Riding Home: A two version poem

First version:

The mare bears me home 
in that graceful stride 
that makes me feel 
better than I am, 
not broken, small, 
but whole.  

Second version:

out of 
the earth 
come 
the cowboy 
and mare
flawed 
and 
aching 
and 
wronged 
but 
well 
and 
glad 
to be 
riding 
home

Let me know in the comments which version of Riding Home you prefer?