On Horses: Horses are one of God’s most paradoxical creatures. Throughout
history, they have impressed us with their courage, pulling chariots into the chaos
of battle and carrying riders into cavalry confrontations. More recently, they have
assisted police officers in crowd control and carried competitors over jumps that
are high and wide. And yet, the same animal can shy at a plastic grocery bag
and become unglued (no pun intended) at the sight of a terrier a fraction its size.
One moment, this creature is a picture of nobility with head held high, nostrils
flaring, and mane blowing like a banner. The next moment he has flopped down
onto his back with his legs splayed in the air, madly rolling, scratching and
snorting. Leaping to his feet, he will shudder and shake from nose to tail, snort a
time or two more, and walk away with grace and aplomb. While horses aren’t
always considered the smartest in the yard (see my wife’s theory on animals with
big bodies, small brains), they are full of mischief and can pull off improbable
feats like breaking into feed rooms and potato chip bags. “Beware,” a seasoned
riding instructor once warned me, “they are always up to something.”