The Metis Fisherman; by Rhonda Snow

Long ago when there were only trails to the frozen lake in the winter, the Metis ice fishermen used the little Native Ponies to haul heavy fish boxes off the ice. Some ponies were grey or black, bay or brown, but they all had dorsal stripes and fuzzy little ears to keep the cold out. The little Native Ponies ran free in the bush, and on the lands, and swam in the lakes in the summer. They were free to roam, but they chose to help the people. In the cold winter months the people would feed them frozen fish and the ponies loved that. The trails were very narrow so they would hook up three ponies in tandem, to pull the heavy fish boxes off the ice. Without blinkers and reins, and heavy boxes in tow, the Native Ponies would help everyday and would be turned free again when the work was all done. The ponies loved to help the people and the people treated them with love back.