by jesdar16 » Sun Sep 04, 2016 8:57 am
Username: jesdar16
Show name: Believe in Miracles
Barn name Honey
Gender Mare
Age: 10 years
Height: 16hh
Bridle + Martingale color: Same as mane color
Saddle + pad color: Saddle same as mane color, pad is white
Story: "Come on Honey, you've got to get moving. I want to get out of here before Tyler comes back." Honey's head shot up as the familiar voice of the female girl reached the chestnut mare's ears. She nickered softly to the girl as she opened the stall door's locks and pushed the door open half way. The girl's curly, long brown locks bounced past her shoulders and fell softly at her hips, which were adorned with short jean shorts. Her long legs ended with a pair of riding boots. Her shirt said "Hold Your Horses" on it, with a picture of a horse in the center. The girl wore no gloves or helmet, and held a black halter in her hand. Honey turned in her stall to face the girl and held her head still, allowing the girl to place the halter over the chestnut mare's delicate head.
"That's a good girl." She young girl said softly, stroking Honey's nose as she clipped the lead line to the halter. She moved back to the door and pushed it all the way open, allowing Honey to exit the stall. Honey walked out of the stall, obediently following the girl's lead. They stopped at the crossties right outside Honey's stall and the girl clipped both ends to each side of Honey's halter. Honey stood still and adjusted one hind hoof so the tip was resting in the dirt.
"Rose? Rooooosee!" The girl groaned as a masculine voice called through the stables.
"He knows not to yell like that.." She muttered in response to several whinnies now flying through the stables. Quickly she brushed Honey down and picked her hooves, hoping Tyler wouldn't find her anytime soon.
"Come on now.. where's my hoof oil? I just had it! Ugh, I'll have to get it after the ride.." She walked as quickly as possible to the tackroom, grabbed her saddle, saddle pad, and bridle and carried it back.
"Dangit! Mom never brought my martingale back from cleaning!" She cursed as she put the tack on the tackholder. Honey turned her head to look, but the crossties prevented her.
"Sorry, Honey." Rose said, stroking the mare's nose again after she placed the saddle pad just behind Honey's withers. "It's just that Tyler is so annoying! He's never been good at keeping quiet around here, what was Mom thinking? Making him the head groom.. He's insufferable! He knows nothing about horses, except that they're transportation." Ugh. Her brother was never one for horses. When their father died, Mom needed another strong man to help with the heavy lifting. Tyler, an 18 year old teenager with a phone and driver's permit, needed something to do with his life. He had lived on the horse farm for his entire life, yet he knew next to nothing about horses. He did know how to order his 14-year-old sister around though. And the other grooms.
Rose was just finishing cinching the girth and placing the bridle around Honey's head when Tyler finally found them.
"Rose, you've got to go feed the mares in the breeding barn." He said as soon as he saw her. "Not ride that stupid mare. Honestly, I don't know why Mom bought her off the auction block. She'd be better off going to the slaughterhouse."
"No!" Rose hissed through gritted teeth. She couldn't scream here. Not next to her beloved horses. "Honey is amazing! She's only responding to your bad riding skills!" She snapped, tightening the bridle and tightly gripping the reins as she brought them over Honey's head. Rose left the barn, leaving her brother behind to feed the mares.
"Come on, Honey. Let's go for a ride." She needed something to calm her down after yet another fight with her brother. All Tyler did was yell at her, demand things of her. "Rose, go do this!" He'd say. "Rose, go do that! Go feed the colts. Go let the horses out. Go bring the horses in." Did he do one bit of it himself? No. Of course not. Not like dad.
Rose mounted her favorite mare, Honey, and adjusted the stirrups as she slid her feet through them. "There." Just sitting on the gentle chestnut mare calmed her down. Gently, she squeezed the mare's sides and clucked with her tongue, and Honey moved off into a trot. Once they were away from the farm and onto the forest trails, Rose asked for a canter. Honey's soft lope was smooth, and slow enough so she wouldn't trip. Together they rode through the woods, watching the green forest fly by. Sunlight filtered in through the canopy and the girl watched her mount's mane fly in the wind. Suddenly, a light caught her attention. It flickered, just in the distance, like it was calling to her. It danced between the tree trunks as Rose chased it, letting Honey's hooves thump on the forest floor as she went. The light seemed to never get closer, but soon she found herself near a lake. Rose gently pulled Honey to a stop. The light was still there, dancing above the surface of the lake. Suddenly it went down, into the lake, leaving a small ripple to flood outwards. Rose dismounted and took off her riding boots, letting her toes sink into the sand of the small lake beach. The water lapped at her feet as Honey dropped her head too. The chestnut mare gently took a sip from the lake, letting water drip from her whiskers. Suddenly, something light appeared at the top of the mare's head. It was the same light, the one they had seen before. It sunk into her mane, sending bursts of light through it. The mane lightened, like the sparkle they had seen had lit up Honey's mane. It also lit up her tail, making her look more flaxen chestnut than chestnut.
"Wow, Honey!" Rose gasped, pointing at the mare's shiny new mane and tail. "Your mane! It's so pretty!"
She hugged the mare happily, fiddling with the soft strands. "It's stunning." She said softly. "Just like you."