GiGi Amateau

More on Chancey of the Maury River

Links

You may wish to visit these Web sites.

• The Appaloosa Museum
• North American Riding for the Handicapped Association
• United States Equestrian Federation
• End Horse Slaughter -- The Humane Society of the United States
• All About Birds -- Belted Kingfisher
• Historic Rockbridge County, Virginia

Read an excerpt

A fire star raced across the winter sky, causing quite a stir among us. The younger ones were afraid and ran to their mothers. I did not fear the wild streak, as I once had in my youth. I dropped my head and gave thanks for a long and good life lived here by the Maury River and in these blue mountains. I gave thanks, too, for the friends who
have stood beside me through these many years.

When I was still a colt, I saw a fire star with such a fury that it scared me greatly. I thought it was coming straight for me. I raced to the corner of our field and, unable to find my dam, became filled with an anxiety so invasive that I began to breathe too fast and thus found no breath at all. But I was in no danger. My dam came to me. She wrapped me in her neck and I was no longer afraid.

My dam explained that when a horse of great beauty or wisdom enters the world, a star reserved especially for that horse tears across the night sky announcing the new arrival. Dam told me that we should not fear the fire stars; instead we should drop our heads and say a word of thanks for life's many blessings.

 

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