The Poor Baby Horses

Mum has showed me this picture of the baby horses, at the butchers' fair in October, all penned up,ready to go to their deaths.

They look nice little foalies, charming, sweet, nice natured - probably scared out of their minds in this strange place, with all the noise, people prodding and poking them (to see how heavy they are), sticks waving to make them move.

The sad thing is, these little chunky babies make exactly the sort of riding ponies that people want, 14-15 hands high, built to carry weight, suitable for a child or adult, calm temperament, easy to learn, just what the doctor ordered. But they won't get the chance to show how they could have won rosettes, got their clever horse diploma. They are considered worthless, other than for the value of the meat on their bones.

As they are all unused to people, and unhandled, it makes it all the more scary for them. What they don't know is that they have very little time left to live, they are going either to the local butcher, or off on a ride to Italy.

Either way, it isn't a good future. However brief.