Metaphors for Managers — The Small Orange Horse
The farmer with the red ox, also had an oddly colored small orange horse
Won in a game of chance as a young foal, the orange horse grew older and was given little thought by the farmer
You see the small orange horse remained just that — small, orange, and unimpressive
In fact, the only impressive trait the horse had was its ability to eat large amounts of grass, hay, and weeds in a given day
So the farmer put the small orange horse to this task
When the grass around the farm became too tall, the small orange horse was released to graze
When the hay around the fields got too close to the fence, the orange horse was sent
When certain farm equipment got caught in weeds, the small orange horse trimmed back and managed the nuisance
The small orange horse, while never impressive by sight, was a consistent and steady worker
The small orange horse always stayed within the boundaries given and never ate from the flower gardens or from the middle of the fields
The small orange horse also grew to admire the red ox
The small orange horse watched as the red ox was tasked with heavy lifting and longed to be as useful on the farm
The small orange horse worked on its endurance in the evenings and on days that the farmer did not task it with grazing. It pushed and pulled an old log that was just outside the property line
The small orange horse thought, “If I just work hard enough then the farmer will notice that I am fit and strong and able to handle heavy tasks”
This went on day after day, month after month, year after year
But all the small orange horse gained was a greater appetite
Finally, the inevitable day came that the red ox passed away
While saddened by the loss of a friend so admired, the small orange horse thought to itself, “This could be my chance. Surely, the farmer will need to use me because I am here and capable of doing the work!”
But the small orange horse waited as days passed
It was never tasked with any of the plowing, pushing, or pulling
After some time, the farmer showed up to the farm with a new ox who summarily took over all the duties of the red ox
The small orange horse stuck to the same old tasks without fail and eventually retired in old age
Never did the farmer realize that the small orange horse, so small in stature and so oddly colored, descended from a long line of Clydesdales — a breed bred to be the workhorse of workhorses
This is Part 2 of 4 in a series. To read Part 1 click here
