A Tale Of Two Horses

Act Four

By Drafty the Suffolk Punch and Jackson Taylor (Wolfie Steel)

I'm running, sprinting, galloping for my life through the dusty grey streets of the grim housing estate, rushing past maisonettes and blocks of flats alike with their pebbledash and concrete exteriors, anti-vandal mesh and boarded up windows.

It's a shithole but a shithole I know all too well, it's my home.

I bolt Round the next corner hooves nearly slipping from under me, nearly but not quite. A street full of dead ends greet me as I skid to a halt looking round me, eyes and ears searching for an escape route. Right up that alleyway shit! Another dead end No! I look left right behind, nothing, just a wall, a low one compared to the rest, it's just above head height and just about do-able, I can do this! I have no other choice!

I crouch down, a quick look up and without a second thought I launch myself up the wall, using all the elasticity I was born with to assail the mass of brick and concrete, hands clawing desperately, feeling for the top, hooved tips scrambling for the purchase to pull myself over. Got it! I pull kicking desperately with my hooves to find grip, something anything. "Fuck come on!" I scream silently despair starting to replace panic in my frantic mind.

Suddenly my hoof bites, a crack in the pointing, only a crack but enough. Putting all of my effort into that one limb I push, pulling with my arms seeing daylight peeking over the top of the wall.

"He's here, I'm sure I saw him go down that one"

Come on! Up! Up! Up! My arms burn with the effort, but they obey, pulling my body up the wall, reaching with my left hoof I find another line of pointing trying my weight on that, it holds, good, another push, nearly there. Scratching away with my right again, a little more confident, this time and with a sickening snap the brick gives, shearing away from the wall, I slip downwards pain exploding in my arms the only things keeping me up now.

"He's not down here"

"Fucking try the next one then"

I try a pull, desperately trying to find a foothold, my arms seriously complaining now my stomach staring to burn, the beginnings of a stitch while my arms start cramping up, fatigue overtaking my body.

I hear the flat sounds of running shoes now, trainers on concrete, a sound I knew well and a sound I now desperately needed to avoid at all costs!

"This one, this one!"

Fuck, a few more seconds and it won't matter anymore. Again my hoof grips, finding purchase, then the other one, I climb willing the fragile brick not to crack again as I scale the wall, pulling desperately with my hands. With an agonising effort I heave my body over the wall quickly glancing down, a dumpster too late, I fall, hitting the concrete next to it like a sack of shit.

There I lie winded and silent, terrified and unable to move.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah it was down here"

Slow footsteps. I reach around my knees with my arms hooking them underneath, squeezing my eyes shut, listening intently to the conversation just over the wall.

"Well there's nothing here"

"Maybe he jumped"

"Don't be fucking daft, there is no way even a gazelle is getting over those walls he's got to be hiding down another one of these, let's go look for the cunt!"

"Yeah Blood' thicker than water, I want to what colour he bleeds"

"That's two of us bruv"

The footsteps recede, I take in my surroundings properly for the first time, it's a bin store full of big red wheelie bins with black lids parked haphazardly against every spare bit of wall, well every bit except mine, typical!

Breathing having retuned to somewhere near normal I get up spying a door in the corner, I click the latch carefully pushing one half of the double doors open. I brighten as I see the park the main road beyond, excellent I've emerged not far from home!

I close the gate, clicking the latch shut. Suddenly I feel pain in my head and before I can move my world turns black.

A screaming whinny.

I sit up straight heart racing, ears up. Nothing. Dead silence greets me in the inky blackness of the bedroom, I look around ears rotating this way and that searching for danger in that the most equine of traits while I pull deep lungful's of cool night air into my lungs through flared nostrils heart racing, arms up. My whinnied scream still echoing in my head, nothing whinnied back.

My ears settle on the window. I normally leave the curtains open to let the cool of the night in but I can hear the blind behind clacking slightly against the recess. With a sigh I pull the sheets back clopping over to the offending blind grabbing the cords and pulling the slats up and out of the way. I stare out over the vast expanse of open countryside lit by a milky yellow moon just kissing the horizon while a sweet night breeze rushes in fluttering my forelock with its cool sweet smelling air.

A sigh, what a world away from London this is! No amber from streetlights, no police cars screaming up the road with lights flashing and sirens blaring, not even the ubiquitous Garry-boys with their modified exhausts and shit music reverberating up the streets!

No, only stillness and silence dominated here, in fact the only sound keeping me company is an owl, a tawny hooting to nothing and no one in particular.

I feel the cool gust whip up into my face again, flowing down my body cooling my clammy fur too quickly, drawing a shiver from me. I huddle up bringing my naked hips close to the wall, feeling my sheath and balls rub the wallpaper.

Only then do I notice a light go on in the distance and it could only be the cottage at the far end of our field. The one with the mare that likes to watch, well I had guessed it had been a mare, I mean who else could be at home with nothing to do and all day to do it in. I feel my sheath beginning to stir, the broad tip of my pink cock poking out to say hello as my hips absentmindedly thrust, grinding my junk into the wall a deep nicker of pleasure rising from my throat. Those eyes it felt kind of hot really, once I got over myself, kind of arousing... Reaching a hand down I begin absentmindedly playing with myself, cupping and squeezing my flare, brushing a finger over the hollowed out cave in the centre, the digit coming away wet. I contemplate the cottage along with its occupant while I play with myself running various scenarios through my mind, but always coming to the same conclusion that whoever the mysterious horse was she was most likely mated and that any watching/playing would only ever be that, a fantasy for her and awkwardly arousing for me.

With that thought well and truly kicked into touch I found my mind wandering back to the pub and that equally mysterious stallion, black, quiet and sitting all alone in the corner.

Why was he alone and why did he keep looking at me?

My cock lurched while I nickered, the delicious feeling of blood suddenly filling the soft fat organ, spilling out of my sheath proper, as I absentmindedly thought over the encounter, or rather non encounter.

I'd clocked him more than once looking at me in a similar way to the horse in the window, ears up, mouth a little open, a hint of a quiver in his lean body like a horse who knows you've got a treat for them.

Did I really have that effect on folks? Surely not, I'm just a horse, big dumb and glum, noting to look at and nothing to look any further into. Yet it seems everyone I come across wants to...

What did he look like down there? Was his junk solid black, or was there a blaze of pink? Did it have a neat little in-line head or was he like me a full fat ring of a flare? What would that flare be crowing a towering shaft of horsy delight or, something altogether more stubby in length?

Stallions think about this even more than you might think, actually we think a lot, an awful lot but we never act... well this stallion never seems to act at least.

As for the mare she was, pretty, unattached and clearly up for it and certainly a possibility, I found my mind running wild with images of her! Picturing her beautiful dapple grey body, her hourglass figure, pert breasts capped with thick black teats and a quivering snatch, warm and moist pink depths hidden behind thick puffy lips. I could almost smell her juices flowing while I lean down, cock in hand bringing my muzzle in to sample her delicate and not so delicate flavours...

Alas I would get so far with her and each time I did I found my mind returning to the black stallion or at least the image of him I had concocted in my mind, his triangular sheath heavy and fat, stretched tight by the solid shaft his ebony flesh soft and warm in my palm. I imagine my self lifting that warm floppy organ to my muzzle, parting my lips to take the wide head inside in a warm embrace.

Stuff it, I really am going to have to paw off now!

With my cock now painfully hard, the head all deformed and squashed against the wall, I turn away from the window walking over to the bed, my bouncing, leaking shaft leading the way.

Cock in one hand I sit on the edge of the bed and squeeze the head listening to it gurgle reaching down with my other I grasp my sheath, now full and hard I give it a good squeeze, the chestnut fur feeling warm and soft against my fingers. I squeeze the head again, giving an involuntary little neighing whicker collapsing backwards onto the bed, my left hand gliding up the smooth shiny skin of my shaft pausing momentarily to squeeze the medial ring.

I'm too sensitive and it feels too good! I thrust harder, butt and hips raising from the bed instinctively a small fountain of pre spilling forth from the tip wetting my chest.

"A wet chest won't do" and without a second thought I bring my muzzle down to my cock, my grey equine lips parting to take the head and a few inches of the pink tipped shaft into my maw giving it a good long suck, Using my teeth to bite and tease the underside of my flare in a way I'd never let anyone else do, while my hand leaves the shaft to cup and fondle my balls heavy and fat with a good two days of seed bloating them, making the stallion orbs tender too pulling up tightly to my groin with every thrust spasm of my cock and thrust of my hips, I leave the orbs alone, returning to my cock, both hands now working over the two sweet spots, my head and median ring. Oh gods I feel so desperately close now, I want the release, I need the release, I hadn't had for days but I need it now!

Then I feel it, my cock becomes extra sensitive as the head flares up inside my maw.

Now... I could pull my mouth off, letting my seed fly across me, the bed the floor and the cat, or I could leave my muzzle exactly where it is and "recycle" a long time ago I found that option two was the most satisfactory, now I use it always, well nearly always.

The memory does it, I tense up, feeling my cock go rock hard as the first spurt floods my mouth followed by another and another, the fat hole vomiting out cum in a seemingly never ending fountain one shot at a time.

I'll let you in on a little secret, I used to hold it in my maw and spit it out in the toilet but that got old pretty quickly, I'm a lazy horse so now I just swallow. I've seen plenty of mares do it on the net and really and truly it's not all that bad. *Ducks thrown objects*

Groaning loudly around my own meat I feel my eye lids becoming heavy, glazing over in orgasmic bliss as I allow my own stud milk flow to down my throat, becoming more and more viscous as the spurts lose their momentum, I swallow it all opening my mouth, letting the flaccid member go watching it quickly softening and retracting into my sheath. Because I'm a horse and a boy horse at that the next bit is automatic for me, a no brainer. I turn over, tuck the duvet between my legs and fall fast asleep.

***

It's Saturday, and I've woken up with the biggest stiffy known to horse kind! I've been thrusting against the bed clothes in my sleep again and I can feel a massive damp spot on the otherwise clean bedding, fuck! And no time to paw of again! Double fuck!

I quickly strip the sheets making a loose ball out of them and rest them on the bed the work doing wonders to soften me, my shaft almost completely receding back into its furry pocket. I'll ask sally for some more later to do myself, but right now I've got to go to work, just over there in that field *chuckles*

That's the one thing I miss about the town, having Saturday morning to yourself! Mind you it is the one and only thing I miss in a sea of things that I'm perfectly happy to leave behind, but a farm knows no weekend and that fence needs to be finished.

Breakfast is a little more slow paced, Mark rushes out the door to check the cattle but points a hoof at me instructing me to stay put and finish up. God I feel like a little kid again, except this is a childhood I never had, somebody telling me to eat up, wow! Eat up is what I do though, Sally makes an awesome porridge, wet sticky sweet, stuffed full of raisins chopped apricots and sultanas along with a generous dollop of blackberry jam.

Yum.

Oh let me fill that up for you she reaches around me with a coffee pot refilling my mug with the wonderful smelling liquid while pushing her ample bosom into my back. I pull foreword a little uncomfortable with the gesture but she follows pressing in deeper hand firmly on my shoulder holding me still, after filling the cup she gives a contented little sigh pulling away.

My eyes don't follow her, it's awkward, but I can't do it to mark, call me a soft stallion but they've been so kind to me and trusting I can't break that trust no matter how much the busty cow pushes her udders into me!

"Drafty!"

I turn mid-step

"Your tail dear"

"Oh"

"Oh, thanks" I say reaching around to tie it up

But the cow comes up behind me closing the distance with surprising speed and before I could object she had my dock in her hand while twisting my strands together bunching them up together before turning it over in her arm catching it with her hand bending it in two, using the tail end to tie the whole thing up in a tight bun. Her hand like always remains for too long at the base, a long finger deftly stroking the underside of my dock just above where it protruded from a hole in my jeans.

"Uh thanks" I say managing to stumble over those two simplest of words.

I wag my tail the heavy knot swaying in delay like a pendulum.

"It's a pleasure"

She leans in to my ear, her breath hot against the side of my head "I'll untie it for you too Drafty, before you go out" her hand now wanders to my butt "wouldn't want you going out all tied up now would we" she purrs giving my rump a good squeeze.

I manage to untangle myself from the too-friendly cow, making my excuses and leaving before she could grope any further. The thing is, I like it, what stallion wouldn't, but my cock has gotten me into more than enough trouble, that's why I'm here, well a part of the reason anyway, little Drafty isn't entirely to blame.

Anyway shut-up horse time for work...

Down in the field again

I drive the land rover around the perimeter I've already completed inspecting my work for mistakes or problems entirely out of habit, I force the wheel around in the tatty old cab slewing the thing round the bottom end of the field and down to the old stone cottage.

Yeah I'm looking, purely out of professional interest you understand. I creep the landrover past the cottage "inspecting my fence" but I see nothing, sighing half with disappointment and half relieved I drive up to where I'd left off yesterday.

The morning goes pretty much the same that the one before had except this time I had a radio sitting on the back of the trailer and I was making full use of it, I had started off with on station but when the music became too dire I changed it, good old radio two to the rescue, I had just been laughing my head off at pop master (a music quiz that only happens In the mornings) the curt back and forth between the dj and loosing participant ending with "do you want to say hello to anybody" "no not really" *click*

When I felt it, eyes on me. Now I know you can't actually "feel" eyes staring at you but something makes the fur on the back of my neck stand on end, ignoring it I carry on with the post I'm driving in for the moment, deciding not to look round as I lift and pull down the noisy red fucker, the dull ring, filling my ears.

I wiggle my butt a little, lifting my tail before slapping the tied up bunch against my thigh, sweat rolling down the bridge of my muzzle to fall into lush grass.

Really, my tail doesn't need to be tied, not for this job but mark insists, recalling an accident with a stallion and an unguarded pto In horrific detail, so I just play along and tie it up.

A short pause, I line the post up again, nudging it with a knee, then hammering away on it some more, the last few strokes feeling difficult and laboured, my arms turning to jelly, I fight through the last few smacks until satisfied I had the right depth. Only then do I look around me, nothing. I can barely see the window now anyway, I survey the garden and the hedge separating our land and hers, still nothing.

A quick rest then on to the next one, I can't tell you how much difference the radio makes, you switch over to autopilot and before you know it the post's done, I vowed never to leave it behind me again, the old defender didn't benefit from a radio, only a long slot in the dashboard where one used to live, a mass of taped up wires now the only evidence that there was ever one there at all.

"Why does it always rain on me, is it because I lied when I was seventeen?"

It's not raining but nonetheless it's pretty appropriate, Travis another 90's band I like.

When I finish this field I wonder what mark will get me doing then. I suppose there's plenty of flailing to be done still.

There it is again, now I know I'm getting paranoid, do I want to get involved anyway, I mean what are the chances she's going to be a mare all on her own, next to none. But at the same time I'm a stallion, I'm born to chase tail and to lift and lick and...

I feel my cock stirring yet again placing a hand over the bulge squeezing my sheath through my shorts firmly, massaging the bulge for a moment before thinking better of it.

I turn then, I don't know what made me do it but I unzip my shorts and rummage around inside fingers quickly drawn to the warm flesh, with a small effort I start to drop, penis falling into my hand, waiting fingers guiding it out of its cloth prison, I spread my hooves and in full view of the house begin to piss taking a good look at the house.

Ahah Movement!

Bringing my other hand down I begin rubbing my pink and black dick, the organ quickly hardening in my grasp. My hands pause their stroking and squeezing, "this is no good, I only wanted to tease her but the fucker's never going to go down now" I mutter annoyed more than anything.

A thought strikes me, a naughty thought, I look back to the window.

Outline of a black horse? Check!

Pink and black heavy-horse penis? Also check!

Two hands? Check!

Ok, let's do this!

I begin stroking, more urgently than before, one hand working the top few pink inches including the all-important flare while the other worked the dark median ring, thicker veiny tree trunk like shaft and my sheath, mustn't forget that! I make sure to give that place special attention, my left wandering to it every now and then stroking over the leathery flesh, feeling the soft downy fur against my hands and occasionally giving a little push, the rock hard length swaying from side to side in my hand.

The figure's still there, silhouetted by the light shining through an open door behind them, unmoving but watching nonetheless.

I'm close now and as I flare up I bring my hand to the head, squeezing it hard, hips bucking into my own palm wetting it, preseed spilling through my fingers, letting go I give a loud whinny as a long jet of white bursts fourth from the apple shaped head followed by more, and more the thick ropey cum painting the grass before me a translucent white.

As the last few thick spurts dribble out I reach a finger, brushing it over my cave I bring it to my lips, making a show of sucking the whole digit into my muzzle turning it round, licking it lustily while giving my softening and receding cock a good shake with my other hand.

Making sure the figure was still there I turn around, show over.

Back to work.

Soon enough I arrive at the far corner, this'll be the third, but in reality I have had to install far more master-posts than there are corners for extra support in places, so I knew the drill, time for me to become part carpenter and part navi! (Digger)

So engrossed had I become in digging the trenches for the support posts that never heard mark roll up behind me in the tractor until he was upon me.

looking tidy Drafty, very tidy" the relatively slender bull spoke with approval. That made my ears stand up straight with pride.

"Thanks"

"I say as I find Dear boy"

I squat down to scratch behind the springer's ears letting him lick my face, I do love his dogs they're so friendly and companionable, and a little bit mental.

"So what are your plans tonight then city slicker?"

I grimace slightly at the name, rubbing the dogs back.

"Who's wondering?" I ask

"me" a pause "and sally"

She would I thought to myself "well I just thought I'd go down to the bay horse, have a few pints and make friends with the locals, kind of a repeat of last night"

A nod

"Well tell April I said hi"

"April?"

"Yeah the dapple behind the bar" he gave me a sidewise glance then "You don't know her name?"

"No"

"Well I'm surprised at you dear boy, she's a nice filly you know, very nice, and very chatty"

I blushed then face burning, I thought this would be the last place I'd have my studlyness questioned but apparently not

"Not going shy on us are you lad?"

I snorted indignantly.

That raised a grin, the old bull slapping me on the shoulder "just making sure lad, don't mean no harm by it" he grabs my shoulder with a firm paw pulling my ear close to him "now this April, she's down from uni, single and I know her da very well and if I know my fillies she'll be looking for a stud to play with, and she aint got none of those around here, it's just old all married old boys like me"

A wink

"But some of those are dirty old bastards; so you get in there before they do"

I nod on automatic, struggling to keep a straight face, these old country boys don't beat around the bush!

Relationship advice over Mark helps me set the master post, even taking a turn on the rammer while I wire up my progress so far, it was nice having another hand but I knew it couldn't last and sure enough the exhausted bull took his leave from me sweating and snorting with the exertion, I watch the tractor powering up the hill one of the springer's watching by my side, choosing to stay with me instead of his bovine master.

Oh well he'll find his way home if he wants to but he doesn't and the rest of the day passes by pretty quickly, I'm on the second last straight, rising back up the hill toward the rest of the farm. Having crept out of the hollow I find that I can once again keep an eye on the cottage and in particular the window.

Dammit! I meant to ask mark who lives there, I bet he knows too, he knows everyone around here!

I look closely at the top windows scrutinising the glass for movement my sheath stirring slightly, seeing none I return my attention to packing up for the day.

***

I clop through the yard door and straight into the kitchen.

"Ah both my studs have returned to me" the bovine declares with a wink.

I smile weakly looking at Mark, he's oblivious of course wolfing down the grey looking meal, his mug of tea untouched. "uraognmhy" he greets me with mouth full, I smile back.

"Anything I can help with? I offer to the busy middle aged cow.

"No duck, just sit your bum down and eat"

Taking my seat I begin to shovel the shepherd's pie into my mouth.

"Oh I changed your sheets by the way; I presume that's why you left them rolled up in a ball"

I froze in horror, mid chew Shit! "I forgot about those, I was going to do that" I blurt out trying not to flush red.

"It's no problem love" she said between mouthfuls smiling warmly at me, I smile back, mine several degrees cooler than hers.

"I mean it's the least I can do, you're out working HARD in the fields, and the last thing you want to be when you go to bed is high and dry" she continues with another wink and a smile.

I will the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

The rest of the meal passes quickly and I retreat to have a shower and make myself presentable for the evening.

It took a little longer tonight, (untying the difficult knots sally had made in my tail, something I was determined to do myself thank you very much) but finally got out of the place, latching the gate to the farmyard behind me, clopping down the quiet lane in the twilight, breathing in the still air, heavily perfumed with the smells of the countryside, somewhere nearby somebody hand been mowing grass, I wrinkled my nose happily drinking in the sent a spring slipping into my gait.

Amber lights guided me the final few hundred yards until I found myself stepping through the low door once more, this time I kept my head low remembering the beam.

Looking round I saw many of the same faces, a family of pigs in the corner, the pair of wankers in overalls by an unlit fire, the lonely kitty again, with a tablet computer In paw, and a dark stallion alone in a corner table, looking a little out of place with a plate in front of him and a glass of bright orange liquid beside him.

He blanked me, pretending to not have noticed me enter, choosing to concentrate on his meal instead. Fine, good evening to you too I thought to myself.

But I knew it wouldn't be long before the sideways looks begun, I toyed with the idea of making a point of getting wound up about it and asking him outside, but no, I'm not that sort of horse not at all, I had done many things when cornered or in reaction to something but a thug was something I most certainly was not.

Drafty the heavyweight champion of the world I would never be, fucking draft excluder now that's a title I had a chance at winning!

The dapple's here again leaning across the bar a welcoming smile on her muzzle and welcome view slightly lower "eyes up like a gentle horse Drafty, now smile back and don't stare there's a good boy" April? That's what mark had said her name was right? With a cheeky grin she guided me to the bar like a lighthouse to a lost ship and like a lost boat I followed, drawn in by her luminescence.

A definite swish appearing in my now untied tail.

"Hi"

"Hi hon, You remembered then"

"Remembered?"

She pointed to the door; I followed her hand seeing the beam.

"Haha yeah, once bitten twice shy"

She giggled back looking at me with one eye while pulling the pint.

The two dipshits where at it again, I flicked an ear in annoyance they should really know better the younger of the two was in his middle forties! But having nothing else to do I eavesdropped on their conversation a little.

"Yeah I remember him bringing groceries and whatnot up to the house, but he dropped off the radar for years, the first time I saw him again was yesterday, he's really gone strange, though he wasn't all that bright to begin with"

Another round of moronic laughter.

I look at the black horse, he's trying very hard, Although I can't describe his mind-set properly to you I know exactly where he's at, do or don't do, take the bait or leave it alone, act like a fool or forever feel one for not biting!

I find myself willing the horse on, come on, speak up for yourself, you're a stallion and you don't take shit from anybody.

The music starts as if from nowhere, another oldie, Frankie goes to Hollywood this time, two tribes. I grin for a moment, dad used to play this in the car on the old cassette player, it had a ripple in the tape round-about-here!

I sigh, feeling disappointed when I don't hear it, other memories flooding back to me now, different memories, not happy ones if only you could have stuck around a little while longer.

"So you didn't answer my question yesterday"

I shake my head

"Oh?"

She tilts her head back, a little smile apparent on her dark lips

I take the bait.

"What question would that be my dear?

"How long are you here and do you have anybody with you?

"oooh" I suck my breath through my teeth. "That's two questions, I can answer one only"

She brings her muzzle in close to mine elbows leaning on the mahogany bar, eyes staring into mine.

"Then I know which question I want it to be"

"You don't get to choose" I smile, bumping her muzzle with mine.

"I'm waiting"

"A while..." she biffs my muzzle with hers in annoyance but leaves it there touching mine, her breath smelling like grass and lavender, beautiful like a summer's garden.

"Dunno what he's doing in here?" a burst of the morons chatter behind me finds my ear, registering in my brain.

"Must be looking for friends because he ain't got none, Marie always said there was something strange about him"

I hear the grinding of a wooden chair being slid back way too fast; I put my head over my shoulder, blood up, ears foreword, ready.

The black stallion on his hooves now and approaching the pair threateningly, the deer jumps to his feet ready for a fight, the mule shambling to his hooves slower with a slight sway to him, but stands erect enough, ready for a drama.

The stallion clops up to the pair eyes locked on the mules own, threatening, challenging.

"If there's something about me you'd like to know then ask me directly, otherwise keep your fucking assumptions to yourself!"

Don't walk into this one I think to myself, whenever I see a scene like this unfold a pit opens up in the bottom of my stomach, because it's me standing there facing off, I've lived it so many times I know what's coming and do you know what? I'm finding it hard not to get involved.

If there's one thing that life's taught me is don't get involved in another a strangers fight, it doesn't end well. It can be a many splintered thing, there's history that's not apparent you, and worst of all is if the fur you think your helping turns on you it's just better not to... but I know as much as anybody if you think that you'll never do it and there's something different here, something about this strangers fight that's compelling, something desperate about the stallion, like he's reached breaking point, the final straw is broken.

Shit, he's either going to throw a punch or throw up with stress, and believe me I've seen guys like him do both, neither is pretty.

I jump up, but I feel a hand gripping me tightly from me behind, it's the mare, shaking her head with wide eyes begging a silent no.

Mind made up I shake the hand off approaching the three hoofers squaring off each other quickly interjecting myself between the black stallion and two farmers who should really know better!

"Come on, lads this is quickly becoming a bad idea, let's just walk away huh?"

The brown mule turns his muzzle to mine "Why don't you fuck off?"

Standing my ground unflustered "Because two against one is not ok now sit down and leave the guy alone"

"What the fuck's it got to do with you huh?"

"It's got everything to do with me, you're bad mouthing another stallion who just wants to eat his meal and mind his own business, drink up and leave"

"What?"

I take another step my voice suddenly going very low, my ears back "I said drink up and leave here now!"

A tense moment follows, the mule and deer staring me down, four sets of eyes glaring into mine. Everything quiet and still, the air heavy with the tension.

Suddenly the mule's eyes leave mine, and the spell is broken, time returns to its usual pace, and the mule turns to pick up his coat. I turn on my hoof and head back to the bar, no further involvement needed.

The mare rolls her eyes at me brushing an exaggerated arm across the bridge of her muzzle as I return to the bar.

A glass clatters to the floor, I spin round to see the black horse sat back at his table, shaking but trying not to show it, the remains of a glass resting on the floor in pieces.

I lean over the bar whispering to the dapple mare.

The black horse looks up as I approach his table, a wastepaper basket in one hand and two full glasses of bright amber liquid in the other. I set them down on the table squatting to clean up the remains of the glass, the horse makes to stand up but a hand on his shoulder stops him.

"Stay right there matey, I'm a conflict horse" I grin "plus I'm pretty good, I can pick up the pieces without cutting myself" I smile reassuringly at him as I start working.

"There a bit of history between the two of you?" I say throwing the pieces into the metal basket with little clinking sounds.

"You could say that"

Silence.

"Ok" I prompt, concentrating on the floor having gotten all the easy bits I'm now carefully picking up the slithers and shards.

A sigh. "I used to be a delivery driver, here" he waved his arm around the room"

"In the village?"

"Yeah, I used to deliver to his grandmother, one winter she walked out, she would always come out whatever the weather regardless of what I'd say, anyway she stood on an iced up flagstone and down she went, smashing her hip. I stayed with her until the ambulance came, keeping her warm with blankets, propping her head up with a pillow you know" he nodded at me the story replaying itself just behind his eyes "anyway Micky blames me, so it's my fault and he's been like that ever since, which is why I never come in here"

"Well I don't think he'll be bothering you anytime soon" I put the basket to one side and reach out a hand "I'm Drafty by the way"

The horse accepts, gripping my white hand in his black one, holding it a little too long, I smile pulling myself up with it, brushing my knees off looking at him expectantly. "Jackson Tayler"

I drop into the seat opposite suddenly weary taking a long drink from my glass trying to ease the obvious tension that unfamiliarity brings by going completely casual, that and I suddenly feel drained like a flat battery, adrenaline disappearing long ago.

"Cheers Jackson" I raise my glass.

"Cheers to you too Drafty"

We do an invisible clink in the air quickly downing the rest of the sickly amber fluid. The stallion rising picking up his phone tucking it away in his pocket.

"Well it's been a pleasure Drafty, and thank you"

"It's okay, it's nothing" I say holding up a hand. "Just helping a fellow horse"

"You work at willow farm don't you?" said the stallion changing the subject.

"That's right, where do you work?"

"From home now"

"And where is home?" I push

"Ash cottage, you know the stone one just up the lane"

My heart froze, a block of ice forming in the pit of my stomach, I had to ask.

"With misses Taylor?"

A headshake accompanied by a rueful smile was my answer.

Oh Fuck! Oh Fuck! Oh Fuck!