Do you know about the 2001 Odyssey - the marathon horse-ride by Kaan from Dorset to Scotland to raise funds for the Tymes Trust research fund? Anna Daffin (brother of Mark whose poem about spiders is on my main page) wrote a poem about horses and I've been saving it up for a special occasion. I think the Odyssey is it. Don't be put off by the first line - she loves horses really!

PS Even if you can pronounce the names of her horses I bet you can't say the name of the breed that Kaan belongs to - he's an Akhal-teke - the warhorse of ancient legend. Very romantic - but I'm a very romantic spider, so of course I appreciate these things. To see him, to go www.2001odyssey.org.uk

The Horse

I hate the horse
I hate the horse
I hate its menacing, piercing eyes
I hate the horse
I hate the way its thundering hooves
Beat out its moves.

I love the horse
I love the horse
I love its beauty, strength and motion
I love the horse
I love the way it gallops free,
Its elegance captures me.

I hate the horse
I hate the horse
I hate its sharp, white glinting teeth
I hate the horse
I hate the way it challenges to fight
Its posture and its bite.

I love the horse
I love the horse
I love its magical, mystical names
Just listen to them: Friesian, Rhinelander,
Appaloosa, Arab
And Lipizzaner and Trakehner and Tresk

And Hanoverian
And Andalucian
Wurttemburger, Holsteiner, Barb.
So keep your scaly reptiles and your fluffy,
Furry mice
I'll take the Marwari
And the Morgan. Oh, how I love the horse!

Anna Daffin