• 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the barn
• All the horses were resting, well-fed and warm.
• Their stockings were hung this time of year
• In hopes that apples and carrots soon would appear.

• The barn Christmas tree lights were all turned out,
• But horse cookie decorations still twinkled about.
• The barn work for the night was all done,
• It was time to get ready for tomorrow’s sun.

• I in my yoga pants and my dog at my feet
• Had just closed my eyes to try to get some sleep.
• When out in the barn there started such a racket
• That I jumped into my boots and pulled on my jacket.

• We ran to the barn as fast as we could
• Because the sound sounded a lot like breaking wood.
• The barn light out front made things as bright as day,
• But when I looked down the aisle I was filled with dismay.

• Well, what to my sleepy eyes should I see?
• But a big chestnut mare who tipped over the barn Christmas tree.
• Her eyes, they flashed and her nostrils, they flared
• And her huge white teeth were already bared

• She grabbed all the carrots and gobbled half the cookies
• Kicked in the grain room door and ate all those goodies
• She got into the hay barn and pulled open several bales
• Opened all the stall doors and galloped toward the trails.

• The horses were loose!  I knew I’d get the blame,
• So I whistled and shouted and called them by name.
• “Come Blazer, here Indy, stop Wizard, come Guy,
• Whoa Stormy, stay DJ,” I yelled to the sky.

• Slowly the horses broke away from the mare’s spell
• And returned to their stalls and again all was well.
• The mare stomped her foot and asked “why did you appear?”
• “If it wasn’t for you, I could have blamed it all on Santa’s reindeer!"

• She neighed to the horses to wish them good cheer
• Then galloped across the pastures as fleet as any deer.
• When she reached a hill, she turned back as if to say,
• “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good day!”

• I sighed as I went back inside,
• I knew I’d survived a big scare.
• “I’d rather have coal for Christmas
• Than ever have a chestnut mare.”

Written by Kelly O'Neill, based on "A Visit From St. Nicholas" by Clement Clark Moore