The Ojai Post

Though relatively small at 14.3 hands, Commander is an alpha horse, asserting his place when around other horses. Horses are prey animals and rely on a strong leader for survival, to let them know when to flee and when to fight. When approaching other horses in the pasture, Commander will flip up his head to let everyone know who’s in charge. His colleagues show the appropriate deference, raising their heads at attention and moving out of his way. In spite of his outward show of strength, I have always sensed that Commander was a very different horse beneath the tough veneer. To me it seemed as though there was more than a little fear and bitterness to my pony.

Enter Dylan McEttrick. I will let Dylan explain who he is in his own words: “Dylan is an 8 year old boy that loves horses and has two of his own and a nice lady named Laura lets him borrow one of hers.”

This is an excerpt from the author’s notes from chapter 1 of The Commander Chronicles, written by new Ojai author Dylan McEttrick, who visits Commander almost every day, walking him, grooming him, and, now, telling his story. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Dylan for The Post.

In The Chronicles, Dylan describes Commander’s various adventures, ranging from the heroic, where Commander saves frightened horses from dissolving in a rainstorm, to the ordinary, where Commander cooks Thanksgiving dinner for the entire family. The latter includes an illustration of Commander in the kitchen, tending to a pot on the stove (Dylan frequently illustrates his works). Commander’s exploits also include nabbing a marauding halter thief and finding his human’s lost car keys. Asked about his favorite episode, Dylan replies “Commander Climbs the Mountain,” in which Commander scales a 22,752 foot mountain and plants a flag at the top to commemorate his triumph. To-date, only Dylan has witnessed Commander’s superequine feats, though I keep a close eye on my horse in hopes that I will one day glimpse his secret gastronomic, crime-fighting, mountaineering action hero side.

Though Commander is the toughie in the pasture, he is putty in Dylan’s hands. Commander follows Dylan’s lead anywhere, and will stand patiently for an hour or more while Dylan grooms him and braids his long mane and tail. Sometimes, while being groomed, Commander will close his eyes and doze off, propping up his head by parking his muzzle on the hitching post. Dylan can walk underneath Commander without a twitch from the thousand pound pony towering over him. Commander seems very mindful of the fragility of his small human friend. He devours Dylan’s attention and affection, responding with the horse’s sign of approval, a lick-and-chew.

Dylan is a prolific author, penning some 50 pages of Chronicles in the past 6 months. His mother, Shannon, noted that, prior to meeting Commander, Dylan had never shown any interest in writing. It all started one day last Fall when Laura and her friend Wendy were walking Commander. Dylan tagged along. Laura let Dylan brush him and braid his mane. Then the stories came – dozens of them, complete with illustrations.

Asked what Dylan likes about Commander, he replies, “Calm. Nice. Fuzzy. Cool to hug.”

Once when my wife Laura was leading Commander back from the pasture to his paddock he happened on Dylan walking the opposite way. Commander stopped dead in his tracks, lowered his big head to meet Dylan’s face, and refused to move until Dylan acknowledged him with a pet on the nose. Satisfied, Commander moved on. Up to this point, I had often wondered whether or not horses were actually capable of loving their humans, or if they instead merely tolerated their caretakers’ eccentricities. This exchange settled the matter for me, at least as far as these two were concerned.

Our interview comes to a close, and it’s time for Commander to return to his paddock and get a bite to eat. As Commander turns to leave, Dylan’s mother reminds him, “always thank the horse.” Dylan gets up on his toes, reaches his arms around Commander’s broad neck and gives him a hug, “Thank you,” he says. Commander fondly licks and chews.

Author’s note: see Dylan and Commander’s world premier debut at the ETI Corral show on May 6 at Soule Park!