Alistair Bain

One Saturday morning, I found myself in the bathroom looking in the medicine cabinet at my mother's newly refilled prescription of tranquilizers, thinking that it would be so easy that night before bed to take them all. The kids would have no one to bully on Monday. My mother would have no one to say was embarrassing the family.

I left them there, knowing they'd be there, and went out to the stable. And I saddled up Beau. I decided that day I was going to do something good for him, something to make him happy, because even if I felt like I couldn't feel happiness anymore, he could. So I rode him down by the airport, where there was a long dirt road. I take him down there and let him just run to his heart's content.

I left them there, knowing they'd be there, and went out to the stable. And I saddled up Beau. I decided that day I was going to do something good for him, something to make him happy, because even if I felt like I couldn't feel happiness anymore, he could. So I rode him down by the airport, where there was a long dirt road. I take him down there and let him just run to his heart's content.

I left them there, knowing they'd be there, and went out to the stable. And I saddled up Beau. I decided that day I was going to do something good for him, something to make him happy, because even if I felt like I couldn't feel happiness anymore, he could. So I rode him down by the airport, where there was a long dirt road. I take him down there and let him just run to his heart's content.

As we got near, I could feel him getting excited. He knew what was coming next. As we turned the corner onto that road, I step in my stirps like I was a jockey in the Kentucky Derby. I let him have his reins, and he took off.

As we got near, I could feel him getting excited. He knew what was coming next. As we turned the corner onto that road, I step in my stirps like I was a jockey in the Kentucky Derby. I let him have his reins, and he took off.

As we got near, I could feel him getting excited. He knew what was coming next. As we turned the corner onto that road, I step in my stirps like I was a jockey in the Kentucky Derby. I let him have his reins, and he took off.

I had heard someone say once that if you're a true horseman, there comes a day when the communication between you and your horse ceases to be the tug of a rein or the nudge of a knee, and you simply become one with that animal. And as he ran flat out down that road, I began to feel that happen. It was as if he and I could speak without any cues from myself. He ran faster and faster.

I had heard someone say once that if you're a true horseman, there comes a day when the communication between you and your horse ceases to be the tug of a rein or the nudge of a knee, and you simply become one with that animal. And as he ran flat out down that road, I began to feel that happen. It was as if he and I could speak without any cues from myself. He ran faster and faster.

I had heard someone say once that if you're a true horseman, there comes a day when the communication between you and your horse ceases to be the tug of a rein or the nudge of a knee, and you simply become one with that animal. And as he ran flat out down that road, I began to feel that happen. It was as if he and I could speak without any cues from myself. He ran faster and faster.

And as we approached the end of the road, there's a dead end sign. But I didn't have to rein him in. He knew what to do. He slid to a stop, pivoted on his back legs, and ran back the other direction.

And as we approached the end of the road, there's a dead end sign. But I didn't have to rein him in. He knew what to do. He slid to a stop, pivoted on his back legs, and ran back the other direction.

And as we approached the end of the road, there's a dead end sign. But I didn't have to rein him in. He knew what to do. He slid to a stop, pivoted on his back legs, and ran back the other direction.

And as he did, it felt almost like that little horse's joy of being alive on a fall day, running full out under a crisp blue sky with the smell of the dried corn in the field next to us came up through those reins and ran through my body like electricity. And so everything was suddenly quiet and clear and beautiful. We reached the end of the road, and standing there was a woman outside our car.

And as he did, it felt almost like that little horse's joy of being alive on a fall day, running full out under a crisp blue sky with the smell of the dried corn in the field next to us came up through those reins and ran through my body like electricity. And so everything was suddenly quiet and clear and beautiful. We reached the end of the road, and standing there was a woman outside our car.

And as he did, it felt almost like that little horse's joy of being alive on a fall day, running full out under a crisp blue sky with the smell of the dried corn in the field next to us came up through those reins and ran through my body like electricity. And so everything was suddenly quiet and clear and beautiful. We reached the end of the road, and standing there was a woman outside our car.

She'd stopped and was watching us. She smiled, waved at me, and said, you and that horse, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Thank you, I said. And that was enough. In my culture, we say horses have the ability to heal. And I know that that's true.

She'd stopped and was watching us. She smiled, waved at me, and said, you and that horse, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Thank you, I said. And that was enough. In my culture, we say horses have the ability to heal. And I know that that's true.

She'd stopped and was watching us. She smiled, waved at me, and said, you and that horse, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Thank you, I said. And that was enough. In my culture, we say horses have the ability to heal. And I know that that's true.