THE WATER HOLE by Eileen Coe

THE WATER HOLE by Eileen Coe

Snuffles, snorts, tail swishes and the occasional soft nicker fill the hush of the morning. Brilliant rays poke over the edge of the horizon. Soft coral shimmers glow stronger by the second, coloring the eastern sky like a child with a paint brush. In the west the navy of the night is fading. The herd of wild mustangs has made it to the water hole.

Horses jockey for position. Some take in a long cool drink. Others keep a watchful eye on the surrounding hills of conifer, spruce and fir. The foals are learning and testing the etiquette of herd behavior. Miniature versions of the adults, they are curious about the water. One by one they take turns laying and rolling in the soft, sandy edge where water meets soil. Their once clean coats of various hues of brown, black and white are now a uniform smudge of charcoal. The newest foal stands back from the others, near his mother. His coat of short red hair peeks out through a thick mat of white. In the early light of day, he looks almost pink.

There are other horses present. Various herds take their turns at the water hole. This order is determined by the rank of the stallions. Predetermined battles have held a long-standing hierarchy that is occasionally challenged. The bachelor stallions are here too. This morning holds the promise of a peaceful alliance as the bachelors appear to be behaving themselves.

Suddenly the tranquility is interrupted by the pulsing, rhythmic beat of metal blades. Heads rise in unison.

Terror fills the young horses as they scramble up the bank of the water’s edge, finding their mothers.

The lead mare gives a sharp whinny, a command to move, to move NOW! The battle-scarred stallion snakes his head and drives his family. The herd thunders off at a gallop, as the helicopter with blades that tear through the sky appears out of nowhere. All the horses erupt in a panic and follow the lead mare.

The horses race through the sagebrush, the youngsters struggling to keep up. Rounding a massive out-cropping of rock, the lead mare has a decision to make. The pulsating machine in the air is reaching the slowest of the herd, the babies. She snorts, eyes her choices. A barrier of men on horseback blocks her normal trail. She can only go one way. Sturdy legs carry her down a man-made chute of soft fencing, disguised with loose pieces of greenery. The horses follow, unable to stop. Men on horseback swoop in behind, sealing their only means of escape.

The stallion makes an effort to change the herd’s direction, but it is futile. They are on a trajectory and cannot maneuver the tight turn within the chute. He stops and attempts to challenge the men on horses chasing his family. Too late he hears the hissing rope uncoiling and he feels the odd tightening around his neck. He rears up on his formidable hind legs, striking out as every fiber in his being is screaming at him to run. He snorts and paws his daunting front legs. He is torn: stay and protect his mustang family or escape into the hills that he has known his entire life. The hills where his ancestors before him lived their lives free and wild. The frantic calls of his herd reach his ears. He lowers his head and joins his family. He hears a grating sound, metal on metal. The gate has closed on their freedom. Their lives will never be the same.

Eileen Coe is a lifelong animal lover and true animal advocate. Eileen realized her dream of working with horses after she retired from the corporate world of Ophthalmic Medicine, in 2008. She then became a certified Equine Acupressure Practitioner, through the Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute. Eileen also received her PATH certification as a therapeutic riding instructor. She worked with special needs children and adults, helping them benefit from the power of the horse.Eileen now resides in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Western North Carolina. She lives with her husband, Rob, horses, dogs and one cantankerous cat. There are also numerous wild critters that love to visit!After visiting areas where the wild horses roam, Eileen hopes to bring awareness to their plight to live their lives wild and free.