Cinder's Ember Glow

Cinder was the horse you could count on. A solid bay with a blaze and four white socks, she was the first one at the gate, not with impatient demanding, but with a quiet, expectant presence. She was a 'do anything' horse: cattle work, trail riding, packing in hunting gear, teaching kids to post. Her trot was ground-covering and smooth, her lope a rocking-chair comfort. She had a unique 'worried' whinny she'd use if one of her human or equine friends was out of sight too long. The gate doesn't feel right without her standing there, a familiar, warm, brown shape waiting to start the day's work or adventure. Her absence has left a functional hole in the ranch's rhythm.