Author Note: This is one of my favorite Great Horses, Dover Beach (“Beecher”) … the horse that did anything you asked. Maybe because equine generosity is the sacred truth at the center of true horsemanship, or maybe I’m reminded that some of the greatest horses live in memory alone now. Yet how joyfully alive when they return! Horses are always, also, a metaphor.
“Meagan tried to be nonchalant as she looked around the new setting and realized she still wore the pink dress! … A nudge pushed the small of her back. She turned to see the grizzled muzzle of a horse poking between the rails of a fence. The muzzle withdrew and the animal put its head over the fence, nickering softly. It was an aged horse, coming to the end of his working life.”
“Meagan & Beecher” by artist Marti Adrian Gregory for The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy. The Canadian artist has illustrated each era in Meagan’s journey.
In this final artwork for the trilogy, the artist illustrates both the scene and theme of the story: the horse has been the same throughout history. The settings changed, not the relationship … not the love.
You can see more artwork by Marti Adrian Gregory on her own website: http://www.martiadrian.com/