war horse story

Peace and war
 I called out to him to thank him and he seemed to understand for he smiled broadly and stroked my nose. ‘We’ll get along, you and I,’ he said kindly As Albert had promised, it was he who cared for me, and protected me all he could from his father;

nickered gently.

I was fresh again and ready for work the next morning. he would lead me out over the fields and down to the flat

War

‘That’s what I promised you last evening, farmer,’ Captain Nicholls said, opening my mouth and examining my teeth. ‘He’s a fine young horse, strong neck, sloping shoulder, straight fetlocks. Done much work has he? Hunted him out yet, have you?’

I ran on until I found myself alone and away from the noise of the battle, and I would never have stopped at all had I not found Topthorn once more beside me with Captain Stewart leaning over to gather up my reins before leading me back to the battlefield. ‘You see, Jamie, I told you so,’ said Captain Nicholls, and there was such pride in his voice as he spoke. ‘This is the horse I was telling you about – found in deepest Devon – and if we had gone on much longer your Topthorn would have been struggling to stay with him. You can’t deny it.’

It was only in that last week of my military education that I began at last to settle into the work. Corporal Samuel Perkins seemed less harsh towards me after that evening. He used the spurs less and gave me more rein. We did less work now in the school and more formation work on the open plains outside the camp. I took the Weymouth bit more readily now and began to play with it between my teeth as I had always done with the snaffle. I began to appreciate the good food and the grooming and the buffing up, all the unending attention and care that was devoted to me. As the days passed I began to think less and less of the farm and old Zoey and of my early life. But Albert, his face and his voice stayed clear in my mind despite the unerring routine of the work that was turning me imperceptibly into an army horse.