Horses Never Lie About Love

September 26, 2011
Harris, a teacher of creative writing at the University of Washington, shares the inspiring story of True Colors, a horse who overcomes severe challenges to becomes the heart and soul of Harris’s farm. Reared by negligent breeders who left the young horse unprotected, True Colors is burned and lung damaged by nearby wildfires. Skittish and almost feral, the horse avoids eye contact with people and is in evident pain and distress, wracked by deep, full-bellied coughs. Harris begins to slowly gain the wary animal’s trust, healing True Colors’s body and spirit. The real breakthrough happens when True Colors’s gives birth; having a foal softens her, she becomes instinctively nurturing and protective. It’s a moving story that only loses steam when Harris digresses and shares bland personal details. True Colors is the star of the story, and the narrative gathers momentum and meaning when it returns to the horse’s triumph over so many obstacles and her powerful bond with her master.