The Horse of Winter Mountain

Samuel closed the trailer doors behind Fiona. The filly was making a terrible ruckus now that her mother was loaded up into the trailer. Samuel and Jane jumped inside the cab of the truck and began to pull out of the pasture when the filly suddenly broke through a small wooden door and galloped into the round pen. She bucked and cried, whinnied and whined. She ran in circles only to skid to a stop in mid-track and then reverse her direction. The pony was furious! Before anyone on the property could try to calm her down, she mustered up all the steam she could and jumped over the railings, landing outside of the round pen and into the full space of the wide open pasture. She didn’t look back! She just ran like she had never run before. The young spirited paint became like the wind. It seemed as if the young horse’s hooves had left the ground it was running so fast! She, the horse of Winter Mountain, thundered away from the house and barn and disappeared into the towering realm of pine trees where the mountains saw no man, where the peaks were unexplored, where the gray crags of granite became the desolation wilderness, and where she got her first taste of freedom.

The neighborhood kept watch for any sign of the missing horse. Samuel and Jane drove by Mrs. Green’s property with their eyes to the rocky ridges of the mountains that jutted up from the valley floor of the wide-open pasture. Every now and then, the sheriff (Mrs. Green’s nephew) would throw a flake of alfalfa over the fence with hopes of luring the young horse out for a snack. Unfortunately, that didn’t help either.

The fall holidays came and went. Soon it was time to think about Christmas and the first snows of the long winter season. The filly was only a few months old, and Samuel couldn’t help but worry about her survival.

“Maybe we should drive up into the mountains to see if she’s trapped or hurt,” Samuel said to his wife over a hot cup of morning coffee. “She may be trying to come home but can’t find her way.”

Jane knew her husband was very worried. She felt it was best to listen to his suggestions and then decide their course of action.

“Mrs. Green won’t budge,” added Samuel with a look of hopelessness. “She acts as if she couldn’t care less about the paint. Oh, Janie. The animal is a rare beauty! Did you see her markings?” His eyes were pleading. His love for the filly was real. “All her legs are white. Snow white! Clear up to her belly and rump. She’s spotted with patches of gray and brown in the sway of her back, and her mane is brindled with copper, silver, and streaks of brownish blue. Oh, her face, Jane. It’s white with a solitary star of smoky blue like the color of a granite boulder.” He stopped talking and pushed his coffee cup forward, taking some of the tablecloth with it. “She’s spirited too,” he said, looking down at his hands and then back up into the eyes of his patient wife. “In all that snow, she’ll disappear, Jane. We’d walk right past her and not even notice her up against the rocks and snow on the ground. I guess my biggest fear is that she’ll freeze to death. Blankets don’t grow on trees!”

Jane knew Samuel was frustrated. She took him by the hand and said these words: “Trust that the good Lord will take care of our precious horse. Trust that the Lord has a special place for her to be safe in the winter months to come. Have faith that the Lord knows best, and your faith will allow you to make peace with a situation that is out of your hands.” She paused, sensing that Samuel was listening with more than his ears. Jane gave him that smile he loved so much and she then added, “Trust that the spirit in our beautiful paint is touched by the hand of God. Set her free to discover her own faith. We are all creatures of the Lord, my dear, sweet Samuel. Pray for guidance, and she will feel your love.” Jane stopped speaking but kept her warm hand tucked into his. He knew she was right. When a situation is out of your hands, the best way to cope is to have faith in a positive outcome. Pray for the right and the good. Believe.

They sat for a moment in silence. Jane stood up, grabbed the coffee pot, and refilled their cups.

“Thank you, my love,” said Samuel with his heart on his sleeve. “You’re right. The filly will be okay. Did you see how strong and how fast that little girl ran? Why, something so young which can run that fast and is so sure-footed must be touched by the hand of God. Thank you for reminding me.”He stood up. “Now I best get to my morning chores. Those chickens do love their breakfast.”

He kissed Janie on the cheek and buttoned up his warm winter coat. He opened the kitchen door and then stopped, adding, “If ya like, I’ll hang those Christmas boughs you’ve got tucked up in the closet. Grab ‘em, and we can put ‘em up today.”He flashed his handsome, beaming smile, and she blushed. They adored each other very much, and on this cold winter morning, their love was in the air. Christmas came and went. No horse! Mrs. Green never came to church and hardly stepped out of her house. No one paid much attention to her anyway, and that was just how she liked it. The snow fell, and the temperatures dropped. But Jane and Samuel kept the faith, warm and dry.