Ken McLaughlin Quotes

“There’s a responsibility we have toward animals. We use them. We shut them up, keep their natural food and water away from them; that means we have to feed and water them. Take away their freedom away, rope them, harness them, that means we have to supply a different sort of safety for them. Once I’ve put a rope on a horse, or taken away its ability to take care of itself, then I’ve got to take care of it.”

“It was a little girl I’ve always wanted, Ken.”

“Everything was delicious- outside and inside him. Nothing to dread anymore- no doors closed in his mind against thoughts and fears that made him sicken and tremble- it was all good, the sun, the water, Flicka, his father- ”

“If you find love- if a person or an animals finds love- it’s the same thing as finding safety, isn’t it? it’s comforting and friendliness and help. Everyone longs for it- any kind of love.”

“Everything was home in a way except school. The United States of America was home and he could feel it when they sang The Star Spangled Banner. And the ranch was home. The house was home. But most particularly the bed was home.”

″ ‘People grow up that,’ said Nell. ‘In spurts. All of a sudden they are years older.’ ”

“Ken, you know the world is full of unpleasant things. Pain and operations and sickness and discomfort. You mustn’t mind. That’s just the way life is. Besides all that, there is health and goodness and soundness and fun and happiness, too, for horses as well as boys- much more of the good things then the bad- ”

“This giving you a colt is a kind of bargain between us. I give you the colt, you give me more obedience, more efficiency, than you ever have in your life before. Is it a bargain?”

“And now they’ve got to change their minds about the world. It’s different from what they’ve learned. It’s a world where humans take the first place. Human beings master them. They have to obey. Humans are the most important of all. But they’ll soon learn.”