Picture coming

Well, I am the two legged in this story.  It was a long, hard road with my "La Vieja".  It took over a year to reach her.  Now she runs free with the herd, and looks like she is four years old instead of approaching thirty.

She visits with me whenever I go to the pasture.  She is my elder of the herd and I can only respect her courage and return the total love and respect that she offers me. 

What a wondrous lady she is!

Sandra Claypool

I am "La Vieja"

Hear my story:

I was born high in the  mountains of Northern New Mexico.  I saw parents, siblings and children come and go.  There were many predators in our lives, not least the two leggeds.  Life was often beautiful, and often sad and hard, but I never tired of being free and looking at our beautiful mountains.

I grew old there while going through the stages of my life.  I was first the young filly, then the young mare of the family and finally the elder wise mare.  I lost all my teeth and it became harder to forage and stay healthy, but I was still respected and loved by the rest of the family group.  I was carrying a foal and it was hard, I was thin and the sagebrush I was eating was tearing my gums and not digesting well.

Suddenly one day there were many two leggeds on roaring machines and total terror and confusion.  Before I knew what was happening, we were behind bars with no way out. Several of us beat against the bars trying to escape, but only fell down hurt without being able to get free.  We were taken on huge machines to another place where a lot of two leggeds came and stared at us through the bars.  Then we were put between two bars that clamped down on us and I gritted my gums, and blood spurted from my mouth.  I lost my foal because I gave birth too soon, and I watched him die because I had no milk. This was a time of total terror!

The day came when the two leggeds separated us and took us away to different places.  I left my family and friends, only in the company of "Concha", one mare from my family.  We were terrified and were taken to another place with more bars.  A two legged brought us food and water and tried to talk with us, but every time it looked at us I was so terrified that I ran into the bars and fell down.  I thought I was going to die and I wondered when it would find me fat enough to eat.

One day we were moved to a larger barred place which was better because I could move further away when the two legged came close.  I became very depressed and finally laid down and tried to die, but I could not.  The two legged spoke to me, fed me and cared for me.  The next morning I got up and started eating again.  I wanted to be free again, but I was old and needed help to survive.  One day I came to understand this two legged was a female and that she meant me no harm.  I did better from that day.

One day the two legged put the other mare and myself on a machine and she said that she was taking us to a place we would like.  When we got there all I could see was so much green grass, and others of my kind.  I soon learned that many of them came from where I had and it was great being together.  I run free again with my family.  Every few days my two legged friend comes to see us.  Sometimes alone, and sometimes with her foal, or other family members or friends.  When she does I always go to visit with her for a while to let her know that I too respect and love her as she does me.  I have my dignity back.

I am "La Vieja" Spanish Mustang and this is my story.