Horses in Love, continued
...
Her colt wasn't doing as well. Hours later
he still couldn't stand on his own. He struggled along on his
fetlock joints, his hooves curled underneath. (Fetlocks are like
the wrists and ankles of a human), unable to get his hooves under
him. He was clearly premature. I was glad we hadn't induced labor.
Despite this, soon he was able to nurse without my help, snaking
his neck upward to reach his dam's udder.
The next few days he spent most of the
time curled up under one bush or another in the quarantine pasture.
After a week I called the vet, worried that I had a hopeless
cripple on my hands. He once again counseled patience.
A few days later the colt finally got strong
enough to walk properly. Even then he was so tiny he could walk
under his stunted dam and his back would barely brush against
her belly. A few days after that he began to gallop around the
globe willow pasture, leaping like a goat and trying to kick
people. I had to spank him twice when he tried nail me with his
hind hooves. Soon after that we let him and his dam out with
the rest of our horses. Within days he began play fighting my
big gelding Gitano.
He was the stud colt who would bear the
name Tomorrow. His dam, Tiger Girl, was the mare standing in
the apple orchard. Now, 19 months later, on this spring day in
Chimayo, Tomorrow wrestled on top of Zebra Girl.
Suddenly -- success, um, kind of. Tomorrow
was so surprised by finally penetrating Zebra that he fell off
and rolled on his side. The tip of his penis had swollen to some
six inches in diameter, and stayed that way as he scrambled back
to his feet . It looked way too big. It was easy to see why horse
breeders call this stage of intercourse "belling."
I felt sorry for Zebra.
Zebra didn't act as if she felt sorry for
herself. She eagerly pushed her rump against Tomorrow's chest.
Moments later Tomorrow had gotten into her again. He hung on
for a few seconds longer this time, then fell off still unsatisfied.
Zebra continued to encourage her novice lover.
We had picked her for Tomorrow's first
sexual partner partly because she had been pregnant twice. She
knew a thing or two. She also was the most sex-crazed, yet compliant
mare I'd ever encountered.
Many Spanish mustang mares figure if a
stallion isn't male enough to maintain an erection after being
kicked and bitten in a dozen places, if he isn't male enough
to penetrate and orgasm within seconds, he doesn't deserve to
breed.
The previous summer a palomino pinto stallion
of mine had finally managed to mate with Coquetta, an elderly
mustang mare. At this time, the pair had been long-time herd
mates. After their matings, they spent the next several days
grooming each other and in general acting like the world's sweetest
lovers.
Yet their courtship had marked both bodies
with wide oozing scabs and patches of missing hair.
Fortunately for Tomorrow, Zebra Girl marched
to a different hoofbeat.
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