Bedtime Stories from the Barn

By Beverly A. Stubblefield Ph. D.

When everyone has settled down for the night, the horses at The Equestrian Therapy Center talk with each other about their day, the people they’ve helped, the challenges they’ve confronted, and the fun they’ve had. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE BARN are based on actual experiences. Since they are “straight from the horses’ mouths”, the author has taken liberty to embellish the facts. The stories are to be read nightly by a parent, caretaker, or loved one to children ages six to twelve. Each story has a psychological lesson based on Biblical principles. Each story is designed to teach coping strategies, to provide insights into emotional and spiritual safety and security, and to promote sweet dreams for all attentive ears.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664183094

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Copyright © 2021 by Beverly A. Stu bblefield, Ph. D.. 828564

All rights reserved. No part of this book may

be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval

system, without permission in writing from the

copyright owner.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible,

New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015

by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois

60188. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places

and incidents either are the product of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales

is entirely coincidental.

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021913299

Rev. date: 08/20/2021

Contents

Introduction

The Beginning

Cell Phone

Majesty

Rescued Horses

Camp Bearable

Gentle Spirit

Special Treatment

A Winter’s Night

The Wild Boar

The Turtle

The Parade

Carrie’s Birthday

The Foal

Entangled

The Fire

The Shadows

Trust

Unity

Listen

Test Anxiety

Palm Sunday

The Mare and the Colt

A New Trainer

The Cowboy

Midnight Trail Ride

The Ramp

The Jockey

Helping Hands

The Birthday Celebration

Thirst

The Farrier

Forgiveness

Leading From Behind

The Cows

The Lost Shoe

Confronting Fear

Speechless

The Polo Match

The Obstacle Course

Horses and Me Horse Show

The Memorial Service

Retirement

Introduction

When everyone has settled down for the night, the horses at the Equestrian Therapy Center talk with each other about their day, the people they’ve helped, the challenges they’ve confronted, and the fun they’ve had. These stories are based on actual experiences. Since they are straight from the horses’ mouths, the author has taken liberty to embellish the facts.

The stories are to be read nightly by a parent, caretaker, or loved one to children ages six to twelve. Each story has a psychological lesson based on Biblical principles. Each story is designed to teach coping strategies, to provide insights into emotional and spiritual safety and security, and to promote sweet dreams for all attentive ears (Proverbs 1:2-6).

The Beginning

One summer a great hurricane, named Katrina, destroyed the Gulf Coast where Aunt Bev lived. Aunt Bev was a psychologist, a kind of doctor who talks to people to help them with their problems like sadness, fear, and loss. The hurricane flooded Aunt Bev’s office as well as her community and the neighboring countryside. Almost everyone’s home was destroyed. The people had no food or clothes. They had no place to live. Many of the boys and girls were sad and afraid because they had lost so much. They needed someone to talk with to help them with their problems. Aunt Bev wanted to help, but her office was no longer available. She thought and thought and came up with a great idea!

Aunt Bev always loved horses. She had several show horses. On some occasions, Aunt Bev used her horses with some of the boys and girls who had trouble talking about their problems. Brushing and just being around the horses would help them relax and talk. Sometimes the boys and girls would just talk to the horses instead of Aunt Bev. Remembering these experiences gave Aunt Bev the idea of starting an Equestrian Therapy Center where boys and girls could come to a safe place away from the destruction and loss in their lives and talk with her and the horses to learn how to overcome their fears and sadness.

Aunt Bev and her husband Uncle Burt bought a horse farm and moved Aunt Bev’s office to the new farm. All that was needed were horses. Aunt Bev’s show horses had been evacuated to Short Oaks Farm to be safe from hurricane Katrina. Now it was time to bring JR, Roanie, and Skeeter to a new home. Uncle Burt no longer had a horse, so Aunt Bev bought JR’s brother Slick for him to ride. These four horses were the first to come to the Equestrian Therapy Center.

The trip from Short Oaks Farm to the Equestrian Therapy Center was a long one. When they reached their final destination, the horses were unloaded from the horse trailer and led into the new barn. Each horse had his own stall with fresh water, hay, and wood shavings on the ground to keep them warm and dry. Everyone was very tired and ready to sleep. But JR was too excited to sleep. He was with his brother again after being away from him for several years.

I am so happy to see you again, Slick! I can’t believe we are going to live together again at this beautiful new place! said JR excitedly.

Yes, I am glad to see you again, too, JR. I’ve missed you and wondered where you have been, said Slick. I think I am going to like it here.

I think Aunt Bev and Uncle Burt have a something special for us to do here," said wise old Skeeter.

I heard Aunt Bev say something about helping boys and girls, said Roanie. I used to help her when we were at another stable. Boys and girls would come to brush me and talk to Aunt Bev about their problems. Sometimes they would just talk to me.

Talking is fine, but I want to ride, JR responded.

Yeah, I want to become a show horse like you guys, said Slick.

Well, I think God has a bigger plan for us all, said Skeeter. It will be exciting to see what’s going to happen here at our new home.

Very soon boys and girls came to the Center for all kinds of problems. The horses learned to listen along with Aunt Bev. They were amazed by how much they were able to help others by being patient and just listening. One little boy said, The horses helped me learn to not be afraid of the rain and thunderstorms. The Equestrian Therapy Center did so well that Aunt Bev won an Innovative Business Award for developing a new business idea that helped people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Psalm 37:3

The stories that follow tell the tales of the horses and their experiences in living at the Equestrian Therapy Center and helping boys and girls and their families overcome their problems.

Cell Phone

When Skeeter first came to live at the Equestrian Therapy Center, Aunt Bev invited her friend Nancy to come over and ride. It had been a long time since Nancy had ridden a horse, so she was very anxious. Skeeter recognized her anxiety, but he remained calm. He gave Nancy a good ride.

As Nancy dismounted, her new cell phone fell out of her shirt pocket. Because she was getting off and all of her weight was on one side, Skeeter became unsteady. He shifted his front foot to keep his balance so that he and Nancy would not fall. When he did, he accidentally stepped on Nancy’s new cell phone.

Oh no! exclaimed Nancy with anxious surprise. Skeeter just froze. Aunt Bev had to come over and gently lift his leg so that Nancy could retrieve her cell phone. It looked intact, but the screen was cracked.

Aunt Bev was worried about Nancy’s cell phone, but Nancy wasn’t worried; she would just get another one. After putting Skeeter back in his stall in the barn, Aunt Bev and Nancy left hurriedly for the cell phone store.

When Nancy told the young cell phone store clerk what had happened to her cell phone, he was in disbelief. We’ve never heard that story before, he replied. Aunt Bev reassured the clerk that indeed a horse had stepped on Nancy’s phone, so he programmed a new phone just like the broken one for Nancy.

Meanwhile, back at the barn, Skeeter was still worried about what might happen to him because he stepped on Nancy’s phone and it broke. He was afraid of being punished. Don’t worry, Roanie reassured him. Your fear is for nothing. Stepping on the cell phone was an accident, and Aunt Bev and Nancy know you didn’t mean to step on it.

"Yes, but I don’t know