Page 17 - Dark Matter Issue5 Part II

LOU ROBINSON

Fettered

The state of the world through my lens: the tragic

and redeeming relationship between horses and

humans.

Yesterday Greg, my farrier, cut a pie-shaped piece

out of my horse Gabriel’s right front foot, in an

attempt to drain a massive abscess. Only last

week he saved the horse next door from the

same. Because it has been so wet, and horses

stand in mud, foot infections are now common. It

is said “a horse is only as good as his feet.”
Tyson, 27 years old

I am only as good as my relationships with horses and writing. Every time one of my

horses died, I wrote about it first. You could say this defines my place in my world.

1956, Richmond, IN

My grandmother Ida gave me copper horses. Part Blackfoot, she was sent to an

orphanage by her father’s second wife, the white one. The Blackfeet say pray to horses,

horses have a god, Ida told me. Horses teach us when to join up and when to run. My

grandfather gave me a pony named Star. I climbed out my window at night to ride my

pony, black sky above, and to sleep against his back when he slept. Probably more girls

than you know crawl out of their windows at night to ride.

1957, Delaware, OH

My box of found objects: Photo of a phone booth horse. Ivory horse kneeling, carved

from soap. List the Appaloosa’s four basic patterns: leopard, snowflake, blanket, and

marbled roan. Notes for a history of Justin Morgan. Story of The Red Pony, with the

death scene covered in black magic marker. Ring of woven silver horse hair. The