I hear thunder as he approaches.

His breath is visible in the cold morning air.

I touch his neck and feel the heat radiating from within.

His chest rises and falls with every breath, like waves stirring in an ocean.

He nudges me and pounds the ground.

There is thunder again, lightning in his eye.

I slide on his back, feeling the power beneath me.

His muscles ripple with every movement, giving way to my commands.

We slip into the woods, birds singing a morning song.

He pauses for a moment to sniff a curious looking bush, wondering what such a foreign thing could be.

We move on, faster than before.

He knows where we are going, and knows what we are about to do.

Like flipping a switch we are off.

His body rocks beneath me and I can feel his golden heart beat.

He loves to please.

He snorts as the leaves stir around his thundering feet.

I smile and focus on the rhythm.

Thunder, power, lighting, excitement.

We come to a stop.

I slip off his back and he licks his lips.

I wonder what he is thinking, but he reads my mind.

He nudges his nose on my pocket and lifts his head up and down as if to say, "I know what's in there."

I hold my palm flat, the treat like a ring for a proposal.

His whiskers tickle as his lips find the tangy gift.

He chews with such delicacy and concentration.

There is no more lighting, but rather beams of sunlight in his eye.

As I walk from the paddock, I look over my shoulder.

I love that horse and all he is.

Such power can be harnessed right beneath me, but only if I first understand it.