The Thoroughbred in the Backyard: Bibi’s Cautionary Tale

Let me tell you about Bibi. She’s got a way of doing things—a little quirky, a little cautious, and just a tad overprotective. But her pièce de résistance? Bolt, the thoroughbred horse she’s been “keeping safe” in her backyard for years. Now, Bolt isn’t just any horse. He’s the kind of stallion that looks like he could win the Kentucky Derby, then run a victory lap just because he feels like it . But for Bibi, letting Bolt unleash his full potential felt… risky. “You know, a horse like that has potential,” the neighbors would tell her, peeking over the fence. “Potential?” Bibi would reply. “Potential is overrated. You know what’s underrated? Safety. Stability. Not having to explain why your horse face-planted in a hurdle race.” And so, for years, Bibi kept Bolt trotting politely in her yard, convinced that his destiny was best fulfilled within a 50-foot radius of her house. Bolt, meanwhile, gazed longingly at the open gate like a caged bird dreaming of the sky. When Bolt Bo...