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The Horses Prayer
To thee, my master, I offer my prayer. Feed me, water and care for me, and, when the day's work is done,
provide me with shelter, a clean, dry bed and stall wide enough for me to lie down in comfort.
Always be kind to
me. Your voice often means as much to me as the reins. Pet me sometimes, that I may serve you the more gladly and learn to
love you. Do not jerk the reins, and do not whip me when going uphill. Never strike, beat, or kick me when I do not understand
what you want, but give me a chance to understand you. Watch me, and if I fail to do your bidding, see if something is not
wrong with my harness or feet.
Do not check me so that I cannot have free use of my head. If you insist that I wear
blinders, so that I cannot see behind me as it was intended I should, I pray you be careful that the blinders stand well out
of my eyes. Do not overload me, or hitch me where water will drip on me. Keep me well shod. Examine my teeth when I do not
eat; I may have an ulcerated tooth, and that, you know, is very painful. Do not tie my head in an unnatural position, or take
away my best defense against flies and mosquitoes by cutting off my tail.
I cannot tell you when I am thirsty, so
give me clean, cool water often. Save me, by all means in your power from that fatal disease - the glanders. I cannot tell
you in words when I am sick, so watch me, that by signs you may know my condition. Give me all possible shelter from the hot
sun, and put a blanket on me, not when I am working, but when I am standing in the cold. Never put a frosty bit in my mouth;
first warm it by holding it a moment in your hands.
I try to carry you and your burden without a murmur, and wait
patiently for you long hours of the day or night. Without the power to choose my shoes or path, I sometimes fall on hard pavement
which I have often prayed might not be of wood but of such a nature as to give me safe and sure footing. Remember that I must
be ready at any moment to lose my life in your service.
And finally, OH MY MASTER, when my useful strength is gone,
do not turn me out to starve or freeze, or sell me to some cruel owner, to be slowly tortured and starved to death; but do
thou, My Master, take my life in the kindest way, and your God will reward you here and hereafter. You will not consider me
irreverent if I ask this in the name of Him who was born in a stable.
AMEN
Author Unknown
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WHY BOTHER TRYING TO SAVE HOMELESS ANIMALS?
"One day, an old man was walking along the beach, as he did
most mornings. It was a beautiful day, the tide was out and the sky ,a beautiful blue. As he walked, he noticed, farther down
the beach, a human who looked like he was dancing. As he got closer, he could tell that this wasn't a dance,but the person
was picking something up off the beach and tossing it gently into the waves. Closer still, the old man saw hundreds and hundreds
of starfish beached by the tide. "Excuse me, young man, but what are you doing?" As he asked this question, he could
see the younger man was tossing the starfish back into the water. I'm returning them to the sea. If I don't do this, they
will die" he replied. "But", the old man said" there are so many. You can't possibly make a difference"
As the young man tossed yet another starfish, he said to the old man, " But it makes a difference to THIS one".
And he bent down to pick up another... "and This one"...
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