Horses are as necessary to me
as open land,
fresh air,
and life itself.

Being near them,
I can feel their strength and vitality.

To be with horses is to perceive their majesty,
and to run with them is to accept them,
to know their minds,
to be one with them,
to exult in life.

The feel of wind rushing sharply against my face,
a powerful body surging under me
and myself secure in the mane,
my heart beating in rhythm with the pounding hooves
awakens in me a sense of unbridled freedom.

This regal creature is powerful enough to effortlessly kill me,
yet the animal responds instantly to my slightest request.

There is no thought of me being thrown from this strength
as we whirl and spin in reply to the squeeze of my leg -
the horse and I move as one body,
communicating every impulse to each other.

Power and love of life course through our veins,
and we run for the absolute joy of being young and being able to run.

We slow,
and the bond that unites us releases slightly.

It still exists,
but we are a team now,
a pair
instead of the
single magnificent creature
that we were.

- Nik Rapelje

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