Most mornings a small parade takes place at our place. It consists of a string of cats, two dogs, and a 36-year-old mare who gives the eager impression of wanting to help with the morning chores. The specter of alfalfa cubes is what really drives her, and of course they all get something out of it, but we would never let on that we suspect. The attention they receive can be as powerful a draw as their feed buckets and pans. Our appearance each morning is their assurance that all is well in the world.

We curried the mare while she ate as two of the cats supervised the whole process by...