PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

My First drive with a milk Float.

“"Do you want to help me on my milk round.”It was the Farmer speaking. I was tickled pink at being asked to help with this little job. “Yes please,” was my response. “Jump up on to the bock” and I proud as can be,found myself sitting behind the mare that pulled the milk float. On the main road there was little or no traffic and arriving at the first house. The milk float came to a stop. The horse needed no instructions. She knew every house that she had to stop at.

Customer after customer came with milk jugs or cans and were given the fresh milk. A few pennies changed hands and I sitting comfortable on the bock seat was enjoying my free ride. Suddenly the farmer jumped down from his seat and said, “You can carry on, on your own, the horse knows when the round is over and will go back home herself.”

We stopped at the next house, I leaned over and told the customer to help herself. She did so and gave me a couple of pennies. The horse or I should say the mare carried on until we came to the end of the round. All of the time my hands were clutching the reins tightly. I was hoping that the horse did not bolt leaving me helpless sitting as a driver but having no idea of how to control a horse. Without any warning the mare started trotting and I realised that I was now on my way back to the Farm. The gates were open and the mare trotted into the farmyard and stopped. I had the feeling that she was trying to tell me something but could not think what it could be. I had seen the Farmer often enough as he took the harness from the mare and I did the same. I hung the harness on to its pegs and rubbing the mares face I led her into her stall. I know that I overdid things but this horse had earned her very large portion of oats. I not only gave her , the oats but a large bucket of fresh water. It was not long and the Farmer told me that as I was honest and coud look after the mare I was now on my own. This meant that every day my job was to put the harness onto the mare fix her to the milk float and start off on my round. I would have made a good milkman but other things came along and I went back home from the evacuee period to my home town. No milk floats just those silent electric carriers that delivered the milk. No one came to clear the horses droppings for their rose bushes electric floats do not leave droppings.

I