Casper

• Jess Lendon, Grade 4
• Poetry
• 2007

Today Dad didn’t have to wake me. It was my birthday. I jumped out of bed and to my surprise, Mum and Dad were already up with a huge bunch of presents in their arms. A saddle? A bridle? Horse supplies!!… Then it hit me. I ran into my favourite paddock and found a beautiful chestnut horse grazing in our back yard. Mum and Dad caught up to me breathlessly. “Thank you!” Dad had finally give in. “His name is Casper and he’s all yours,” Dad said proudly. I put the saddle and bridle on Casper expecting him to shy away, but he didn’t. I mounted him. He didn’t move. I clicked my tongue and he started to walk. “He’s perfect!” I cried out. I squeezed my legs for him to go faster. He cantered. I loved Casper as soon as I saw him. Tragically there was a hole just in front of us. Casper didn’t see it. I screamed and came down with him. Everything went black.
I woke up in the hospital with Dad and Mum crying. “Where’s Casper?” I asked almost in a whisper. Mum looked up at me but couldn’t answer. I knew that something bad had happened. It seemed like forever before we finally left the hospital.
When the car pulled into the drive I jumped out. My head hurt as I ran but I didn’t care. I ran into the paddock where I rode Casper. But he wasn’t there. “Casper!” I screamed. I couldn’t bear the thought of Casper in pain or dead. There was only one other place, the barn. I ran to the last stall. I found my beautiful horse lying down in the straw. “Oh Casper.” He turned to face me and gave a small weak neigh filled with pain. I knelt down beside him and cried. Dad walked in, “there’s not much we can do for him. I’m afraid, we’ll have to put him down.” “No !” I shouted suddenly. But the decision had been made. I was going to lose my horse.
The next morning I woke up at six to check on Casper. When I saw him my heart sank, as he was still lying there. I ran to get his halter and lead rope. “Come on Casper!” I said urging him to stand up, “come on.” After coaxing him, Casper began to think about standing up. “That’s it. You can do it.” He nodded his head and struggled to stand up. But he did. He took a few steps but then laid down again. “No! you’ve just got started!” I said with determination.
Casper stood up again. I worked with him all day hoping he would be okay. After a while he was walking around the stable. Eventually we trotted outside in the cool wind. Casper neighed happily. He was like a brand new horse. I looked ahead and saw Mum and Dad smiling. Casper was such a strong horse; he was going to make it.