Perspectives of a Horse who could not understand words, only feelings
A Horse with No Name — Part 4
Story of a horse who found his freedom
Prologue
This is the fourth part of the fiction, A Horse with No Name. If you haven’t read the initial parts, please read from below.
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The frowny guest’s smile, the farmer’s laughter, and the crowd’s cheers surrounded Sunny in a wave of overwhelming joy.
Adrenaline coursed through Sunny’s veins, his heart racing as he soaked it all in. He had never felt this way before. The joy, the pride, the rush — it was intoxicating.
This is it, Sunny thought to himself.
This is my purpose. I will win every race. I will make everyone happy.
As the sun set over the arena, casting a golden glow on the cheering crowd, Sunny stood tall, basking in the glory of his victory.
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Chapter 9: Sunny the Galloping Stallion!
Sunny’s victory catapulted him into overnight fame in the racing world. People came from faraway places to watch Sunny’s performance.
With his newfound sense of purpose, Sunny trained hard and kept winning the races. The crowd exploded with wonder when Sunny finished each race with his trademark jump, winning against multiple legends like Raiden no Kage
Rajput Flame — A fiery and fearless horse embodying the warrior spirit of the Rajputs,
Sirocco — the Mediterranean wind, symbolising unpredictability and speed,
Desert Mirage — A champion of the Saharas known for endurance and resilience in long races,
Alpine Arrow — A Swiss marvel, precise and fast, like an arrow shot from the peaks of the Alps.
All of them fell behind, lost in the wake of Sunny’s galloping glory!
The frowny guest, who was once the epitome of coldness and fear, became a proud mentor.
Sunny was showered with special fodder, luxurious outfits, and adoration from trainers and fans alike.
Several horses were given to train under the frowny guest, who is now the legendary trainer who gave Sunny the Galloping Stallion to the racing world.
This changed the frowny guest’s life as well. He was once a poor horse trainer, stuck in the pool of poverty, working day and night all his life, now earning more than he ever did, with the proud title of the trainer of Sunny.
His sleepless nights turned to sleeping like a satisfied child; each day, he looked forward to returning to the arena and winning more races.
The frowny guest was harsh and cold to the other horses, but he showed his soft side when it came to Sunny.
He ensured Sunny got extra fodder and patted his head at the end of each day, talking to him with a sense of affection and pride.
At the end of each race, the farmer came to visit Sunny, and they spent the evenings together, and the frowny guest also joined in their playful moments.
Sunny basked in the pinnacle of his glory; he no longer feared the whip or the strength of other horses;
he could only see the finishing line and the rewards he would receive after he won the race.
He was winning; the frowny guest, the farmer and the enormous crowd were all happy!
Sunny thought, what else could go wrong? He had found his purpose!
As his fame increased, the number of races that Sunny was competing in also increased.
One time, Sunny competed in back-to-back races for an entire week.
Even the frowny guest was amazed by Sunny’s energy in completing the races and still up for practising afterwards with minimal rest.
In the final race, he competed against two legends:
Dehradun Stormstride — A swift and ferocious stallion descending from the Dehradun mountains and
Midnight Blaze — A sleek, black horse with roots in Texas, known for its bursts of speed in the final stretch.
When Sunny reached the finishing line, he could see his competitors slightly leading, with the Midnight Blaze increasing his pace at an unbelievable rate.
“I can’t fail”, Sunny thought, his resolve hardening with each stride.
With every muscle straining, Sunny leapt into the air, defying exhaustion and gravity alike.
The crowd erupted as he soared past Midnight Blaze, landing with precision and crossing the finish line just a fraction of a second ahead.
A sharp, searing pain shot through his thigh as he landed, his breath catching in his throat.
As the crowd celebrated his victory, Sunny limped away, each step heavy with pain unnoticed by the jubilant onlookers.
I have never felt this way, the pain, the gasping for breath, Am I failing now?
Will I be thrown away like the other horses?
As the sun slowly set, Sunny stood alone, his shadow stretching toward the finishing line — a reminder of the victories behind him and the toll yet to come.
He reflected with fear and pain, remembering the helpless eyes of other horses, the farmer's sad face and the whip's memory.
The cheers of the crowd felt distant, like a melody fading into silence, drowned by the rhythm of his own pain.
That evening, the farmer noticed Sunny limping slightly, he said to the frowny guest
“Sunny is limping slightly, is he alright? I think he needs some time off, he is exhausted!”
His voice turned slightly sad and concerned.
The frowny guest had also noticed this discomfort in Sunny, He said with a tone of assurance
“Back to back races can tire anyone out! Even I am exhausted from all the racing and training”
“This was an important race, if he had skipped it, he would’ve had to stay out of this season, and that can have serious repercussions.”
“The crowd’s memory is short. If we don’t seize every race now, all this fame, all this glory — it’ll vanish in no time.”
“Sunny’s stronger than most. With a bit of rest, he will continue to win races! Trust me.”
Noticing the farmer’s sadness, Sunny jumped around to make him laugh, masking his pain.
See! He is already up from it! the spirit of this horse is something that motivates even me!
Said the frowny guest with a sound of assurance.
“He can handle it, He will not fail like other horses, finally things are going my way! I can’t stop it now!”
The frowny guest assured himself, thinking about his hard life.
The farmer patted Sunny on the head, momentarily making Sunny forget his woes.
“I think Sunny will be able to handle it now, look at his spirit! ”
“With each win, the weight of my debts lessened, but is it costing my precious Sunny’s life?”
“Just a few more races, and perhaps I can finally leave this endless cycle behind,”
the farmer thought, with a flicker of hope mingled with guilt.
Thus, Sunny managed to hide his pains from them. The farmer and the frowny guest convinced themselves to ignore his pains masked by their ambition and circumstances.
Chapter 10: Mind over body
The nights became more and more painful to Sunny. His knees constantly hurt, and his body was bruised with the constant racing.
One night, he jolted awake in the dead of night, his body trembling, his dreams haunted by the vision of falling behind on the track, the crowd’s cheers turning into deafening silence.
The night was dark; the whole world was asleep, and the faded memories of his farm life resurfaced in his memory.
He recalled the carefree days on the farm, where his only goal was to bring joy to the farmer by leaping over haystacks, content with simple fodder and endless affection.
Then, he remembered the painful episodes of the initial days of fear and loneliness.
The fearful memory of the first whip consumed his thoughts, and the stern voice of the frowny guest echoed in his mind like it was yesterday.
“I can’t be weak! I need to win races; I will keep making everyone happy”
“The pain I’m experiencing now is nothing compared to the trauma I endured! I will win!”
Suddenly, the memories of his first win shifted his mood.
He could hear the whole stadium chanting his name, and the moment he saw the frowny guest cheerful for the first time, seeing his farmer after a long time.
Winning was no longer a goal; it had become a shield against the ever-lurking fear of failure
With his mind overpowering his weary body, Sunny pushed himself harder, chasing the relentless thrill of victory.
Chapter 11: A crack in the soul, a crack in the wall
The next day, during a gruelling training session, Sunny was practising with a group of younger, inexperienced horses.
As they rounded a sharp curve, one of the horses stumbled, collapsing beside Sunny with a loud, pitiful thud.
White sand sprayed into the air, splattering onto Sunny’s face as the fallen horse lay groaning, its breaths shallow and laboured.
The frowny guest stormed toward them; his face contorted with anger and disappointment.
“Sunny pushes through endless races, training day after day, and these useless wretches can’t even manage a lap!”
he barked.
“Take this one away. I won’t waste my time on failures!”
“Where are the champions like Sunny?”
“I’ve spent my life chasing perfection, and I won’t let mediocrity drag me down,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
The fallen horse’s eyes, wide with fear, locked onto Sunny’s.
It was a silent plea, a mirror of the helplessness Sunny had once felt — the sting of the whip, the crushing weight of failure, the desperate hope for kindness.
For a fleeting moment, the memory of his own cries echoed in Sunny’s mind, but it faded, consumed by a wave of apathy and something darker: resentment.
“The rules are simple”, Sunny thought coldly. “Win, and you survive. Lose, and you’re discarded.”
He shook the sand from his face, the cries of the fallen horse fading into the background.
“I keep running despite my aching thighs, despite the fire in my lungs.
Why can’t this weakling do the same?”
Without a glance back, Sunny turned and broke into a gallop; his mind locked onto the track ahead.
But as he rounded another corner, his stride faltered. His eyes fixed on a crack in the weathered brick wall.
It was small — narrow and jagged — but just wide enough for a horse to slip through with the right leap.
A ray of sunlight spilt through the opening, painting the dusty ground in liquid gold, shimmering like a stairway to heaven, beckoning him forward.
Hope, dormant and long buried, flickered to life.
“I could make the jump. None of them could catch me if I ran.”
The thought grew louder, almost deafening.
“Is this a sign? A way out of this endless cycle?”
“How long before I’m the one lying in the sand, discarded like the rest?”
He felt a pang of regret as he thought about how he had resented the fallen horse just moments ago.
A wave of guilt swept over him, and he realized how much pain had changed him, making him colder than he ever thought he could be.
Had he always been this cold? Or was it the price of survival, the cost of enduring the endless cycle of races and whips?
Does freedom give back his heart that once was filled with kindness?
What lay beyond that crack? Freedom, or something far worse?
The unknown tugged at him, both terrifying and exhilarating.
The crack in the wall seemed alive, whispering its siren song of freedom, carried on the wind that slipped through.
Sunny closed his eyes, his muscles coiling as if ready to leap — not just for freedom, but something greater.
At that moment, he stood amidst the door of the unknown, the ghost of his past behind him, his body shivering with fear and courage.
End of part 4
Will Sunny decide to escape?
Can freedom restore his lost innocence?
Will he be able to break free from the cold world of results and expectations?
Coming in the next part!
Whew! This was one of the most intense content I have ever written! I Hope you are also thrilled to experience the journey of Sunny with its ups and downs.
Thanks for spending your valuable time reading Sunny the Horse’s adventures! I’m also looking forward to seeing how the story unravels as I write it.
Please let me know your valuable suggestions and feedback at sreekiranar@gmail.com or LinkedIn.
