Horse Flies
It was a hot, bright afternoon.
(This is my version of a dark and stormy night, only much scarier)
The flies were swarming.
I brought Sunshine in for a quick work. He was very willing all things considered. We danced together, or did our best as he stopped regularly to swat flies away with a swing of his nose.
As I asked him to step sideways I looked there in front of my nose, on the base of his neck. Right in front of my face sat not a normal fly but a big green eyed horse fly. Not the smaller deer fly, not one of the giant, evil black bull flies. I’ve sat a bucking horse before and glanced around to see that the whole fiasco was being caused by a giant bull fly biting my horse. I swatted it and the bucking stopped. That’s not usually what we think of when we say that pain is often the cause of bad behavior.
This middle of the road sized but still nasty horse fly was perched on my horses neck preparing to attack. Leaping into protective gear I swung and smashed the horrid creature before it could hurt my darling pony. It came away crushed between my fingers. I turned in triumph to show my pony what I had saved him from.
Sunshine in the mean time had been suddenly and unjustly attacked. His person for no apparent reason had gone from quietly asking hi to yield to beating him nearly to a pulp while he stood by innocently. Head thrown high he shied violently to the side.
“No Sunshine! No. I’m not beating you.” I tried to explain. I was saving you. Saving. Don’t you understand the difference?
Green bug eyes peered blindly up from my fingers as I showed him my war trophy. I saved you from this monster.
Eyeing me askance he was not convinced. First I beat him then I wave my arms about in his face. I had clearly lost my mind. Dropping the defeated insect I tried to make it up to my horse. I petted him and offered cookies. Then we got back to work. He shied every time I lifted an arm. That’s what I get for saving him from certain doom.