Hi, it's me again. Just a few more thoughts on the way that Jack is likened to a 4-footed animal and Ennis to an eagle in crucial scenes that I brought up in an earlier post. In the story, Ennis calls Jack "Little Darlin" which is an endearment reserved for his horses and daughters. On Ennis and Jack's first camping trip after they reunited, Jack asks Ennis how long their relationship would continue, and Ennis replies, "For as long as we can ride 'em. There ain't no reins on this one." The most remarkable reference to Jack as like a horse is during the flashback scene when Ennis comes upon Jack and says, "You're sleepin on your feet like a horse."
This is in addition to the reference I mentioned earlier where Ennis "hauled Jack up on all fours" in the first tent scene.
In a thread called "Coincidence or..." is a great discussion of the bluebirds which appear throughout the movie.