I’m standing here with my friend
Old Barley, a western Queensland brumby mare,
And I’ve joined a new herd.
And now tag along behind Blue
A chubby stock horse mare,
And Effie – my new number one pal.
She might be small, short and feisty
And keeps me on my hooves
But there’s another story to tell…
My human put me on different country
Along with my mum and aunty and adopted uncle.
And I started to grow.
Maybe it was the red soil?
Or the hard sandy bush blocks alongside?
Or was it swimming in dams?
Eating all those water lilies?
Or was it living with gigantic bulls, bullocks and a few old cows?
Or was it the kilometres of walking we did each day?
Or maybe it was just my time to grow up?
I’d met old Barley, Blue and Effie a few months before
And we kept crossing paths.
I became interested in how they lived and related.
Old Barley has plenty of subtle signals in place,
Just like my brumby mother and aunty.
And wow! Do Blue and Effie yell and make
Lots of big noise to get their point across.
So, one day my human put my mother,
Aunty and adopted uncle in the cattle yards.
And I was left with old Barley.
Then Blue was brought in with us,
And Effie was let out too.
We all knew each other.
But this was different,
I was able to be me, without family advice.
My human opened the gate into the laneway
For the bush block.
And Effie really walked off right then and there.
Blue and Old Barley followed in line.
My human waited and watched.
I turned away from the laneway and
Walked straight up to my mother
And aunty who were opposite.
Watching.
Watching.
Watching.
They knew what was going to happen.
I nose touched.
I looked them in their eyes.
We were all straight on.
We sniffed.
We stood with composure,
And a little grace.
I turned away from my mother and aunty
And I walked into the laneway
Alongside my human.
Getting excited for my new herd,
I broke into a trot and at the far corner
I paused and turned.
Looking straight past my human
And into the deep souls of my mother and aunty,
We exchanged our gift,
And I left.
Turning the corner, I cantered
Straight up behind my new friends.
Old Barley was at the rear
And I positioned myself
In exactly the same way
That I knew from before.
Walking nose to tail
Into the bush.
Rhythm, pace and sensation
Flowed through us all.
At 2 years and 8 months,
It was the perfect place and time
For me to choose
My departure from my natal band.
And join a new herd.
Not a group of bachelors,
But three wise mares.