[iStarz & Everly]

ÇwÇ Ring Around The Stars 'Saturn (Tony)'




ÇwÇ Rewrite The Stars 'Venus'




ÇwÇ Surrounding Stars 'Jupiter'

[iStarz & Everly]

A New Life: Sundown's Background

Sundown's start in life was hard and rocky. His mother refused to take the baby and wouldn't let him nurse, much to the dismay of her owners. The poor colt was so confused. The one who was supposed to take care of him and live him most had rejected him. It wasn't expected for him to survive very long in the outside world without the help of his dam. His owners were determined not to let him die, and they worked hard in those early weeks when he needed it most. Bottle feeding the young colt every couple hours, but it wasn't working. He wasn't gaining weight and he was still very tiny. His owners desperately needed to find a surrogate mare to take him in to feed him what he needed to keep him healthy.
They found her about two weeks after his birth. A bay mare on the ranch, named Aashika, had recently lost her newborn and was horribly depressed at the loss of her baby. They knew she had a very strong maternal instinct and that she would be a perfect surrogate for the young foal.
Shika was slowly introduced to the young baby and at first the mare was not interested in the baby at all. Many of the staff were skeptical that she wouldn't take him. After a few hours of her not taking him in, they covered Sundown in her scent, making him seem like he was her own foal, the one she had lost. When Sundown was brought back to her, it was like a switch flicked on her maternal instincts to protect, provide, and care for the young foal took over. She let him nurse and she took Sundown in as her own baby.
Slowly at first, with the help of his new mother, Sundown started to put on weight and gain the strength that he needed to survive. By the time he was a month old, no one would have thought that he was rejected at birth. He quickly grew into a rough and tough colt who loved to play and get into everything.
Sundown and his new "mother" were often let into pasture with other mares and their young foals to release some of his energy. Sundown got along with all the other foals very easily, either chasing them or him being chased. And Aashika would keep a close eye on her adopted son, always keeping him in her sight, and when she couldn't see him, she would call him back and the colt would come running to her. Sundown had even worked up a bold, dare-devil side to him, once, he saw a rabbit in the pasture and although he wasn't sure what it was, he quickly charged the animal to scare it off. The rabbit darted away and he pranced proudly back to his mother.
Sundown quickly became protective of his mother at a very young age, seeming to take her personality even though he wasn't technically hers. He also became very caring and affectionate towards all other horse's and people. He bonded quickly and strongly with ones he saw often. Mostly his handlers and his mother.
(530 words)

[iStarz & Everly]

637 words

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!" The girl shouts, running into the kitchen clutching a half crumpled newspaper in her hand. She pauses at the table, holding onto his chair, out of breath. "Auction." She gasps out, shoving the paper at him.
He takes it in his hands, smoothing it out on the tables' surface. The ad was large and took up half of the back page of the newspaper. The images shown were somewhat smudged from the printing process, but the text was readable.

He skimmed the page, and began to read out loud. "Auction: Yearlings, Geldings, Mares, Lots of Starter Horses, Trick Preformers, Out of Proven Roper/Reigner/Rodo Sires and Mares.
Brindles, Sabinos, Splash, Solids, Champagne, Dun, Grullo.
Great lines, papers, registered.

Friday, June 8th; Pick-up June 8th-10th"

"This one." The girl said, pointing to a small image of a brindled mare. "I want her."

He sighed, looking at the other images, not many others caught his attention. "Alright, we will go and look. But don't get your hopes up."

The girl shouted her happiness and hugged her father before running off outside. She knew her father couldn't say no to new stock. The next day they would be traveling over an hour for the auction.

**Timeskip**

The next morning the girl woke earlier than normal to do her chores, they had to leave soon to be at the auction early to view the other horses for sale. It wasn't long before she and her father were on the road. Being too excited to sleep, the girl stared out the window. Once they reached the outskirts of the town, many horse farms could be seen. Some larger than others, but Tolters were everywhere. She couldn't help but smile.
When they reached their destination they began touring the property, viewing a few starter yearlings and gelding stock. A couple caught attention, but most were plain. Her father marked a couple numbers on his small writing pad. The numbers on the rope tags and prices he would aim for when he bidded on them.

The pair rounded the corner towards the mares and higher quality stock. These were breeders, what they came for. Then she saw her. The mare from the picture. She recognized the mare's brindled face instantly. The girl hurried over, noticing no one else was around. Then she saw that the mare wasn't alone in her pen. There was another, younger mare with her. This was a pair sale. The two were bonded with eachother and couldn't be separated. Making this a harder sale. Both mares were friendly and loved attention, coming to be petted and scratched.
Her father came up to the pen and frowned. "A pair sale." He sighed, "That's not what I expected."
"Dad, please. Just think of the foals she would throw. She's a Grullo Brindle and a chimeric."
He sighed again, running his hand through his hair. "Your right, her foals alone are worth it." He paused. "I'll talk to the owner and see if I can make the sale now."

**Timeskip**

It turned out with using a few well known names in the tolter community that her father was able to make the sale along with a few studdings from some of their stock as trade. Though they stayed to pick up a few other breeding stock yearlings as well. In the end, they walked away with 5 tolters. Well worth the trip they had made.
They had also gotten some history on the pair and learned that they were both trick ponies, named Alaska and Skylar, and that were used in the local rodeos. That is how they got so bonded with eachother, they were used in the two horse tricks and had lived together for years. Though now the pair was retired, they were great breeding stock.

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Skylar's relationship with Alaska

Skylar resents her friend, Alaska, for her arthritis causing their career as trick horses to be abruptly ended. While she does care deeply for Alaska and wouldn't let anything happen to her, she hates that she can't do what she loves with her partner. It had made her bitter to everyone around her. Deep down she knows it wasn't Alaska's fault and it was for the best.
Skylar never used to be mean, when she was competing, her was bright, loveable, and kind. She is now depressed and lashes out, she has become unrideable, a pain to groom, or stand for a farrier. The only way she can be led out of her stall or pasture is with Alaska by her side. Alaska seems much more at ease with Skylar around and it does her good to have a companion that watches out for her.
(146 words)