they clamp their bits in the riding ring
kicking the sawdust behind them
all day the children mount and pace
and when the animals rest
steam rises from their bodies like prayer
and they turn their heads and snort
when the last class is over
and the girls ride home in silence
in their vans
the horses are let out
to find solace in the grass

Mike Finley

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/horses-work-hard/