Username: PrincessAlexis
Show Name: Lux Stars' Trust Your Journey
Barn Name: Ashia (meaning "hope")
Age: 6
Personality: Faith's personality has changed drastically over the course of her lifetime. As a filly and young mare, she used to be quite skittish and temperamental. Thanks to her companion Rowdy, however, she has been able to truly relax for the first time in her life and this has made it possible to see the eager, energetic, and sociable horse that has always been waiting for her chance to shine!
Companion: Rowdy the MulePrompt:Faith had not been given an easy life. As a blind horse, she was unable to see the social cues passed on by other horses and this caused problems when she attempted to integrate into her mother's herd. Sure, the other horses were nice enough while she was still just a little filly, but as she grew they became less and less accommodating until eventually things escalated to the point where the other horses began bullying her.
Her spirit was strong and she did her best to ignore every snort and nip from her wayward herd-mates. She tried to remember back in the days when her mother used to stand up for her, fighting off the bullies, but now she was grown and didn't receive the same parental protection that had helped her through those earlier trials.
One day things escalated to the point where she was kicked in the shoulder. She was shocked and disturbed that things had gone so far, and resigned herself to the fact that she would never be part of a community. She simply didn't fit in. This beautiful mare was so distressed that she stopped following the herd and merely stayed in place, not even attempting to return to the stables when all the other horses went indoors for the night.
It didn't take long for the groom to go searching for Faith. He had been fond of her ever since he got hired, and now that she was missing he was so upset he was shaking. Surely she should have followed the other horses, like always. When he finally made his way to the far side of the pasture and saw her standing there, he nearly cried with joy. He vowed then to do anything he could in order to keep her safe and ensure her well-being.
As his favorite horse on the property, she got lots of special care during recovery. Every day she received a skilled .massage to her injured He continually offered her favorite snacks, but she had very little appetite. Quite simply, she was lonely - and she appreciated the efforts of this human man, but she wanted to be among her own kind.
It didn't take long for the groom to realize what was happening. He spent so much time with her now, how could he not notice the way that her ears perked up every time she heard so much as the slightest hint of a neigh or nicker? He suddenly realized he had been going about things all wrong - the extra spoiling and pampering was making him feel better, but it wasn't helping the mare much. In fact, her injury had been quite minor and she was no longer even favoring that side. The rest of her healing would be emotional, rather than physical.
In desperation, the groom decided that the best thing to do would be to let Faith meet their old mule, Rowdy. He had spent most of his time alone, so perhaps he wasn't going to give her as much social interaction as she desired, but on the other hand he wasn't as likely to be well-versed in the nuances of social interaction and would potentially cut her some slack about the signals she inevitably missed.
When Rowdy first caught sight of Faith, he started braying loudly, letting her know that part of the pasture belonged to him. She lowered her head respectfully and ambled away a few paces, ears swiveling to and fro. She was grateful for the mule's loud voice, letting her know right where he was at all times. After things had quieted down for a few moments, the groom could see that Faith and Rowdy were getting along just fine.
As expected, Rowdy seemed as though he couldn't care less that Faith often missed out on the social cues in his body language. It didn't annoy him the way it did the more sensitive horses, and instead this simply caused him to communicate vocally, which his new friend listened to and readily understood. For the mule who had been a bit of a spitfire in his younger days, life had slowed down until this mare showed up, and now he had a renewed sense of vigor in his life.
The most impressive change, however, was in Faith, who was blossoming into her full potential with help from an unlikely source. She was no longer anxious, and with Rowdy around she rarely ever spooked anymore. She seemed to trust that her new friend would help keep her safe, although he had never needed to defend her before. Perhaps it was simply the presence of a friendly soul who bore her no ill will, setting her mind at ease.
For several days they passed the time together, separating at night when the mare was led into her stall and Rowdy freely wandered over to his own shelter. Then finally one day there came a time when Faith planted her feet and refused to budge an inch. She was starting to take after her new friend, in more ways than one! At her insistence, she was allowed to remain by Rowdy's side thereafter, and the two became inseparable.
To this day the two of them can be seen milling about the pasture. Rowdy sets the tone and direction of their journeys, calling to Faith, who follows along eagerly. The two of them like to stand side-by-side with their flanks touching or with Rowdy standing just upwind, where the breeze will gently carry his scent to Faith.
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