Through the Eyes of a Horse: The Round Up
Published by GHC • Nov 2nd, 2009 • Category: Fiction, by Violet Inkpenby Violet Inkpen, age 13
My name is Ginger, and I am a mustang! My herd lives between two mountains, in a peaceful valley with a gentle stream trickling through it. The land is filled with peace, along with plenty of food to spare! We all enjoy it here, with so much happiness. Our leader, Razz, is very valiant and courageous. We all love him. Life seemed perfect right? I used to think so. Until the day when I lost everything. This is what happened…
The sun was sending rays of light and warmth to the earth as we grazed among the sweet grass. We were on the High Mountains, the one to the left of the valley. It was the season of rain, and the valley was soggy so during those times we grazed on either mountain. For a few weeks humans had been hanging around, not completely strange but very uncomfortable. But this time it was different, more often and for longer and they carried around things to mark our progress or something. It was a beautiful day, the day when so much changed.
My three week foal, Danya, was dozing in a patch of flowers when we heard a distant buzz. Razz was unworried, but still alert. Then we smelt humans on the breeze, coming behind us. Razz twitched his ears, listening intently. Hooves drummed the mountain side. More horses pricked their ears, growing concerned. Humans never came at a gallop on horse back, they usually were quiet and sneaky. The horses grew more agitated and began moving away from the sound. Finally Razz began herding them away from the sound, towards the valley.
As we galloped away the humans galloped closer. Then the buzzing grew to a roar and over head a giant bird with long, swirling arms came at us, flying low to the ground. My foal panicked. Her eyes were wide and she was in a wild dash. I fought to keep her in sight. The sound of drumming hooves was all over the place, the noisy bird was chasing after us, humans began shouting and throwing around long vine things.
As we ran I noticed that we were running towards a human place with fences. Fences? “No! don’t go that way!” I screamed. But we were surrounded with no other place to go. Suddenly I saw Danya stumble and fall, and before I could go help her five mares blindly ran towards her. “NOOO!” I screamed in agony, trying to fight against the flow of horses to get to my daughter’s side. It was too late. Massive hooves trampled my foal’s tiny body. I tried to get to her but I was pushed onward. With one glance back I saw her crushed body twitch, once, then lay still forever. Tears filled my eyes. No!
“Look out!” someone called. My head snapped forward and I saw that we were entering the human thing. Suddenly the whole herd was crowded into one small holding pen, the gate closed, and all of us pressed together. It was stressful! I tried to pace and paw in anger but there was hardly any room. Suddenly another gate opened and one by one we were ushered through, something amazingly hot and burning touched their flanks, then they were separated into another pen. There was one for mares, one for mares with foals, one for yearlings, and one for Razz. He was pacing, dipping his head, furious.
I looked over at the other three foals in the herd, all under a month old. Two of them were limping and the other was on the ground, breathing heavily, exhausted. I looked at the mark the human’s burning letters had left on me and felt an equally hot anger burning in my heart. They took my freedom, my foal, my dignity, my world! These foals were too young to run so fast and so far!
After a few weeks horses from my herd began to vanish. Some went into big trailers and went away with nice people. Others were taken into a barn where a man dressed in a white coat and with a black bag went in and then the horses never came out. I shuddered. What would happen to me? Why did the humans do this? Why couldn’t they leave us alone?
As the others began vanishing I felt so alone. Some were lucky enough to be released. Others weren’t. I was too ‘untameable’ to be adopted. I hated humans for ruining everything. So eventually I was led into the barn and the man with the white coat came. I was nervous. He took a needle out of his bag, filled it with something, and came towards me. “It won’t hurt girl,” he promised soothingly.
I didn’t believe him, I wanted to be free! I fought, rearing and charging, knocking the man over, his needle fell to the ground. I stomped it with my hooves, allowing the deadly liquid to fall all over the ground. Bolting for the doors I broke free, running for home. I left the horrid place behind, along with the remainder of my herd. I was alone now, no one to help me. My poor foal was not so lucky!
Tears streamed down my face, tears for all the horses, not just my herd, that suffered from this cruel human practice. Tears for all the death that happened without cause. Such is what happens when mustangs are driven by fear and forced to a place where their futures would be decided for them, where they couldn’t choose if they live or die, where they’d never be happy. I closed my eyes in hate, wishing that humans weren’t so foolish. Why? That was all I wanted to know. Why?
Another breathetaking piece of writing!!! Amazing and I was practically crying along with the horse! It was so undescribable and sad! I was afraid she would get the needle. Although I’m happy she didn’t, I’m sad for all the other horses who did.
So amazing and it goes right along with the poem! Champion and brilliant story!
are you on a mustang kick or somthing? xD as always its awesome, a champ! :) loved it!
I was heartbroken for the mare!! She lost her foal and her herd and almost her freedom….all at once. Love the writing, VI! you must be on mustangs right now…keep going, I’m on the edge of my seat for more of your writing!
–Wild’n'Free–
Great story, that was beautiful!!! lol the Ginger thing surprised me, it’s not my really my name tho…. very good emotion in the story,
Even though I only skimmed through (It looked like a really cool story but its’ 12:00 AM and my mom already told me to go to bed once lol) I could tell it was a really, really good story! I hope I can read the whole thing tomorrow!!!!
It’s so real!
Very good, nice emotion, makes you think. Amazing!
Sad, but so true. Foals are left dead after roundups for many different reasons. Good story for a tough issue!
Very well written!
But all the same, it’s not what happens during round ups… (Though, maybe in a few illegal instances)
It just feels wrong to me to have the humans as the ‘bad guys’ all the time. Like only a few girls really understand horses. Which isn’t true.
No, humans are not perfect, we can, and do, do many things a lot of us aren’t proud of, but sometimes us horse girls tend to overlook the many good things that happen to horses because people have done wonderful things to help them.
I’m not criticizing you Vi,or any other horse girl who is inspired to write these wonderful stories. I encourage you to continue! I just don’t want to see the lines blurred, ya know?
Vi, the emotion in your stories are great! Keep it up!
I held my breath the whole time I was reading! That was so great!
I’m going to agree with I’maCowgirl. I don;t like the fact that humans are always made the villians, although some horse people can be cruel.
Amazing. That is so terribly sad for Ginger, I feel so bad. I’m sort of torn, I know that mustangs sometimes need to be brought in because there is not enough forage or water, and some will die of starvation or dehydration, but, also, I know how much freedom is to them. It’s their life. If I had an adopted mustang (Phantom Stallion: Sam and Ace) I can only imagine how much they would mean to me, and if it weren’t for the round ups’ “evening out” the wild bands, (assuming I had an adopted mustang) I wouldn’t have my horse. Meaning I wouldn’t have my best friend. Now I know they probably value their freedom more than a friendship with a human, because they were born in the wild, always seeking protection and safety within the herd. But, I still can’t help feeling the way I do. Torn.