by Tyrant001 » Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:24 am
Name: Errera
Gender: Mare
Prompt 1:
September 15th, 2021
Upon arriving to the Galingale adoption facility, seeing a much greater number of Striders than anticipated came as a surprise but a welcome one. I was very much interested in adopting one (or more, to be honest with myself) of this unique species, and well, the more there were, the more likely it was for me to find one that I really, really loved. I took my time at the event, walking alone and listening in to the conversations going on around me, picking up on bits and pieces that was coming from the handlers and staff. Hearing their poor backstories just broke my old heart, and I knew I was in the right place immediately. I forgot about the hope of adopting a healthy, ready to work Strider and put my focus on finding a poor soul that needed my help and the services that Nightwing could offer, as I had done many times before.
I turned away from the normal stalls and barn and put my full focus into walking among the forgotten and the unloved, seeing many promising Striders for my next project horse. The sad eyes of the Striders broke my heart, or seeing ones that were reckless and aggressive, teeth bared, eyes more white than anything else, ears pinned back like devil horns, in some ways reminded me of myself and the person that I used to be. There was a larger outdoor paddock that housed a huddle of these poor equines, standing shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip, all except one, who stood aloof from the herd. She had her head raised as high as I think she could raise it, four hooves and legs all firmly planted into the turned up dirt and mud, ears focused up and on everything all at the same time. She looked a bit different from the others- she was missing some feathers, I noticed from afar, and her tail had been marked up by something sharp. She was gold champagne, which, as you know, is my absolute favorite, and the knowledge that this one was for me struck me like a lightning bolt. I waited patiently for the next available staff member to inquire about the alert mare, I asked for her name, and there was none, of course, just a number, which saddened me to hear. What kind of monster abuses their animals, but doesn't even name them either?
The attendant asked me if I wanted to meet her, to which I agreed swiftly, of course. They entered the paddock with me and we approached gently and quietly as we could, cooing and using kind voices. The mare's nostrils flared and she snorted, turning away from us, looking back at the herd, and then back to us cautiously, as if unsure of what to do or where to go. She wanted to seek comfort in numbers it seemed, but... something was holding her back. As I neared with a halter and lead rope for the first time, she danced away from me on agile legs, snorting and tossing her head up and down. I wasn't deterred. I repeated this a few times, approaching with my hands out and palms facing her, I have nothing to hurt you with baby... Once she let me near her for the first time, I did as I always had to many horses before and placed my palm to her nose, feeling her rapid and still somewhat panicked breathing against my palm.
Errera.
I felt the word in my soul as it came to me, as if from a dream or an abandoned lifetime, so familiar and yet so distant from my memory. I spoke her name to her and her breathing slowed down as she adjusted to my scent and felt me in my soul as well. I stood with her and the blessedly patient attendant for more than a few minutes, stroking her head and speaking to her, letting her get adjusted to my voice, my scent, my stature, my presence. I slipped the halter over her head delicately when I was certain she wouldn't run for it, bite me, or do anything else unwanted, nodding to the attendant with a smile and letting them know I was ready to go with my Errera.
Prompt 2:
September 16th, 2021
Getting my new Strider home was… rough. The attendant had let me know that she was claustrophobic, and I immediately became grateful that I had brought a two horse trailer instead of one. It took us many times to get her onboard, and she eventually had to be slightly sedated in order for her to climb into the trailer. Driving her back home was very stressful, though I’m sure I’m no more stressed out than she- she was screaming and shifting around the whole ride, the poor thing panicked to pieces. The ferry took us home to the island and I enlisted the help of Bobby to help me unload her safely, having him there with an extra lasso and lead rope just in case she hurtled away from me. But before that I stepped into the stables and had a good look around, evaluating my empty stalls and thinking about the occupied ones. I decided to move Lucifer from his stall that let out immediately into the medical paddock, it was slightly larger than most of the other stalls and had an open window with a view of the paddock and woods nearby, hopefully a good fit for our claustrophobic mare. He's blind anyway so he shouldn't need the view, right?
We cautiously backed her down from the trailer and let her into her new stall, still slightly drowsy and out of it from the sedation but a lot more calm now that she was free of the confines of the trailer. I lead her into her stall and shut the door behind us, double checking her hay and water, her bedding, and she seemed good to go, the stall I had selected was large enough not to trigger her phobia. Her next door neighbor would be our small and calm pony Giver, and I hoped that he would bring her some comfort in this new place.
She stayed in her stall during the days that followed, save for being turned out at night into the medical paddock, I wanted to give her some time to really settle in, get used to all the sights and sounds, and she seemed like she was doing well. Though scared of us at times she seemed like she didn’t want to hurt us or cause any trouble. I called in a mobile vet and our trusted farrier to have her examined and evaluated and… that’s where the trouble began. The wash stalls were much too cramped for her tastes, and she began rearing and pulling backwards when I tried to put her in the cross ties. I had to improvise on the dime and quickly put up an outdoor wash stall of sorts in the medical paddock, and everything went off without a hitch from there. She calmly let them both examine her and the farrier gave her hooves a nice trim, the vet advised me on feed and supplements for her to gain some weight and become healthy and whole once again.
While she was out there and I had everything set up I decided to groom her, the weather here has been sunny and pleasant so it was perfect. She loved the grooming process! Getting the mats and tangles out of her fur and mane seemed like it must have been heaven-sent to her, she reacted to everything I did with much joy and love, she even nuzzled me a few times and was observing the whole process, funnily turning her neck and head about in the cross ties as much as she could to watch what was going on. I have high hopes for her, I think she’s going to make a perfect rebound and be a centerpiece here at Nightwing.
Prompt 3:
October 16th, 2021
It's been a month since my last journal entry regarding my Strider, Ererra, and I'm very happy to report back that everything has been going quite well, aside from some more hiccups regarding her claustrophobia. Myself and my hands have to be careful about how we maneuver her when coming through gates and leading her into her stall, and we cannot use the indoor wash stalls on her for any purpose whatsoever. While the weather remains warm enough, her grooming, vet visits, and farrier visits all take place outside in our newly built and fashioned outdoor grooming area, which is fine and well. Since she doesn't see much other work I've taken to exercising her one on one by walking her through the various trials and pastures here at Nightwing, where she has plenty of space to look around and not feel so cramped. Talking and walking with her has been very good for my mental health as well, it's easy to forget the simple pleasures of what owning horses really is, and spending this one on one time with her, boots on the ground, always makes me feel happier too. She doesn't seem as wary and paranoid of us as she was when she first arrived, and overall I would consider this a great success, and something I can take a great deal of pride in too.
When the camp fell into my hands, this kind of thing was exactly what I wanted to make my life about, and none of it speaks higher to our goals, achievements, and morals than Errera does, I feel. According to some of the workers we've become quite a pair around the barn- she seems like she watches after me all the time when I'm around and is always patiently waiting for me to stop by and love on her, or take her out on one of our nice, long walks. Words can't describe how happy I am that this beautiful equine trusts and loves me just as much as I love her.
Thank you for this beauty Shady, I'll be working on her prompts very soon! We're very happy to have her!
★
★
★
★
★ ---
