The Contrary Mare

There was a contrary mare who lived at Fields Quarter Horses. When she woke up in the morning, she was usually grumpy.  In the wintertime, when it was quite cold and snowy, she grumbled because she stayed inside her warm stall. In the springtime, when the daffodils were beginning to bloom, she did not like it when the people took her outside after breakfast. She would have preferred to linger inside the barn for a bit longer over her morning hay.

Now, it came to pass that this mare conceived a foal. She did not remember the details- only that several months ago it began to move inside her body. The foal would turn inside her and kicked with joy when the people brushed the contrary mare. She pinned her expressive ears back flat against her skull to show her displeasure when the foal stretched its long unborn legs. Sometimes, he became excited and moved while she munched on her grassy hay. This, too, was not pleasing to the mare.

As winter faded and the earth began to green, the foal grew larger inside her womb. Although a higher design dictated that her body should accommodate the growing horse, she found herself uncomfortable much of the time. She vaguely remembered that she used to lie in the green grass and let the sunshine bake her golden body. Now, because her heft made it difficult to lie down, she mostly just dozed on her feet.

The contrary mare found herself waiting. She did not reckon the reason. She shifted her weight from one hind leg to the other at least 380 times each day. She nibbled hay but often felt overfull. She was hungry most all of the time and greedily gobbled her grain threatening anyone who dared approach. She endured twice daily probes of her udder and tail only because they were accompanied by grooming sessions which she still sort of liked.

And thus was the state of the contrary mare. She was in fine company as there were a few other contrary mares who shared her misery. It was as if her whole existence (and comfort) hinged on some unforeseen event. Little did she know.