a horse. I was suprised, happy, and in awe at the same time. I had only seen them in movies, and I almost expected the real thing to be nothing like Spirit or Rain. I was suprised at their size and gentleness, happy that a creature so majestic could really exist and was not just in my story books, and in awe of their beauty. It didn't matter that the first horse I saw was not a lippizanner or fresian, just being near a horse was enough to fill me with a kind of happiness I had never felt before. I reached out to feel it's thick hair and smell it's dusty coat. It was not for a long time but it will stay with me forever.
It was that moment that has made me who I am today, I am a rider. People may think I'm wierd for going to the barn just to groom horses and muck stalls. I can't picture anything else more enjoyable than being able to spend time and learn about horses. After many years of staring at horses you begin to learn how they communicate, and you learn how to communicate with them in their language. For example when the horse begins to blink a lot it means they are taking in something you or another horse has taught them. A low nicker may mean a happy hello or a happy hello to the treat you have.
Although I have not yet mastered a nicker and the horse I ride can't speak english we still communicate to each other. We have created a language that only we can understand, a compromise between two completely different worlds.. This is a language based on praise. If he does what I ask, I praise him by giving him a treat or scratching him on the neck. I think he communicates with me by using his body language. For example if he walks over to me and blows gently through his nostrils he is saying hi. It is nice to be able to tell someone all my problems and know that he will understand and not tell anyone.
Wild horses live free. They are constantly moving and they never live in one place for too long. They are nomadic. Domestic horses stay in one place. They don't move around because they don't run free. I don't know if domestic horses like staying in one place, but I'm sure they like that they are safe in that place. I like the similarity and feeling of safety in being at home, maybe tame horses do too. I think wild horses like the freedom of being able to go where they please. Unfortunatley people round them up and auction them off because of land managment reasons. Then the wild horses become domestic, but, just like Spirit, they will always be wild in their hearts.
Wild horses and domestic horses are the same and different at the same time. Wild horses and domestic horses both came from the same beginnings and both want the same things. They want food, shelter, a herd to be with, water, and most of all freedom. Freedom doesn't mean being loose and running wild, to me it means having the freedom to make choices by themselves and having the freedom to be accepted for what they can and can't do. After all isn't that what we all want? They are different because domestic horses have been tamed to do what people want and wild horses are free to do what they want. Free or domestic, they both deserve respect.
A horse and a human may seem like two completly different things, but we are the same behind our different bodies. We wouldn't like to be disrespected, or only used for our talents and then when we get old we are just discarded. Well neither do horses. We wouldn't like to be deprived of the freedom we live for, well neither would horses. We are all connected so when we do something bad to another creature it will come back to us. We may look different, function different, think different, and live different but behind our differences we are all the same.
Horses have helped us so much over the centuries. Bravely leading armies into war, working in underground coal mines tirelessly, and winning us blue ribbons at the horse show, they have truly changed our lives. A long time ago people relied on horses for their lives and for their families. Even though today they are not as needed, we owe them respect for what they have done for us. We should let them be free and live carelessly, as if it were not for them, we wouldn't be able to live free and carelessly. They truly have earned their freedom.
I think we can help horses by letting them have freedom. And regarding population issues in wild horses, before humans came and ruined their system everything was fine. We can help them by making sure every horse is safe, respected, and loved. We can make more laws regarding their well-being. We can help them by just reminding people that they have done so much for us so now it is our turn to give back to them.
Wild horses. What do you think when you hear that word. I think free, wild, herdbound, and of course, not tamed. Now think of these four things and imagine what wild horses would be without them. We are taking these things away from them when we round them up and auction them off. We are not apreciating these beautiful creatures as much as we should.
In efforts to make people appreciate horses more, maybe we could teach them how to do things that will show off their intelligence and agility. Maybe we could teach them how to help blind people. I think horses could help many people with self-confidence issues, depression, or autism. They could help so many people and some of them already do. Some specially trained horses help people with autism or people who are handi-capped. Horses have the capability and love to help people, and if we give them the chance they could change many lives.
We can learn so much from horses. We can learn responsibility, patience, and we can learn how to love. I've learned so much from horses. They have taught me the joy of finding love and the heartbreak of losing it. They have taught me to forgive and forget and to live everyday with everything you have. I hope everyone, at one point in their lives, can experience the healing powers of horses. I know they can change so many lives as they changed mine.
Becoming friends with horses is what I live for. That friendship is what I rely on to keep me going and to keep me happy. Bringing humans and horses together is a lot like riding a horse. You can try your hardest to ride well but you will never look good unless you have a partnership. When horses and humans come together as one great things can happen. Some so great they could be called a miracle, the miracle of horses.
Annika Maulucci
Age - 11 years
Dear Yvonne,
I entered this writing contest with this story because I feel that every horse has a voice that needs to be heard. It is up to us to share their message. I hope that using the power of writing I can make someone stop and think for a moment about what is going on with these horses. I want them to realize how amazing horses are. I want to inspire someone to make a difference.
My dream is to be the voice for horses. Relentless. That means to never stop, or never give up. Relentless is what we should all be when it comes to saving wild horses. We have a chance to save their world. So let us be relentless in our fight to save the wild horses. Alone we are weak, but together we can change the world.
Annika Maulucci
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