Horses Running Free in the Wind at Dawn

Horses Running Free in the Wind at Dawn

That just about says it all. Here, at an Indian horse camp in the mountains 70 miles from San Diego, it is cold and windy. Some big event has been planned, and big horse rigs began arriving last evening. Just a few minutes ago, before any sign of a rising sun could brighten the tattered gray clouds racing across the sky, my daughter’s rescued dogs started barking. We have to keep them from disturbing the campers or we might be told to move away from this magic place. So I turned on the water and threatened to spray the dogs with the hose. They love to swim but abhor being sprayed.

I hadn’t seen what caused the barking, but suddenly from around the rocks, burst three galloping horses, still wearing their green horse blankets, racing in the wind. What a beautiful sight! All three were brown. Heads up and manes flying, they ran toward site number 40, the last camping place with a hookup before the rocky trail goes up into wilder places. I don’t think a horse from the suburbs gets many chances to run free like that, and they were enjoying it like the wild and free creatures they were born to be.

Now the sunrise has turned the ragged clouds in the eastern sky to gold. Their owner just came out and the horses are once again standing in their individual corrals contentedly eating alfalfa. But no one can take away the joy they experienced this morning running wild and free for a little while, or my enjoyment in watching them.