Denise Branco didn’t set out to write a great piece of literature. She wanted to create a journal of her experiences with Freedom Sky,? a horse who was part of her life for 30 years. Anyone who has had a special relationship with an animal can understand her desire to pay tribute to her best friend during her formative years–and his.
In 1993, her family and friends urged her to write about Freedom. She did–a short story she shared with friends. In the years following the horse’s death in 2008,? the need to chronicle their entire story became even stronger.
The writing of Horse at the Corner Post became therapy, Branco says. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to express my feeling in order to cope with my loss.”
Branco’s 142-page journal begins in May 1976, when she knelt beside a sleeping newborn foal and slipped a halter on him.? There was an instant bond between the young girl and the young horse, one that strengthened as they grew up together.
As Branco became involved in schoolwork and planning for college, she felt that she was keeping Freedom from living up to his potential, so the horse was turned over to her uncle, an active rodeo competitor. Branco figured she’d always know where he was and could get him back at any time. Unfortunately, her uncle didn’t know the horse was special to her. By the time Branco dreamed that Freedom was in danger, the horse had been passed through several owners and the trail had gone cold. She began a desperate search to find him.
What strikes me about this story is how it parallels a news story we just posted on DiscoverHorses.com, “Stolen Horse Recovered After 10 Years.”? In Branco’s case–and the family who lost their beloved Opie to a thief–the kindness of strangers led to a glorious reunion.
Read Denise Branco’s Horse at the Corner Post.? It’s a quick read and a feel good story. It will cause you to cherish every moment with an existing four-legged friend or relive the memories of one that’s no longer with you.
Published by Strolling Hills Publishing of California, Horse at the Corner Post can be ordered directly fromwww.horseatthecornerpost.com for $14.95 or from Amazon for $17.95. Watch www.horseatthecornerpost.com for the upcoming e-book version.
