The Rider: Part III

Several months later something strange happened.  The Owner mounted one of the colts to ride him.  The colt was nervous and scared.  His eyes darted this way and that searching the disgusted faces of the horses that would even look at him.  Finally, one of the mares yelled, “Don’t let the Owner do that to you.”  The Owner led the colt to the missing section of fence.  Only then, at the edge of the corral, did the colt begin to fight.  He started to buck and jump and twist and turn.  The Owner held on valiantly and after a courageous effort, seemed to give up and was thrown off.  The colt quickly ran to the other side of the corral. 

Runner was shocked at what he saw.  However, his bewilderment did not stem from the Owner trying to lead the colt out of the corral.  Instead, why did the Owner try to ride him at all?  If the Owner was so good to them, why didn’t he let the Owner ride him?  Hadn’t the Owner promised to take care all of them in all circumstances?  Runner went to Saint to speak about his questions.  Saint was outraged. 

 

“The Land Beyond is off limits.  Don’t you realize that you will be turning your back on everything you hold dear?  The Valley of Dreams is heaven on earth and you can’t live here and the Land Beyond.  It’s one or the other.  Do you want to go back to your old way of life?”

 

Runner shook his head. 

 

“Then I suggest that you study harder.” 

 

Runner nodded his head in acceptance and plodded off.

That night Runner dreamed of the days when he was on his own.  He dreamed of running as fast as he could from one hill to the next.  In his vision, the sun shone brightly and the grass was so green.  In his mind’s eye, it was as if he were out running as he once did but still had the care of the Owner.  This didn’t make sense.  His mind began to rationally ponder this and caused him to wake up.  He looked upon the vision with bewilderment.  It felt so good to run but now he couldn’t run because of the confines of the corral. 

He thought of his name, Runner.  “I haven’t run in years.  What a joke!  My name is Runner but I don’t run.   All of the other horses have names that say something about who they are.  If only the Owner hadn’t made the fence, that stupid fence.  I’m stuck inside this stupid, lousy fence.  I may as well be in a prison with walls a hundred feet tall topped with barbed wire.  Once I was free but now I’m trapped.”  Runner felt controlled by the Owner.  He began to resent the Owner.