I fancy sometimes that I can still hear faintly in the distance cheers and clapping, I can still hear a bell and I can smell leather and sweat ..... I can feel pounding in my chest, the sand hitting my face and my legs are flying..... and then it drifts away slowly. Darn I must of dropped off again. I am so so tired, all these damn flies, my legs hurt, they feel hot and they wont leave us alone. I glance across the paddock and see 'Girlie' lying down, her tail uselessly flicking and making no impression. I wander over and ask her how she is doing? ''Sorry'' she apologises, i'm so tired and feel so weak I can't be bothered to get up today'' I take a sip of the yellow syrupy liquid that is in the trough, its about all i can stomach and try to wander off far enough to hear those distant cheers once again.... It seems to me that I have fallen on hard times. Once there was grass and grain a roof over my head a brush and carrots. Now there is nothing, there is sand there are flies there is no green grass and no pats nor carrots... I am hungry and tired. I have seen my buddies disappear one by one, they have fallen, one by one they have laid down and given up and I can't blame them one little bit. Sigh..... Some people came last week and took a few away in a stable on wheels, 'new homes' i heard said. I hope their new homes are better than this one, i feel they will be. I look over at 'Girlie' she is still too tired to get up..... I set myself for another day of stamping my feet, endlessly walking, stamping and sipping that disgusting stuff, i sift through the sand on the floor for anything I have missed over the last 6 months and find very little. I kinda don't feel hungry any more, my tummy doesn't make noises any more, but my legs sure do hurt.... once again i sigh ( and fart but shhh after all i'm still a boy and it always makes one smile ) One of those stables on wheels arrives, I wonder if they are going to take away the few of us who are left....? People come over to me and make soothing noises, i get a pat too but to be honest it barely registers now. They lead me over to the stable on wheels and i think i remember these things, it used to take me to the cheery place. I make a run at it, my wobbly legs willing me aboard the thing that takes me to the cheery place.... I look through a gap and see 'Girlie' still laying down, I whinny a goodbye but she doesn't reply, i can see her Spirit is crossing the bridge already - Tis not a bad thing really at least no more suffering for her..... Its not long a trip and to be honest i was happy in there -no flies ! The door opens again and i wander out, ok its not the cheery place but i hear lots of soothing noises and gentle strokes..... I get some green grass, some soft warm feed and my legs are wrapped up and I feel less pain.....For the first time in i dont know when i sleep, and sleep ......
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