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The Only True Wild Horse:

His hoofs sank into a lush blanket of grass still covered with moist dew. He buried his nose into it and sniffed the sweetness of the tall blades before his massive teeth lowered its' height. Lifting his head occasionally, his dark bright eyes scanned the area. Yearling colts stood closely along side the mares, chewing off the tops of the towering grass. Included among them were three new foals born early this summer. Two had sandy coats. One like his father was a reddish bay fox color. All had a dorsal band from their mane to tail. But the rich color of the youngest made the inherited black stripe a dominant feature.

He was short and stocky his frame only 13 withers high. All his senses alert, his nostrils widened as he sniffed the air for any foreign scent. Warm air expelling from his lungs dissipated into droplets of water that settled on the edge of his nose. Shaking his head back and forth he snorted loudly and then satisfied all was safe, lowered his head and continued to graze.
He was 'wild' now and knew how to react to any threat in his territory. Life was good, unlike the past. Except for an occasional fight with a bachelor stallion looking to form his own herd, his only enemy was the wolf. The mares when alerted to their presence would form a circle around the foals as protection. They no longer had mankind to contend or compete with. It had not taken long for him to learn. Three years in the wild with his own 'harem' was all that was needed. His instincts had been inside of him since birth, but had laid dormant for the first three years of his life. His father, his grandfathers, as far back as 13 generations had never relinquished their free spirit in captivity. They could never be ridden, they never allowed themselves to be domesticated. They were born wild and some day they would return to the wild. He was lucky enough to be born in the time it all occured.
Their social behavior was remarkably synchronized. They would all rest at the same time during the heat of the afternoon sun. Seeking out cool areas to nap against high rocks or in the woods to enjoy a refreshing breeze. Later they would feed again in the grasslands bordering brooklets where they could quench their thirst. As the sun lowered in the sky to just above the horizon and coolness set in, the foals would frolic and play. Or the older ones rolling would invite them to join in the fun. Grooming was important and their colts learned at an early age to mimic the older

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