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A Wheel, A
Horse, and
Lessons about
LoveBy Jenny Stutsman
Copyright 2016 by Jenny Stutsman

Anthony, who had loved and worked with

horses his entire life, was entertaining
himself at a local country fair by watching
some of the workhorses. Anthony sat on the
roughly hewn bleachers and watched a
group of work horses tethered to a wheel.
This wheel was attached to a pulley and the
horses were working their breeds magic.
The horses were walking tirelessly, round
and round making the large wheel move

slowly, but steadily forward. This in turn

moved the large pulley mechanism that

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generated the needed movement to run a

energy to make the wheel turn, yet the horse

motor. Through the work of these horses,

stayed on course following his mates around

energy was made and wheat was thrashed.

the circle. He was free to leave at any time,

Anthony noticed that one of the horses was

but interestingly the horse trudged forward

not attached to the wheel at all, but was

surrounded by the company of his fellow

merely following the other horses around the

horsemates. Anthony heard folks from the

circle. The horse was average in size, not

crowd who had noticed this make comments

particularly muscular, and did not seem to

such as Thats the smart one-letting the

have any deformities that would prohibit

others do the work! and He is lazy and is

him from pulling.

making the other horses carry his load.

Anthony admitted that he too had these
same thoughts. He wondered to himself if
the wheel might turn faster if that horse were
attached to the wheel or how much more
productive the group of horses might be
with the added strength of the extra horse.
He even chimed in with the crowd with his

He observed this and thought about the

two cents. Someone needs to talk to their

single horse who seemed to be doing

owner about the value of unity and the idea

nothing but walking around and around with

of strength in numbers! He also added

his teammates. They ever so slowly wore a

insult to injury by calling the horse lazy,

smooth circular path in the dirt. The single

slovenly, and slothful. A wrinkled, tanned,

horse was not tethered to the wheel and

old farmer donned in the typical baggy blue

therefore was not putting forth any of his

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bib overalls, looked at the crowd and just

they were tears or not, but the old farmer

smiled. He had that look of they just dont

had piqued his interest and he sat down on a

understand on his face-you know the look

bale of hay to listen to what the farmer had

that years of wisdom sometimes give the

to say.

older generation. He produced a crooked

When he was born, Rascal (as it

little grin and wink to his dwindling crowd

turned out this horse had a name) was just

of naysayers and went about his work.

what his name claimed-an absolute rascal!

Satisfied that his two cents had been heard,

He would run and nip at his stall mates-and

Anthony continued to sit and watch the

that was when and if he actually stayed in

beautiful beasts do the work they were bred

his stall. When it came time to get a halter

and born to do. After a while, the crowd

on him, he was near impossible to even get

cleared and only Anthony, the horses, and an

close to! Rascal was born to work and pull-it

empty lemonade cup were left. He sat for a

was in his genes, but he was putting up a

while and was just about ready to leave

mighty fight as the old farmer tried to

when he heard a quiet voice from the other

convince him of this destiny. The old farmer

side of the horses. You should have seen

who had trained (and loved) many wayward

him a few years ago. Anthony was taken

horses in his day still had a few tricks to try

aback because he thought he was alone.

on Rascal.

Walking around the outer perimeter of the

horses and the wheel, Anthony saw the old
farmer. As he began to talk about that
horse - the one not doing any work- his
eyes glistened a bit. Anthony couldnt tell if

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At first he penned Rascal in the same corral

the farmer and the other horses were

as his other pulling horses and let them

working. Each time, the farmer would stop

mingle. It took some time, but the other

and give Rascal all of the love and ear-

horses grew on Rascal and after a few weeks

scratching he could stand and tell him,

and a few nipped ears, the herd had learned

Good job boy-you did great today. One

to love Rascal. More importantly, Rascal,

day while the horses were working the

through the patience of his friends, felt like

wheel, Rascal began walking around the

he belonged to the group. The next move

horses in the circle; he didnt join in, but he

was to get him used to the circle paddock.

walked just around the outside of the circle.

Rascal would have no part of this!

Rascal decided to make his own circle-he

Following the crowd? Being tied down?

was definitely making his own path to

Going around and around and getting

follow. The old farmer watched and nodded;

nowhere? Absolutely not! The farmer could

he saw something that no one else did-

not get Rascal to fall in line in the circle for

something was changing.

anything. So the farmer continued to love on

Rascal; when the other horses were

Soon

munching on their carrot treats, Rascal got

one too. The old farmer trained and worked
his herd right there in the corral with Rascal

Rascal was nuzzling the necks and flanks of

running about watching and playing. At first

the other horses; he was trying to find a

Rascal skirted the farthest perimeter from

place in the circle-a place where he fit. He

where the work was happening, but day by

tried different spots until one felt just right.

day he moved in closer and closer to where

It was behind a gentle old mare and in front

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of an old pulling horse named Jack. The old
farmer could tell that Rascal felt at home-he
also knew that his herd had not let him
down. They had loved Rascal enough to let
him come to them in his time and on his
terms; they just waited patiently until he was
ready. They didnt stop their work to wait,
but rather showed Rascal day by day and
little by little what was expected from the
old farmer. When he was ready, they
allowed him to join the team seamlessly.
The old farmer paused for a very
long time and Anthony waited patiently for
him to continue the story. The farmer took a
long slow sip from his thermos of lemonade
his wife had packed for the weekend. Then
nothing- The farmer just stopped right there
with his story. Anthony however was not
finished and still had questions he needed
answered. If Rascal learned to work with
the wheel and with the other horses, why is
he not tied to the wheel now? Why do you
allow him to not pull his weight? Anthony

asked hurriedly. The farmer with that all

knowing grin continued his story.
Try as he might, Rascal would not let
the farmer tie him to the wheel or put any
type of harness on him. It was as if he still
could not let go of his freedom; he just could
not learn to fully trust the farmer. The other
horses knew he was not helping them, yet
they pulled anyway. They were happy to let
him walk with them; in fact, when he was
not walking in the circle with them, the
other horses seem to walk a bit slower. I
swear they know he isnt lightening their
load, but they wont work if he is not in
there with them! sang the farmer as he
chuckled and slapped his knee. So when I
come to the pulling shows or work the farm
back home, I put Rascal in there with them.

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They carry his work load and seem happy to

Year after year, Anthony returned to the fair

do it. I seem to get more out of them when

looking for Rascal and the farmer.

they are all in the circle together.

Disappointed, he could never seem to find

Anthony began to understand the

Rascal or the farmer. Many years later

farmer and his story. He even started to get a

however, he noticed a group of horses

little fuzzy soft spot in his heart for Rascal.

working a wheel. The thrasher they worked

He also felt bad about the comment he had

was spinning and working like crazy-the

made earlier about telling the farmer he

hum and rumble of the machine drowned

needed to learn a thing or two about unity.

out much of the noises around the fair. As he

Anthony began to see that unity is not about

got closer, he knew instantly that it was the

the one not pulling their weight, but rather

farmers group of horses-the old wheel and

about those around them and their ability to

leather strapping was very distinct and he

love unconditionally and compassionately,

knew without a shadow of doubt that he

to give of themselves without expecting

would soon be reunited with Rascal and the

something in return, to gather around and

farmer. As he approached the hub of activity,

support and to show the way through love,

wheat dust filled the air and wheat tares

kindness, and patience. Anthony left the fair

littered the ground, but he did not see the old

that day with a twinkle in his eye, a new

farmer or a horse in the pulling circle that

friend named Rascal, and a lesson learned

looked like Rascal. He began searching and

from a wheel and an old wrinkled farmer.

asking questions of the onlookers, but none

of them knew anything about this horse
named Rascal or the old farmer. Soon from
around the back of the rusty old machine

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came a young man. Anthony knew

old farmer had asked his son to take him out

immediately that this young man was the old

to see his beloved horses. One by one, they

farmers son; he had the same soft smile and

were loved, whispered to, and given one last

twinkling blue eyes as his father. Soon

carrot. Rascal was the last horse he spoke to

Anthony began asking about the old farmer.

and the one he spent the longest with. That

The son explained to Anthony that his father

evening his father died.

had taken sick several years ago and finally

gave up and returned to his maker last
winter. Anthony was filled with sadness and
wanted to know more about the old farmers
last years, especially his work training his
pulling horses and of course what had
happened with Rascal. The son explained

The son began slowly, For the

how during his last few months, his father

longest time, I couldnt bear the thought of

had tried and tried to get Rascal to give in

putting dads horses on that wheel; I knew

and let him tether him to the work wheel,

the love he had for them and how difficult it

but Rascal although he loved the farmer

would be for the horses to work without dad

dearly, would just not let go of this one last

there. He had a way of loving them and

piece of freedom. The old farmer knew that

getting them to work together that I knew I

his son would soon take over the farm and

would never be able to recreate. Bright

the duties of the workhorses; he wanted

and early one morning though, I decided it

Rascal to cooperate and work for his son.

was time- and the most amazing thing

On the last afternoon before his passing the

happened! I finally worked up the courage

to get the horses back to working and not

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only did they work, but they worked more

with the spirit of two or three horses; the

beautifully than I could ever imagine.

other horses could hardly keep up. It was

What about Rascal-whatever

clear that their load was now easier because

became of him? Anthony asked, almost

of Rascal and their love and patience with

afraid of the answer that would come. What

him had paid off ten-fold.

do you mean? the son asked confused by

Something in Anthony glowed like a

the question. Turning toward the wheel, the

fire he couldnt explain. He missed the

son pointed to a magnificent black horse-

farmer and the lost opportunity of a

Rascal is right there in the lead position. He

continued friendship, but he knew that the

has been pulling harder than any horse I

old farmer had gotten it right. He knew the

have ever seen. In fact the entire group was

power of what unity could do. He knew the

halted the first day I put them on the wheel.

transformation possible. He knew how to

Rascal pushed all of them aside and took the

build unity by loving, by waiting, and by

lead spot. I assumed he would refuse the

showing.

lead rope and just walk with the group as he

As

had always done. He refused to move until I

lashed him to the wheel; he has been pulling
like a champ ever since. Anthony looked
over and could not believe the
transformation; Rascal stood tall and pulled
with the might of a locomotive. There was a
sense of belonging to the beautiful strong
animal he had become. He worked the wheel

Anthony slowly walked away for what he

knew was his last visit with Rascal, he
overheard a young girl whisper to her
mother, Look at that strong horse in the
front-he is beautiful! Anthony leaned over

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and whispered, you should have seen him a
few years ago.