by NARANDA » Mon Sep 19, 2016 11:20 am
Owner: NARANDA
Show Name: A Rose Among Time
Barn Name: Jull (Arabic - "Rose")
Gender: Mare
Age: 6 Years
Height: 16.7hh
Halter color: Black
Pearl/jewel color (halter): Eye Color
Art/Story:
I watched as the strange people led my mother out of the pen she was in and out towards the yard. A strange beast sat in the yard, its mouth wide open as if waiting for its next meal. I cried out to her, her whinnies of reply sounding urgent as she tried desperately to break free from the rope and halter the human held firmly in his grasp. He was not alone though, two rope around her neck prevented her escape as they also urged her towards the monster's belly. The fence stood between me and mother for some time now, preventing us from reaching each other, but I was always reassured by her presence. I did not know why, but I knew if the mouth of the monster closed with her in its belly, I would never see her again. I felt panic, I felt horror as I realized the situation we were in. A life of separation from the one I trusted and loved the most. Before I knew anything, before I learned what it was to grow up, I was just a rose under the protection of the protective thorn. The clank of metal rang through the air and my mother gave a final cry before the monster left the yard, leaving our home, and myself behind. I cried for her, but heard no reply. I ran up and down the fence, but she did not appear like she usually did. She was gone. I felt my heart break as realization hit me, leaving an unbearable hole in my life.
That warm, sunny summer quickly changed and the leaves turned bright gold and red. The first time I witnessed the beauty of fall, I remembered how I panicked and yet was excited about the change of color. I remember running up to my mother and she told me it was the beginning of death for the land, a death meant for a new start, a death that allowed the land to start anew. It felt like my heart was twisted at the memory. It was my second fall when I was let into the field with the rest of the herd, I was scared. My mother told me she would be here for me, would introduce me to the herd herself, but she was no longer here to keep that promise. My breathing sped up and I pranced in place, pulling back on the rope and halter, but my master's gentle words soothed me and I followed her through the gate into the large field. It was much larger then the space I had been in before, and grass covered the ground of the field, unlike the small space I was in where only little tufts grew around the edge. I knew the gate behind us was now closed, and I had no choice but to enter the field join the herd. I felt the halter slip off, and for once, I did not want it to. I wanted back into my small pen, I wanted to be with my mother, but none of that was to be. I was to face this new life by myself, and I was shaking at the thought of it.
Summer, how the warm sun and green, fresh grass. How I missed it. It had been a year since my mother left, and I still missed her, but the hole in my life seemed a little smaller once I met the herd. I was shaking the day I entered the field, but the gentle smile of the lead mare made me feel welcomed. I followed her around like I had my mother, they called me her shadow, but I did not mind. I grew to love the herd like family as they took care of me, taught me new things and were more then willing to explain to me anything I did not know. By the following summer I was no longer watching for the monster that took away my mother, I was no longer crying about her, but I knew there was still a gap in my life. Something was still missing. I wondered what it was that could fill the gap, but I had very little time to ponder it before the start of training.
The strange thing on my back was unbearable at first, but I soon grew to not mind it. As for the metal piece in my mouth, that was something I could not wait to get rid of after each day of training. How any member of the herd could bear such a horrible taste was beyond me. All I could think about was getting ride of the taste with a good lick of the salt block and some water. I still did not fully understand the signals of the humans, but I no longer hated the strange activity called 'riding'. I thought I was doing well, I thought I was pleasing my owners. I had heard rumors about my mother, the fact that she was wild. Her wild nature displeased the humans and so she was sent away as soon as possible. I was scared, I was cared that if I did not improve, if I did not listen, then I would be sent away as well. I did not want to leave my herd, they were the family I had come to love and I did not want to lose what was left of my heart.
I was terrified when the 'monster' pulled up and the humans looked at me, halter in hand. I had been wondering why I was in a pen that day, it was a day they normally did not train on, but I was brought in from the field anyways. I knew then why they had fetched me, I had displeased them, I had made them mad. The gate swung open and I was too stunned by the realization of it that I did not notice the halter until it was too late. I cried out to my herd, I back away from the stranger, the rope becoming taut. I herd a cry from a fellow herd member behind me as I was pulled towards the mouth of the trailer. I had learned to not fight the halter and lead shank, my knowledge telling me not to fight it, but I wanted to fight it with all my heart. I stepped into the trailer, my training getting the best of me, and soon the only escape closed behind me. The hole in my heart widened, it felt like that day all over again, only it was two years later and I was the one in the belly of the beast.
A jerk from the monster made me cry out one last time, and I listened as my family cried out to me. Sadness and hurt filling their heart-felt pleas. I would never see them again, the ones who took care of me when my protective thorn was taken away. I felt helpless, heart-broken, as the cries of my family faded away into the distance and all I could hear was the echo of my own pleas off the cold walls of the trailer and the rushing wind as we blazed away from my home.
Now three years old, alone and afraid, I watched the light stream in as the mouth of the trailer was opened. My lead rope was untied and and unfamiliar human led me out of the trailer. She had not been there when they loaded me into the trailer, so I knew I was in a completely different place. I heard the crunch of the gravel beneath my hooves as I followed the human, my will to fight now gone like the missing piece of my heart. I was surprised and terrified of the huge buildings. The stable was much larger then that of my owner, and even the yard itself was huge in comparison. I did not make a fuss as I was led through a gate and the lead shank was removed from the halter. The gate shut behind me and my heart shattered. First my mother, now my herd. Everything I knew was gone and I had to start all over again, alone.
First I was placed in a small pen, but I was soon moved to a bigger space, though it was a small field compared to the fields on the other side of the fences. I had never seen a field so big, I could not see the end of the field from my own little pasture. Full of trees and grass, it seemed like paradise. I was in the far corner from the gates, looking out into what was referred to as the 'Lower field' by the humans. "You must be new here." I was startled by the voice, and spun to face the middle field. My eyes met the bright blue eyes of another mare, her base color was a dark brown, white patches overlaying it and white fur intermingling with the darker colors. She wore a black halter with white pearls adorning it, and she looked at me with a gentle look, but still held her head up high. "My name is Raia al Fann, but you may call me Majesty." I was stunned into silence, but soon shook my head to clear my thoughts. "I am A Rose Among Time, but most just called me Jull." she seemed to think it over before replying "Jull, was a beautiful name." her smile was heart-warming and I watched as she gave me a nod and turned around, heading deeper into the middle field, leaving me curious about the herd who lived here.
My training did not stop with the move, it was the one thing that followed me from my homes into this new strange place. It felt only different because of the rider. I knew she had more experience, her signals were clearer, she seemed to know better what she wanted from me. It was strange almost. Every few days I was taken to the arena and trained, then brought back to the small pasture. I would sit in the corner and watch the herds across the fences who some seemed to ignore me or be too busy to notice me. It continued day in and day out until I found myself being led past the gates of my small pasture and towards the gates of the middle field.
I was nervous, but not scared. I remembered my herd back home, and hoped so dearly for a herd just as nice. I was relieved with what I was met with. Majesty waited for me just a little ways from the gate as the lead shank was unclipped, and I trotted away from the gate and my new owner. I stopped as I got closer to the mare who had welcomed me before. "Looks like you will be a part of our herd now." she smiled. "Welcome to the family." Family... she welcomed me to a family. I could not help but smile sadly. I felt so much relief in hearing those words, and yet I felt sad. My old family was gone, I would never see them again, and I could not stop thinking about the memories of before, but now I would make new memories, with a new family. I had closed my eyes for but a moment, remembering my life as a foal, and when I opened them, my new family faced me. They welcomed me, and I learned their names for the first time.
With the exchange of names, my life began anew, I felt the space begin to fill in my heart, the beginning of healing and filling the missing piece in my life. With a new family to care for me, and for me to care for, I would love again and that sense of loneliness would leave me alone. I smiled and laughed as I met my new family, the perfect family for me among the three I would learn about in my strange new home.
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I was no longer lonely, no longer scared. I was sure this would be my home from this point onward as long as nothing went horribly wrong. I learned I was not sold because I was bad, but because I was good. My new owners believed I would be a champion and so they purchased me from my old owner who only owned horses because she loved them, not for showing. I went from a companion to a show horse, and I was determined not to let my owners down. I would become a great show horse for their sake and I would prove myself worthy of the family my new owners gave me. The herd of the middle field was definitely the herd most suited to me. The herd of the upper field was too high strung for my tastes, and the horses of the lower field were too mellow or young for me to deal with. They placed me according to where I would fit in, and I was grateful for their decision.
Training became more intense as the days went by and my very first show was coming up. I was nervous, I was scared. I knew there would be plenty of eyes watching me, the others told me about the crowds of people who came to watch larger shows. I was always most interested in the tail that Majesty liked to tell about her experience in the show ring, the detail she put into the descriptions, and the excitement she spoke with made me both excited and nervous for the show ring. I do remember being told my first competition would be quieter then the shows Majesty told me about, but I could not imagine it all the same.
I trained almost daily with my rider, sometimes in the indoor arena, and sometimes outside. I did not care what kind of weather it was, I was determined to prove myself worthy of this home, I would not be taken away from my family again. The day of the competition finally arrived and I waited eagerly at the gate as my owner clipped the lead shank to my halter. I followed her out into the yard and stared at the trailer that would take me to the show. I took a deep breathe as forced myself forward, convincing myself that I would return home, that I would not be taken away to some strange place where I would have to start over. I did not want to think about before. I had a new life and I would make sure to cherish it.
I walked down the ramp upon arrival, horses and riders all over the place, some loading into trailers and some unloading. It only got busier when we entered one of the stables. People ran up and down the isles, bolting in and out of the stalls, horses nickered and shuffle in their places as humans brushed them and tacked up for the show. Many had braided manes and tails with shiny clean tack on their backs and freshly groomed coats. I felt so small at that moment, so plain compared to the other horses in the show. I could not help but prance nervously as I was walked into my stall and the lead shank tied to the post. I shuffled in place as I waited for my owner to return with the brushes and tack, then we really began to prepare. She brushed out my hair, braided my mane and some of my tail, then proceeded with the tack. I glanced at the tack, watching the leather shine in the dim light, surprising me. It looked so clean and professional and I could not recall if it was the tack used for training or not. I was pulled out of my thoughts as I watched my owner walk over and grab the saddle, placing it and the blanket on my back.
With the bridle on, I followed my owner out of the stall and over to the arena. I did not even remember if our number was called or not, but I soon realized it was just an arena for warming up. I relaxed and waited to feel the weight of my owner in the saddle before we proceeded with warming up. Walk, trot, canter. We got my muscles moving before practicing some of the dressage I had been trained in. I felt calmer once my mind was off the show itself, and i just enjoyed the movements of my practice, the movements of the activity I was trained in. I was pulled to a halt, much more calm then before, and my owner dismounted before we walked out of the arena and to the starting platform.
I did not have time to think about the crowd or the competition when the music started and we entered the arena. Moving to the music, it was more calming then I thought it would be. I allowed the movements of my rider and the sound of the music to guide me, the warm-up had loosened my muscles and prepared me for this. High steps and crossovers, we made our round and exited the arena. I did not win that day, we placed fifth actually, but that was not bad for my first ever competition. I was a little disappointing walking out without a ribbon, but I found that competitions were more fun then I thought they would be and less scary. I was glad to experience the show ring first hand, and now I wanted to learn more and get as good as Majesty has become. Maybe someday I would even surpass her.
I wasn't sure what time on the 2nd it ended, so everything after the dotted line is done ON the second, if it does not count then please ignore it. I just thought since it wasn't officially announced I would add since I found time to add to it.
Last edited by
NARANDA on Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:15 am, edited 2 times in total.
