Eyes wide and the terror showing I saw my equine fantasy deal coming unravelled. I stood a Percheron stallion, in harness and led out to work as a horse.
Even as I was walked out the stud farm gate and harness with other beasts, I looked back to see Circe smile. "Oh Circe I would have been the best of stud for you, I thought."
Circe's offer to be well kept, a life of ease and filled with sexual conquests. Now as I'm in harness as a horse team member I see her promises fade.
The crack of the whip makes us all jump and pull the heavy wagon. Down the road we clop alone. The feel of cobblestone and it's uneveness aches my fetlocks. The feelings give pain which runs up into forelegs and makes me sweat even more.
After a mile I am in a lather of foaming sweat. As a human I was not any type of a long runner. It seems that my lack of physical ability has carried over to my horse body as well.
Our day is long as we haul cargo deep into the park. Then from exibits we haul livestock to waiting pens next to the truck bays. This goes on trip after trip. We are given water stops and a sack of grain at noon.
My body aches' feet, rather hoofs ache too. Every muscle of this huge body is on fire, I long to be human again. I think it's false that the grass is always greener on the otherside of the fence.
Dusk and we are trotted into a barnyard. The barns are three sided and open to the center yard. I am taken from the team and led to a ten by six stall. Wooden sides covered in old animal filth and a feed trough with hay and a water bucket.
My rump hangs out past the stall walls and is in the isle behind me. It looks as if I should stand here all night. If I lay down it's in dirty straw with other horse waste mixed in.
I long to be in that fine clean stall and Circe's Stud Pavillion. I think back to this morning and Circe telling me I'd stay as a work horse for six months. Then if still of mind I'd be brought back and put to stud work, oh boy!