Douglas
I am reminded of a story of a friend’s horse.
She mentioned to me that she had bought a new horse and she really felt like he was going to become a part of the family.
She chattered on about him on and off for about a week before I finally met him.
On this particular day I was introduced to a little red horse named Sky, very non-descript. I saw him in a corral on a small hill in the distance, as I walked toward him for the very first time.
In my ear I heard my friend introducing me to Sky, sparkling sky.
But in my heart, I recognized him immediately and I screamed Douglas! This is Douglas! Time seemed to stop and in my mind I saw Douglas. There was a fierce battle raging that quickly surveyed and began to follow in my mind.
Knights, swords, screaming, heavy hooves galloping, clanging of metal, the chaos of mayhem and smoke from a fire drifted past.
For a brief moment I was there, in a single sliver in time and I could remember it all.
My sense were wide open.
The smell of the battlefield
The sound of the conflict.
I was riding a horse in full battle gear. I was riding Douglas,
I was in a complete set of knight armor and chain mail, and riding Douglas, a huge athletic heavily muscled black Friesian type horse. He felt like a massive machine of destruction as we thundered across through the battlefield looking for the enemy.
As I looked ahead to focus on the battle I could see the focus of my interest as we drew closer, my enemy was just ahead of me and I squinted preparing to engage in an attack.
Abruptly another horse, to my right, came into the limit vision of my helmet and face shield. I had no time to react.
Immediately a long heavy sword was pointed at me and things were happening fast.
Douglas saw the incoming danger at the same moment.
He stopped abruptly and pivoted to engage the enemy, the opponent was nearly on top of us, arriving from a awkward angle.
Somehow Douglas was aware that I was going to take a direct hit and reared up facing his chest towards the enemy, shielding me on his back.
The opponent continued running directly into us with his attack and his long sword rammed straight into Douglas, as we collided.
As I was thrown to the ground, rolling over, gaining my balance, and I jumped to my feet to yield my own long sword ready to defend us.
I was able to use it effectively from the ground and rammed it through the knight on the attacking horse as it passed by.
The strike was effective, and he fell backwards onto the ground and his mount galloped away from the battle. Surveying the ongoing battle, I searched for Douglas.
Where was he?
Had he ran off the battlefield like the other horse?
I heard him before I saw him. The sound of a warrior with a fatal rattling chest injury just behind me. Everything stopped in my world. The battle continued around me, but I did not react to anything. I stood with my sword down.
The attack had deadly accuracy. Douglas’ maneuver had saved me and opened him to a lethal blow. The long sword had gone halfway through him and stopped in his lungs. It was moving up and down as he breathed.
I rushed over to his face and looked him straight in the eye.
Douglas. Don’t leave. Douglas!
You saved me! I owe you everything. I held his head as he took a final shallow breath and the sword stopped moving. I hung my head and lost track of time. I said a final prayer, Thank you, my dear friend, for my life.
Snap, the glimpse was over and I was back standing a short distance from little red Sky. He stared me straight in the eyes, not blinking, not moving, as if he was also remembering the slice of time.
Could he see inside of me?
This was the war horse that sacrificed his life to save me in another time and place long ago. I recognized his energy immediately and chills ran down my spine. I walked up to him and held out my hand, but I did not say hello Sky I held out my hand and said simply said “Douglas”.
By now he had turned his head and was looking far away at the horizon, but as he heard his name he whipped his head around and looked me straight in the eyes again, he walked over and placed his forehead against mine.
A simple gesture that only Douglas would know and I realized that it truly was him. As we stood with our heads together I reached up and gently touched the side of each of his cheeks and gently stroked them.
I could feel an exchange of energy, and I got goosebumps all over my body. This position was familiar to us both. I found myself whispering to him.
I have missed you so much. I have missed you terribly. Thank you so much my dear friend. I am so happy you are back in my life. We stood motionless, exchanging energy with our heads together for a long time.
Then a dog ran up barking causing his attention to be pulled away, and the moment was over. My friend was in the barn and unaware of the exchange. Our relationship was too young to talk about such spiritual things.
In later years Douglas would come to live with me after my friend passed away. He retired in my pasture.
I have a large property and a tenant that lives on the back near Sky’s barn area. She often visited with apples and helped take care of him, it was her first horse experience.
She soon became good friends with Sky and one day she asked me what is Sky’s real name?
I thought to myself how would you know this? Where are you getting this information that his name is not correct? I had no idea how she knew this information and that it indeed was different.
I told her the next time that you go out there, as you walk up to him, call him Douglas and see what his response is.
The following morning she sent me a text and wrote OMG he immediately responded to the name Douglas and he came over to the fence, nuzzled me and wanted to put his forehead on my forehead.
I smiled. I thought this is Douglas. No doubt.
It is my experience that animals do have recurring lives, different from humans, but just as unique. Certainly Douglas was previously with me.