Handler :
Aria BlackJournal Entry #1 : The Round Pen 227/200Aria cracked her fingers, walking towards the Mare who was trotting circles in the round pen. The mustang was caked in a thick layer of clay and mud from living wild. Aria clicked her lips calling to the wild animal, the horse shook, matted mane flopping around to reveal white? patches.
"You are a beauty aren't you?" She nodded to the horse, who kicked into a buck at the strange human's words.
"Alright we have a fighter do we?" She smiled, leaning over the top rung on the round pen. This would be the first horse she would tame by herself, and Aria's heart was racing with excitement.
"What should we call you." She breathed, watching the horse spin and dart the other direction around the pen, never missing a beat or pausing to breath. The horse was wild. but even with that against her Aria could see the muscles rippling with a near perfect stride. The horses eyes sparked with energy, through the layers of grime she sparkled with electricity. "How about we call you Electra. You are just buzzing with Electricity." Aria laughed as the mare snorted to her, tossing her mane again. It moved from in front of her face, revealing what looked to be cherry bay spots on her face under her eyes. "We need you get you cleaned up."
Journal Entry #2 : The Trailer 208/200Aria stood against the gate of the round pen, watching the mare swish her tail still wary of the trailer. She had a lead rope in hand, as she climbed the metal gate, jumping off of the last two rails at the bottom. Her boots thudded on the packed dirt ground. Electra tossed her head snorting, ears flicking back and forwards.
"Shhhhh girl. We have to get you out of here and back to my place so we can clean you up." The mustang whinnied and tossed her head, hopping on her front legs into a rear. Aria stopped, letting the grimy mare settle with her being in there.
"Come on, we have done this a million times, you need to get in the trailer." Aria placed the lead rope around her shoulder, outstretching a hand to the wary horse. Electra eyed her cautiously, feeling slightly distrusting of the new situation. Aria placed a hand on the muddy horse, feeling her skin quiver under the light touch. She slowly clicked on the lead rope, moving slowly allowing the horse to be calm through the process. "Alright, now the fun part." Aria sighed, placing her hands on the lead rope preparing for the hell about to come.
Journal Entry #3 : The Pasture 219/200Aira clicked the lock open on the trailer, allowing the back to slide down, smacking lightly on the ground. The grass here was green, soft, and pliable under her feet. The sprigs of grass that poked up were not dry and dead but instead well watered and luscious. She tapped the edge of the trailer, the metal making hollow pinging noises with each touch. She walked beside Electra trailing her fingers along her back. The mare, still slightly not fully trusting, quivered slightly at the first tough, becoming more comfortable as Aria felt down her back.
"Alright lady, lets bust you out of here." She smiled, holding the tie attached to the trailer in her hand, pulling the slip knot, and walking the horse back out of the trailer. Electra snorted and tossed her head as she stepped into the green grass, the blades poked around her un-shoed feet. Aria laughed, patting the mare's head, rubbing her nose. The dust floated loosely in the air around the horse as she moved. Showing how filthy and gross the mare truly was. "I should have named you Pigpen" She laughed shaking her head. She unhooked the mare's leadrope from her halter, allowing her to walk away. She instantly dropped her head down to nibble lightly at the beautiful fresh grass.
Journal Entry #4 : Trust 248/200It had been many days and Aria had worked with Electra in trust building exercises. Many involving lunging in a round pen, or Aria sitting in the pasture with the mare reading. Aria looked up from her book, the tips of the pages curling with the faint breeze that blew over Goose Creek. The blades of grass bent over, wiggling and dancing in the light wind. Electra snorted and sneezed as the breeze blew a gust of pollen in her nose, the spring air smelling of leaf mold, mud, and fresh greens. Aria laughed as she watched the large lumbering mare flop down on her side, rolling and flattening the grass under her. Aria smiled, but turned into a furrow of her brow.
"You must be some itchy with that, how about we go finally get you cleaned up. Will you trust me?" She leaned forewords, pulling herself to her feet. The mare lurched herself onto her hooves, the mud flaking off to reveal peachy pink hooves.
"I wondered if you were white." She thought aloud, the dirty horse staring back at her, appearing chocolate brown, the dry mud being her colour with patches of red bay peeking around her stomach and face. Aria walked forewords, the mare looked at her, blankly swishing her tail. She did not flee, she did not snort she waited for Aria to put on her halter and lead her. "Alright lets clean you up" She laughed, patting the mares nose.
Journal Entry #5 : The Bath 322/300Aria hooked Electra's lead to the fencepost, she turned on the water, testing it with her hands before rinsing down the horse. Once the water was a good temperature she smiled and lightly sprayed it over the Mare's shoulders, the water soaked into the thick mud, changing the colour and texture to a dark soupy sticky mass across her body. Aria snorted, watching the chunks of black mud fall to the ground off of the horse, her fur was still brown even after the chunks had fallen off. She laughed as Electra shook her head, her ears back and her feet stamping. The weight of the mud must have been a shock to the small mare as she felt the large mud blobs fall off of her back and legs. Once Aria was satisfied with her spraying off most of the heavy chunks she turned to fill up a bucket with some horse shampoo, and a large rag. She rubbed her damp hands over the mares face as she waited for the bucket to fill up. Speaking softly as to not spook her with the new challenge of bathing. Electra took well to being pet and scratched while she was wet, Aria noticed dander falling out from between the still dry patches of mud between the layers on her back. The mud was so thick that it stopped absorbing water through the layers. She noticed the irritation and frowned at the horse. "Why would you get yourself this dirty" She snorted at the horse, rubbing the wet soapy rag all over her sides and back. Turning the mud into brown suds that fell off of her back. "This is going to take forever oh my goodness" She groaned at the horse, who flicked her ears and throwing her head into a whinney. "You proud of yourself?" Aria laughed, dunking the rag back into the water to bring more soap on the horse.
