Dark Horse

In 1983, well-known Christian author, singer, songwriter John Fischer published an allegorical short story titled “Dark Horse.” Intended as a companion piece to an eponymous concept album of Christian rock he had released the previous year, the allegory takes on “the Christian ideal of breaking through external boundaries to answer the call to discipleship”—an idea Fischer has championed in much of his music and other writing.

The allegory begins as a spotted horse lives with other horses of similar coloring on a comfortable, pampering ranch, where all its physical needs are met. All the horses that live there are prized for their ability to pose in ways that hide their darker markings and only reveal the parts of their bodies that are white—all in imitation of the White One, a mythical all-white horse that they all do their best to outwardly emulate. The more white hair a horse on the ranch has, the prouder and more arrogant it acts, in accordance with what its “whiteness” deserves; the spotted horse that is the main character yearns to be as close to white as possible.

One day, the ranch is visited by a mysterious black stallion. According to this newcomer, there is a freer and truer life to be had outside the staid comforts of the enclosure—adventure and self-knowledge await horses that are willing to risk everything to follow him. The black stallion challenges the other horses to cultivate a “pure white” interior rather than worrying about their surface appearance.



The spotted horse decides to throw caution to the wind, leaving the conformity of the ranch where an outward display of whiteness is prized above everything else. Now, what will matter more is rejecting the old coddled existence and, instead, learning how to be a real, natural horse.

Following the black stallion onto the wild plains outside the ranch requires stamina and a rediscovery of a more deeply held faith. As the black stallion puts it, “White isn't what you look like […] It's what you do when you follow the will of the White One.” Slowly, the spotted horse grows to love the spots on its hair just as much as its white patches, seeing that its natural appearance has beauty because his inner life is becoming aligned with the White One’s teachings.

The climactic moment comes when the spotted horse’s deepening faith allows it to run through a raging brush fire in order to find the cool, clear stream that supposedly awaits anyone brave enough to face this danger. As the horse soothes itself in the water, the reader is meant to see a clear reference to “the saving waters of baptism.”



The short story ends with the spotted horse completely rejecting the appeal of the pure-white appearance that was used to mask imperfections. Instead, it has learned to rely on faith to guide its ongoing journey.