Symbiosis

•———~*~———•

Alex shut the field’s gate behind them, releasing the eager foal from their grasp. Newly weaned at five months old, Bee cantered over to Rosie, barely tripping over her own legs.

Rosie’s ears pricked at the sight of Bee, standing patiently, waiting as the baby Karuselle made her way over.

Amused, Alex tried their best not to laugh as something went wrong in Bee’s stride and the foal tumbled head first into the grass, legs splayed out like panicked jellyfish. It only took a moment for the horse to correct herself, though, and she resiliently continued her short but rigorous journey to the other side of the field where the fluffy chestnut Trukaree waited for her.

Rosie took a few steps toward Bee, and at last the two were reunited after their successful introduction the day before.

Gentle, Rosie licked the foal’s frazzled coat like a mother would, smoothing it out.

Alex figured that the two would be able to get along, since Bee needed a new friend after Honey left FCE to go home, and Rosie was a motherly horse in general, despite not being able to have foals of her own.

Bee followed Rosie around the field at a delicate prance-trot, trying to keep up to the mare. When Bee was able to catch up to Rosie, the foal noticed Rosie’s gait and tried to trot, following the movement of her legs.

The foal was good at a trot for it being an unnatural gait for her, but it wasn’t long before she tripped and once again tumbled over, disappearing into the tall grass.

Rosie immediately noticed Bee’s absence by her side and turned back to check on the foal. Bee stood up and the two set off again, this time Bee was at her natural prance-trot.

It was symbiosis, like in the wild. For the bee, the flower offers life, and for the flower, the bee offers a legacy.