Tolter Writings For Challenge Thread

[Ariana Black]

Tolter: Firefly Princess /// Hotaru Word Count:1,002

It was a bright morning and perfect for an Autumn harvest. Hotaru loved Autumn harvests. They were the best time of the year to her. She loved the festivals that came this time of year and this year she got to be part of the parade. Because of this, she got to wear her special neckwear and tail ribbons. She was also going to be competing in the special dressage show for that day as well. She was to wear her parade outfit as well. It was going to be one of the best days of her life. Her owner and rider, Ariana Black was also highly excited about it. She loved the parade and the dressage shows so she was just as excited as Hotaru. It took weeks of practice but soon they were both ready for festival day. Ariana made sure to dress in a light pale pumpkin color blouse and black riding pants and boots. She placed on a riding helmet that matched her blouse and then went to get Hotaru ready. It took a half hour but soon enough Hotaru's perlino coat was shining as if she spray painted her with gloss. She added some hoof paint to her hooves that made them black and painted gold fireflies and orange pumpkins onto her hooves. She then placed on her favorite bridle that was black with gold fireflies, a matching saddle blanket, and a black saddle. She then placed her special neckwear and tail ribbons. Once all that was done, she worked on her mane and tail making them look like they were longer and wavier. She then placed her into her horse trailer and soon they were off. Once at the fairgrounds, Ariana brought her out and swung into the saddle. She then headed towards where the others were waiting. She was upfront with the leaders. It was done almost in a pyramid style. There was one rider in front of her and then she was partnered with another ride and it went up from there. There were about sixty riders riding in a pyramid formation. The horses were all to prance as they went instead of their normal walk. Hotaru and the other horses were so excited that they didn't need to be given the signal to prance. They were all ready to start prancing and showing off for the crowd. Twenty minutes passed before they finally started off. Ariana waved as she rode keeping one hand on the reigns. Hotaru was so well trained that she didn't even really need guidance to follow the lead horse. She just automatically did. The parade lasted a few hours and soon they were at the arena that they were going to have the dressage show. They were being given a half hour to rest up before the show started. The show was mostly for those in the parade but they were a few who weren't so in total there were seventy horses entered in the show. Ariana went to get her number knowing she was going to be in the top sixty she just didn't know what number. Soon she had her number groaning softly as she was placed in the middle making her number thirty-five. She wasn't impressed solely for the fact that the middle was normally not the best place to be in these events. It was the start of where the judges would grow tired of watching and it was a make it or break it moment. She needed to wow the judges. The best part though was that she gets to play music during her performance. Hotaru had one special song that she loved. The song was Fireflies by Amanda Falk. an hour and a half passed before it was their turn. Hotaru seemed eager especially when she heard her favorite song. Soon it seemed like she was flying and gliding at the same time. She moved about gracefully looking like the perfect dancer. Some even wondered if she was really a Tolter or if she was a Lippizaner one of the famous dancing horses. Hotaru was, of course, one hundred percent Tolter but had been trained by someone who both raised and trained Lippizaner horses. It was also a part of her. She just loved dancing. She loved letting the music take over her. That was what drew Ariana to Hotaru in the first place. They both loved music and loved letting the music to take control and it showed. Soon their performance was over and Ariana rode out of the arena and headed to the paddock to where she could unsaddle Hotaru and started to cool her down. Soon Hotaru was left only in her bridle, neckwear, and ribbons. Hotaru was still prancing around using the special gait that she had taught herself just by watching the Lippizaners that Ariana owned. Ariana was a lover of all horse breeds and was known for her collection of horse breeds. She didn't even mind mixtures though her Tolters were all pure Tolters. Soon Ariana was leading Hotaru back into the arena with the other riders and horses. They were all untacked except for their bridles and special tack. There were to be only four places that would get ribbons which made them all nervous and excited. The air was filled with electricity. It was just very intense. The horses could feel it as well and were showing their own excitement. Soon the winners were being chosen. Third and fourth were close friends of hers and she was rather happy for them. Then first and second place was chosen and Ariana couldn't have been more shocked. She had gotten second place and she couldn't be happier. She hugged Hotaru excitedly as they stepped forward to accept their prize. Then they were on their way home for some well earned rest. That Autumn harvest was one of the best Hotaru has ever had. It was one she would tell her foals and grandfoals about.

[Ariana Black]

Tolter: Mökkur Word Count:1,012

Mökkur paced his stall looking restless. Today was the day his owner Gator was giving him to his new owner. He wasn't so sure he liked that idea. He loved and trusted Gator. This new person was some new breeder he had never heard before. What if she was cruel and mean? He wasn't sure if he could handle that. The only part that interested him was that Gator had brought him Lilac who was his new owner's barn rabbit. Lilac seemed rather friendly and had no trouble in singing his new owner's praises. It wasn't that he didn't trust his new friend, he was just scared and nervous. He was still pacing in his stall a bit agitated when Gator came and got him along with Lilac. Because of his stressed-out behavior, Gator had to feed him tranquilizers to help calm him. She also wrapped up his legs. to keep him from causing injury to himself. Soon he was loaded into his trailer and Lilac was curled up on his back. It would prove to be a very long trip with several stops along the way. By nightfall, the tranquilizers had worn off just as they arrived at a hotel with a stable. Mökkur stepped out quietly and walked around before being put into a stall that had fresh food and water waiting for him. There was also a spot for Lilac with food and water for her as well. Gator then left them and didn't come back till the next day. Once more Mökkur was fed tranquilizers and had his legs wrapped. Lilac was once more placed on his back as well. Once again they were off on their long trip. This day was the same as before. They had long hours and several stops. It was night time when they arrived at Mökkur's new home. He didn' even pay attention as he was brought into a barn and into a large stall. He was just so tired. Lilac had her own little hutch in the stall as well so that she could stay with him. Gator was brought into a guest room and they all settled in for the night. The next day, Gator and Ariana walked into the stallion barn where they found one of the grooms grooming Mökkur. The stallion seemed perfectly relaxed but seemed to jump and straighten up as Gator approached. She hugged him and then motioned for Ariana to come over. Ariana stepped close and Gator placed Ariana's hand on Mökkur's muzzle. Then Gator left leaving his trailer for Ariana. Ariana smiled and took the grooming tool from the groom and started grooming him herself. A small six-year-old girl poked her head in and asked her aunty if she could come in. Ariana said she could and gave her a brush which the little girl started to brush him with. Once he was groomed, Ariana spoke softly to him as she tacked him up. The saddle was made for a horse his size but was small enough for the young girl to sit by herself. Mökkur was surprised but didn't fight it even when the small girl was placed into the saddle. A chestnut Arabian mare was brought in and Ariana slipped into the saddle. Ariana clipped a long lead to both their bridles connecting the two horses to each other. Ariana then nudged her mare into a walk and the girl on Mökkur nudged him to follow. The two horse walked in silence as both their riders spoke to both horses praising them for being so good. They were both happy with Mökkur and soon the lead was taken off and they were to go into a trot. Ariana seemed to want to see what he would do. Mökkur loved children so even though he picked up the pace as he was asked to, he made sure to be careful so she couldn't get injured. He was the perfect gentleman and Ariana couldn't be happier with her choice. She had adopted Mökkur from Gator for her young niece and they seemed to be the perfect match. She couldn't be happier and was going to write Gator and tell her so. Maybe later she would ride the new stallion herself but for now, he seemed most happy with her niece. The first day was spent getting to know each other but the next day was spent testing his strengths in his arena jumping. For this, Ariana was his rider first. She put him through his paces and he didn't disappoint. He was amazing. He seemed as if he had wings as he jumped gracefully, Ariana then let her niece jump him and he proved to be just as good and obedient for her. Days passed as they conditioned him for the horse show for younger children. Soon the day arrived and Mökkur along with his young rider was excited. It took time to get him groomed and tacked for the show but soon he was ready. There were twelve other riders and they were given the number four. They were to be jumping to music and Be Prepared was the song chosen. Mökkur actually liked the song and did well as he slipped into a slight dressage movement as he half danced half raced to the jumps. He flew over them beautifully and did rather well. He also had the fastest time so far. It seemed he couldn't be caught though and they won first place. The next event was for adults and Ariana was the one riding Mökkur this time to the song, Angel of Darkness. Mökkur also enjoyed this song and danced along to it happily as he made way through all the jumps. Once more, Mökkur won first prize with a perfect score. He had even earned extra points for his slipping into dressage which was what they had wanted to see. None of the others had caught on though they had all done wonderfully. That night Mökkur celebrated by having oats and sweet grass. He was a very happy horse.

[Ariana Black]

741 Wordshttps://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=4119052


It was a cold Spring night and there was still snow on the ground the day Carbon was born. Like his parents, he was an appaloosa. His color was a striking silver black. He was one of the first that had that color and Ariana was more than happy. His coat reminded her of carbon so his barn name became Carbon while his show name was Flash of Shadows in honor of his parents. Despite the cold weather, Carbon was a feisty little critter once on his feet. He was full of energy and it didn't take him too long to get used to his long legs. Once he had nursed, he decided to try and get the back of the stall open so he could go out instead of behaving like most newborns. Shadow was tired but decided to let the colt have his way. She figured he would run back in once he saw she wasn't coming out into the cold. Instead, once the door was opened, he flew out there bucking some playfully in the cold. He didn't at all seem to mind being out in and that worried Shadow enough to come out with him. She looked about at the snow covered earth and shivered some. It was cold but soon it would warm up. She might as well let Carbon enjoy the snow while it lasted. She let him play until she noticed he was starting to grow tired. She didn't want him falling asleep in the snow so she nudged him into the barn and pulled the door shut blocking out the cold. She licked him all over and smiled softly as he laid down to nap. She pulled at some of the hay nibbling on it before drinking some water. Having a foal was a tiring business. Carbon wasn't her first foal though. He was certainly the most energetic so far. All she could do was hope that that energy wouldn't get him in trouble one day. She wondered what he would be trained for. She could already tell he had speed on his side so maybe cross country would be his future discipline. She yawned sleepily. All that would have to wait. Carbon was too young right now to worry about which discipline he would be best suited for. It would be years later that Shadow was proven right. He did excel in cross country and was known as one of the fastest cross country jumper on the whole farm. Both Shadow and Ariana were proud of him. One day, he would make a fine stud. For now, he just loved running and jumping. That was what he was best at and that was what he wanted to spend his life doing. He was unlike most horses in some ways. They often forgot who their mothers were. Carbon never forgot though. He had made it his top priority to never forget his mother and so far he hasn't. The world might crumble about them and turn to ash but nothing would ever make Carbon forget the beautiful mother who had played in the snow with him. She was always on his mind even as he grew old and Shadow had long since passed. He had his own little filly who was a beauty and a gem like her grandma. He named her Shadow for his mother. He also had an energetic colt that he named Flash for his father. Both were bound to live up to their names and to the heritage that their names brought them. It wasn't every day one could say their grandparents truly loved each other like Flash and Shadow. They were a couple that was in the minority. They didn't mind just as long as they had had each other. Carbon was just glad to have his beloved Iason by his side. Together they had gone through many hardships but had always come out on top. It was snowing again and Carbon ran outside his final time. As he played like the young colt wasn't anymore, his heart gave out and he collapsed in the snow. He died hearing Iason calling out for him. He had lived a long and full life. Who would have thought that a colt born on a trip out of country would live to have such a long and eventful life? Everywhere he had went he had touched the lives of so many.

[Ariana Black]

1,652 Words

Nestled in the heart of the Colorado mountains is a horse farm that is small but is well known for their amazing Tolter horses. It is at this farm that one of the harshest snow blizzards that year is about to start. It was cold and it was freezing. All the horses were in the heated barns that kept them all nice and warm. It is in one of these barns that one finds a stunning silver black mare that is in labor. She is about to give birth to her very first foal and is having a hard time with it. One of the farmhands was with her so that she would have help if she needed it. It took hours and the owner soon joined the farmhand. He was an elderly man that knew horses and loved his dearly. He was worried about his young mare. She was one of the ones that held the most promise and he had high hopes for this foal. The foal was already sold to a girl in California named Ariana. He had made sure not to cash the check though just in case there were issues. it was when the blizzard started and snow was several inches deep that the first sign of the foal coming was seen. Twenty minutes passed and the foal was born. It was a gorgeous silver black roan tobiano colt with vibrant green eyes. The colt was beautiful. His coloring matched his mother's splendidly. He reached out to praise his mare when he noticed how stiff she felt.

Pain filled his eyes as he realized the mare was dead. He had to act fast for the colt and soon was cleaning and drying him off while the ranch hand went to find a mare that would be willing to share her milk with the orphan foal. What he brought back was a much older mare that had lost her foal but had plenty of milk. It didn't take that long for the mare to get attached to the colt. Soon he was nursing as they took the mare out of the stall. It would not do good to have her there. They would have to burn the ground later on so that they could defrost it so they could bury the mare. It was hours and the blizzard was still going on when they burned up the ground and buried the mare. It wasn't until the next day that the storm had ended. It was a week before they could call Ariana. She expressed her sympathy but still said she would like the foal if he was willing to still sell him. The man was still willing and asked what she would like to call him. She said Blizzard would be fine and so for six months, Blizzard stayed with his foster mom on the farm. At the end of the six months, it was nice and warm and there were flowers all about. Weaning day was hard for them all as several foals cried out for their mothers and the mothers cried out for their foals.

It was the day after weaning day that a car and horse trailer from California was pulling up the drive. It was Ariana. She was coming for Blizzard. She met up with the elderly man and they talked for a good long time before he took her out to see Blizzard. This wasn't the first time Ariana had bought horses from him so she knew he had good horses. Her eyes fell on Blizzard and her face lit up her eyes sparkling. "Blizzard," she called out softly. The colt looked at her and Ariana smiled warmly walking towards him. Blizzard watched curiously and without fear. The other foals ran from the fence but he came right up to it and nickered to her softly. Ariana entered the pasture and placed a hand on his neck. She stroked him gently letting him get used to her touch. He nuzzled her and she giggled softly. "Will you come with me, Blizzard?" She asked him and he bobbed his head. Ariana smiled and excited the pasture locking it behind her. She went to the horse trailer where she pulled out a green halter with white snowflakes on it. There was also a matching lead rope to go with it. The green matched his eyes color perfectly since the elderly man had sent her a copy of Blizzard's picture. "I hope he likes it. I had it customized perfectly for him." The elderly man smiled and said that he should love it and Ariana beamed.

She brought the halter and lead to Blizzard showing them to him. He nickered softly and nudged them and she laughed softly. She took the halter he had on and took it off of him and placed the new halter on him. She looked very smart in it. It fit him perfectly. As he grew, she would get him a halter and lead of the same color and markings. That way he would always have his special halter and lead. She already had a saddle blanket that matched for when he was older. The saddle and halter she had waiting for him had snowflake patterns on them. They were nicely done and were stunning. It was another hour before the elderly man watched them go. He would miss the colt but knew that Blizzard was going to a good home with Ariana. It took days and several stops before they arrived at Ariana's farm. Blizzard was a little afraid at first when he saw all the horses there but soon he calmed down and seemed to settle right in. Ariana took him to a spacious stall that would be his stall up until the day he died. There was a silver nameplate with his name on it with snowflakes engraved on it. Blizzard touched the nameplate before entering his stall. There was already food and water waiting for him and he had his dinner before he went to sleep. The next day Ariana started his training. He was a fast learner and took everything in stride. Years passed and by the time he was old enough to be ridden, he was already properly trained to do tricks.

Saddle breaking and gentling him to accept a rider had also proven to be easy. His next training was quickly set into motion as well. He was going to be a dressage and jumping horse. There was a new event that some people in her area had an event that they were trying to pass as an accepted horse event. It combined the dancing steps of dressage to the fast pace of jumping events. It would be done to music. The horse would dance and prance to the jumps making the jumping event look more elegant. They had already proven that it was possible to run to the jumps while prancing with high stepping dance moves. It wasn't fast as normal jumping was and they were not scored on speed. They were scored on how elegant it was and if the jumps were correct. If a horse misstepped or failed at a jump, then the horse would be faulted. This event was the one Ariana hoped to enter him into. First, though, she needed to train him to dressage and jumping. She needed people to see how well he did both so that the young stallion could make a name for himself. When he was properly trained and ready, she started showing him in official and nonofficial horse shows. The nonofficial horse shows were mostly the ones that were dressage and jumping all in one. Blizzard seemed to like that a lot especially the music.

Sometimes she caught him dancing at normal jumping events. She didn't discourage this as it showed the judges what he could do and what they could look forward to if they made the new event an official one. Some didn't like or approve of it but there were others that saw great promise in it and enjoyed watching the stallion. It would take a few years and many horse shows before the event was accepted. Blizzard was seen as a pioneer for the new sport and was a well sought after stud. The first foal that he had though with his mate Serendepity was given to the elderly man. It was a lovely silver black filly that looked just like her sire and his dam. The was happy and promised her the first foal from the mare. The little filly was named Snowfall and proved to be just as brilliant as her father. She brought great joy to the elderly man. His own grandson used her as an eventing mare so that she could prove herself as her sire's daughter. With the help of Snowfall and many other great foals, the elderly man was able to build onto his farm making it grow. When the elderly man passed away, his grandson took over and continued the ways of his grandfather. When Snowfall had her foal, he made sure to let Ariana know that she might plan for the arrival of the new filly. That very filly proved to be just as great as her grandfather and dam. At Blizzard's death, they made a statue of him to honor the great pioneer. Blizzard would always be remembered and his foals made their own marks on the world of horse eventing as did the many generations that followed. His family was large and deep rooted. His children spread out all across America and some even ended up in different countries. For generations, they used the frozen semen they collected so that there would be many baby Blizzards that would take the world by storm. The elderly man and his grandson became world known because of Blizzard and his many descendants.

[Ariana Black]

1,092 Words



It was a cold day at the horse market and it was raining. Ariana was having a hard time even seeing the horses she was interested in let alone the ones that she wasn't. There was one that caught her eye. He was a Tolter and he seemed to almost have a cruel streak to him as he fought against the handlers. he was beautiful and would make lovely foals. However, she was unsure of his personality. It seemed others felt the same and the only ones that were bidding worked for dog food and glue factories. They figured no one would want him and would get him for easy money. Ariana was upset and shouted out a price that was higher than any price offred at the whole auction that night. Ariana was, of course, named the winner and she ran to go pay for him and collect the beautiful stallion. He had an icy blue halter on him that matched him nicely. She remembered hearing of a man named Iason Mink and so changed his name to Lord Mink with the barn name Iason. Iason seemed unsure of Ariana but calmed down as she spoke to him. She took off all the ropes they had on him and just walked beside him holding the lead. He went quietly which was surprising after earlier. He seemed to almost prance as he walked and she realized that he didn't even know he was doing it. She led him to her trailer and he started to fight her. Ariana instead of fighting him as the men had, she just circled him around and then brought him back up to it. She let him circle the trailer before he went in with his ears pinned back. Ariana made sure he was secured and then started to dry him off before throwing on a horse blanket. She placed wrappings around his legs and some padding. She had a feeling he would fight the horse trailer from within every minute of every hour until they reached her farm. She closed up the trailer and was soon driving off. She could hear his screams and his kicking as she drove. It would be a two hour drive and she was worried that he wouldn't go back in if she stopped so she didn't. By the time she got home, it was late but it had stopped raining. Ariana got out and warned her hands not to get too close as she opened the trailer and brought down the ramp. She went p the ramp and started to unsecure him. His ears were still pinned back and he seemed upset but he went out with her. He seemed happier about getting out. She led Iason to a stall. It was near Blizzard who was one of the calmest stallions she had. She hoped that Blizzard would help him calm down. Ariana undid the padding and wrapping before she filled his feed and water trough. She also filled the hay net for him before leaving him. The others were already taken for so it was time for her own dinner before she went to bed. The next day she took Blizzard out to the training pen and then brought Iason in. She let the two loose together and after a few bucks from Iason, the two seemed to be fine together. Iason seemed calmer with Blizzard there and Soon Ariana slipped back into the pen and started to have Blizzard run in a circle. Iason watched her warily but then he followed suit. Ariana trained them for a few days together but then one day she didn't bring out Blizzard. Instead, she only took out Iason. He was startled at first but was quick to obey her orders. It continued like this for days before she brought out some riding tack. He seemed to tense up and watch her warily. He didn't fight her though as she tacked him up. He seemed surprised by her gentle touch. He stood stalk still for her until she wanted him to walk around. Once she walked him around a few circles, she checked the saddle strap. She tightened it and then swung up into the saddle. Iason reared up and bucked a few times but when she stayed still on his back and jerk his mouth, he seemed to calm down. Once he was calm, she asked him to walk and he did. She could tell at some point he had been beautifully trained but then someone had abused him. She wasn't the least bit happy about it and she just kept working with him gently. Each day she went over things he had learned years ago and each day his trust in her grew due to her gentle touch. She soon learned that he was an excellent dressage horse and started retraining him for it. months passed before he was ready. Even though she had legally changed his name, there were still those that knew him by his original name. They recognized him mostly due to his coat. The worst part was when she met his first owner who had abandoned him because he lost a show. The man was a pig and she told him so. She then made it her life's mission to enter every contest he was in and beat him. It had the desired effect. Iason continued to win and the man grew angrier and angrier until one day all that anger exploded and all he was left with was the regret of giving up Iason. He then tried to buy him from Ariana but she refused. She then started taking Iason to more challenging events until he was entered in the championships. He won with ease but ended up injuring his leg. It took a great deal of time, money, and effort to get him back on his feet but he made it and as able to enter the world championships that was being held. He won third place but had proved himself. Ariana would continue to enter him into dressage shows until the day his heart gave out doing what he loved best. It wasn't in the arena performing in front of others. No, what he loved best was running full out in the large pasture with Ariana on his back. He gave one last playful buck and then that was it. He collapsed to his knees and then fell down to his side. It broke Ariana's heart but she knew he had died happy.

[Ariana Black]

1,040 Words

It had been a rough and depressing year so far and Ariana seemed to be in a slump. Nothing anyone could do could bring her out of it at least that is what they thought. There was one Tolter breeder that knew how to get her out of her funk. He had a beautiful sooty blue roan pangare rabicano pintaloosa with garnet red eyes that would be perfect for Ariana. The filly was born on Ariana's birthday and was newly weaned. She was already halter broke and came with the name Garnet Rose that fitted her perfectly. She was a sweet and lovely filly and he was sure he would be just what Ariana needs. He didn't bother to tell her he was coming but made sure her ranch foreman knew. The man was quick to get a stall ready and prepared for her. He got her a gold nameplate and had garnets embedded into it. it had been a while since Ariana had been in that barn ever since the death of her prized mare so she wouldn't notice the stall had a new name on it. It took the man a few days before he arrived. He made sure he arrived before Ariana came home. She had left to do some shopping and wouldn't be back for a while. Garnet had a big red bow around her neck and all the ranch hands fell in love with her. She was a sweet thing that didn't cause any trouble. Her coat was soft and silky. Her mane and tail were also silky soft. She was placed into her new stall and the man left. The men fed her carrot pieces and apple slices. The filly accepted them munching on them happily. Ariana came home and was a bit confused when she couldn't find any of her men. Her cook came and took the groceries. Then Ariana went to go look for her men. She stiffened as she heard their voices around the top mare barn. What were they carrying on about in there? Sure there were other mares in there but they never carried on like this about them. It was as if there was a new horse there. She entered the barn and looked around. She couldn't see them right away and she was full of dread. She headed to the back where Jinah's stall was. Sure enough, they were all around her stall. The problem was Jinah's nameplate wasn't there anymore. Instead, a nameplate with Garnet Rose with garnets embedded in it had replaced it. She wasn't happy and stormed forward ready to yell at them but then she stopped seeing the new Tolter filly. Instead of a steeledust Arabian mare, there was a sooty blue roan pangare rabicano pintaloosa with garnet red eyes. She was absolutely beautiful. Even though Ariana hadn't wanted to get attached to a new horse, she was instantly smitten with the filly. "So do any of you want to tell me where she came from and why she is in Jinah's stall?" She asked loud enough to make them all jump. They turned to look at her with guilty expression revealing more of the filly to her. She smiled seeing the garnet red bow. "Well, I'm waiting, Gentlemen." She said looking at them as she approached the stall. The foreman looked at her. "One of your favorite breeders thought she would be perfect for you. She was born on your birthday. She also has garnet eyes. That is why she is called Garnet Rose. The breeder knew how much you missed Jinah and thought he could help. She is a sweet thing, Ariana." Ariana nodded as she walked over to the filly and petted her neck. She then removed the bow and tied it to the stall door. "There we go little one." She smiled and kissed her muzzle. Garnet nickered softly to her. Ariana smiled. "You are a sweetheart." She said softly. She took the filly out to the play area and soon she was kicking a big bouncy ball with Garnet. The filly thoroughly enjoyed playing with Ariana. She seemed to know exactly what Ariana needed and Ariana was glad to have the filly. All too soon it was getting late and she had to bed her down for the night. She had a word with her foreman and learned just which breeder sent her Garnet. She quickly wrote a letter thanking the man for sending him her new joy. Months passed and the filly grew strong and wise. She was a highly smart girl and did everything that was asked. They still played from time to time as Ariana trained Garnet. Two years passed and Garnet was now being trained for the dressage jumping event that Blizzard had been a pioneer for. Garnet took to it like fish does to water. An accident happened though ending her career. It broke Ariana's heart and it took forever for Garnet to heal. Once she was healed, Garnet seemed to find her own calling. She was perfect with children especially with children with disabilities. Ariana, who had always opened her ranch for riding lessons, was always trying the right horse for her disabled riders most of whom just sat and watched. It took some doing but Garnet was soon trained for being a gentle ride for her disabled students. It went so well that the part of her property that didn't have much use was converted into a place for equine therapy with Garnet as the top go to mare for riding and other things. Ariana had a few of her others trained as well as bought some already trained horses. She had some government worker check it out before confirming it was safe and sound for her students. So Ariana started her own therapy horse program where disabled children or injured children could come and tend to the horses. The horses all worked together to make sure that the children were all happy. the children loved it and some were sad when their therapy had to end. Garnet, however, didn't have to say goobye to any of her children. They were mostly the ones that were on a more permanent basis.

[Ariana Black]

919 Words

A long time ago in a land far away, lived a queen named Vashti. She was the queen of Persia and the wife of Ahasuerus, more commonly known as Xerxes. Vashti was a proud queen that loved her position sometimes more than she loved her husband. She also cared a great deal of what others thought. She was not one to be around those that drank and such. She liked to appear prim and proper as well modest. She gave her husband three beautiful children though she always believed her youngest son was the weakest and so he was not her favorite. She didn't know that from years to come that son would prove her wrong. Vashti believed she also knew her fellow equine even more than they knew themselves. Sometimes she was right and sometimes she was wrong. She believed that Xerxes was more of a scholar than a warrior. Xerxes, however, wanted to be able to do what his father couldn't and defeat Greece. Xerxes decided to throw a party for his people and invited everyone even the commoners to his feast. Vashti wasn't happy that she had to entertain the wives of the common folk of her country but she put on a mask of indifference and soon fell into the role of the perfect hostess. While the women were nice and pleasant, the stallions were drinking heavily on Xerxes' wine. It was the last day and Vashti had been brought up someone claiming to have heard of her beauty but had never seen it. Xerxes was stunned that no one had seen the queen and so decided that Vashti should come to them with the royal crown on her head. He sent one of his geldings to fetch her and instantly her anger returned. She sent back a message saying that she was a queen and that she would not disgrace herself in front of his stallions and geldings. She also could not leave the mares and fillies that she was entertaining. Xerxes was so upset with her that he asked his councilors what he should do with her. They said that he should put her away or else all the women of Persia would look down on their husbands. He couldn't kill Vashti and he couldn't really banish her from Persia without her father declaring war. Besides all that, she was the mother of his heir. So instead, he vanished her to the harem and made a decree that she would never come to him again. Vashti wasn't happy but at least she could be with her foals. She could also move with the court as long as she stayed with the harem. She turned out to be right. Xerxes was no warrior and was soundly defeated by Greece. It seems that Persia was doomed to lose to Athens every time. When he came back there were stories about how he had gone insane in a fit of anger. He cried for Vashti wishing he could summon her. So once more he went to the councilors and they told him to summon all the young fillies of Persia so that he might choose a new queen from one of them. So that was what Xerxes did. It was then that he met Esther and she won his heart. He instantly made her his new queen. He set her up in Vashti's old rooms that were newly done so that no one would know. Esther settled in and was happy until one of the chief geldings brought her to where she could meet Xerxes' foals. She instantly fell in love with them but soon that was ruined as Vashti came in and told her she might have her husband but she would never have her foals. She then took her three foals away. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Vashti's youngest foal soon left his mother and he became Esther's foal. He couldn't handle the poison that his mother had became after losing his father's love. Years passed and the young prince grew to be a gentle and caring man like his stepmother. One night Vashti's oldest son killed Xeres and took the throne. It didn't last long because the youngest fought him and had him killed. Vashti never favored her youngest and so tried to have him killed. The youngest killed his last brother and chased out his mother. With Esther and his own gentle wife by his side, he ruled over Persia and proved to be one of the greatest kings Persia had ever seen. During her son's rule, Vashti lived in another country far away. She fell in love and remarried. She gave her ner husband three wonderful children that replaced the ones she lost. She no longer had to worry about how people saw her or worry if her children would survive to inherit the throne. They could be normal happy children and that was all she had ever wanted and dreamed of before she had met Xerxes. She lived to be a ripe old age surrounded by loved ones. Her only regret was that she had not loved her first three children as she should have. She regretted what she had become when she lost Xerxes' love. She just wished she could tell them how sorry she was but knew she never would. In the years to come, it would be her three youngest children that told their other brother about how sorry their mother had been.

[Ariana Black]

916 Words Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez





Born of cold and winter air

And mountain rain combining…

This icy force both foul and fair

Has a frozen heart worth mining



So cut through the heart cold and clear

Strike for love and strike for fear

See the beauty, sharp and sheer

Split the ice apart!

And break the frozen heart



Hyup!

Ho!

Watch your step!

Let it go!



Hyup!

Ho!

Watch your step!

Let it go!



Beautiful!

Powerful!

Dangerous.

Cold!



Ice has a magic can’t be controlled

Stronger than one! Stronger than ten!

Stronger than a hundred men!



Hyup!



Born of cold and winter air

And mountain rain combining!

This icy force both foul and fair

Has a frozen heart worth mining!



Cut through the heart cold and clear!

Strike for love and strike for fear!

There’s beauty and there’s danger here

Split the ice apart!

Beware the frozen heart…

It was a cold and wintery day when Elsa was born. The day was made worse by the fact that her blind mother, Paris had been kidnapped. The cave they left the frightened mare in was cold and freezing. It was a frozen world that Elsa was born into. Ariana, who was waiting for the filly to be born was anxious about the kidnapped mare. The foal was the foal of one of her stallions and she was to be bringing the foal home to her ranch when she was weaned if they ever found Paris. Paris' owner was beside themselves with worry. It had been days and they still hadn't found her. They were about to give up when they got the call. Both mare and foal were fine as well as healthy despite where they had been left. The police brought them to Paris' owner's ranch and they were quick to get everything ready and warm for them. Months passed and everything seemed fine. Though there was something about Elsa. She didn't play with the other foals. She seemed almost standoffish. There was only one thing that seemed to make her prance about and dance and that was the song, Break the Frozen Heart. That was how Elsa got her name. Her show name was Frozen Heart and her barn name was Elsa. Soon it was time for Elsa to come home with Ariana. Ariana had commissioned an ice themed halter and lead rope for her. Elsa took to it nicely and the five hour drive to Ariana's ranch was easy for Elsa due to the fact she didn't make a fuss. Once there, Elsa's training began. She took to it all like a duck does to water. She wanted to please Ariana and no one but Ariana. She didn't make very many friends if any as she grew up. Elsa proved herself to be a fine cross country jumping horse and won many ribbons. Elsa did it all for Ariana doing her best to do what Ariana so that she could please her. She never thought about pleasing herself. Soon depression started settling in on Elsa and Ariana stopped showing her because Elsa went off her feed. She called the vet but he didn't know what to make of it. It was clear something was wrong though. Then one day Ariana brought home an Arabian filly. Elsa started fighting and causing a ruckus. She wanted out of her stall. Soon she as out and racing towards the foal. Everyone watched shell shocked thinking Elsa would hurt the foal. Instead, she circled the filly and then nipped her rump and took her back to her stall and tried to get the newly weaned foal to nurse. Ariana knew then what Elsa wanted. She wanted a foal. There was a problem though. Elsa hated stallions so that meant stem cell breeding with a mare. She didn't like mares either. There was only one mare she liked and she had been sold by her owner. Ariana had no idea where the mare went. Then one day Ariana's show friend came over with a new mare wanting to show her off. It was Gloria the mare that Elsa liked. The two mares raced to each other greeting one another. The two had a bond that was for certain. It was soon decided that the two would be mates. It seemed that the two mares had already decided that. Elsa showed off the Arabian filly to Gloria and the three went to play together. Months passed and the filly grew too old for them. By then, Elsa was pregnant with hers and Gloria's first foal. Ariana and her friend were happy for the two mares. Months passed and the foal was born. It looked like the perfect mixture of both mares. Elsa and Gloria proved to be wonderful parents of their precious daughter and the filly grew to be strong and intelligent. She also proved to be good at making friends. Because of her, Elsa also started warming up to others. It seemed that was all that was needed to thaw her frozen heart up completely. Gloria had done it partially but it was her precious daughter that did it the rest of the way. Years passed and Elsa had many more foals with Gloria though none ever took the place of her first daughter. Her own daughter was now expecting her first foal and was nervous. The labor proved to be a hard one. The foal made it but not the mother. Elsa took the foal in and nursed it with her own foal.

[Ariana Black]

1,007 Words


It was a nice sunny day when Ariana heard from one the breeders she bought tolters from. There was a new tolter stallion for sale and was in the auctions near her. Ariana was always curious and eager about getting new stock and jumped on it. Her foreman, Eric came with her since he was a good judge of horse flesh. Once at the auctions it didn't take long to find the stunning tolter stallion. He was a blue roan with extended blanket and he had lime with blue sectoral eyes. For her, it was rare to find a sectoral eye tolter especially a stallion. Eric also seemed quite taken with the stallion and soon they were sitting in the booths waiting for the tolter to be auctioned. She read the info on the horses to see if there were others that might interest her but there was none. She did, however, learn that the stunning stallion's name was Shadowfax. She found that she rather liked the name and decided she wouldn't be changing it. When the auction for Shadowfax started, Ariana perked up and paid attention while Eric just chuckled at his boss. He knew that tolter would be coming with hem no matter what. Sure enough fifty thousand dollars later, Eric was loading Shadowfax into the horse trailer and they were heading for home. While Eric drove, Ariana went over Shadowfax's information and was appalled that no one had bothered to train him for riding or anything. She knew he was young but not that young. Whoever the owner was had been a fool. She couldn't stand fools. At least the owner had halter broke him or there would have been a mess she was sure. The drive home was calm but once at home, Shadowfax started acting up so Eric ended up putting him in a large pen all by himself. They would need to start working on him fast. The first thing to do was to get him a friend. They kept trying to pair him up with other stallions and geldings but Shadowfax wouldn't have any of it. They even tried mares but even then he would rush at them and make them try to break loose. Shadowfax had been there almost a week when it happened. Cole, one of Ariana's riders, had come from an out of state horse race and brought back their only racing tolter, Zenyatta Sky. Zenyatta pranced out of the trailer her head held high. It was clear the mare had won. It also became clear that they had found the perfect companion for Shadowfax because he tarted carrying on whinnying to the proud yet gentle mare. She calmly looked at him and nickered. Soon it was agreed that Zenyatta would go in with Shadowfax. She was on heat suppressants so they wouldn't have to worry about any surprise foals. The two took to each other immediately and started racing each other. It was clear Shadowfax just might yet be another racer as he kept up with Zenyatta. It was days before the training started and once it did Zenyatta stayed to help. Shadowfax proved himself to be a quick learner and soon the day that they would introduce him to riding tack came. They wouldn't ride him immediately. They just wanted him to see the tack. it took a while but Shadowfax calmed down and let them put the tack on him. They walked him around in it and then left it on while they did their other training so he would get used to it. They kept that up for days before Eric and Cole finally went to the pen and took Zenyatta out and tied her to the railing. They didn't want her inside as they tried to ride the stallion. Breaking Shadowfax to a rider seemed hard at first as it took hours to get him to stop throwing them off. Then it happened. Cole got on his back and Shadowfax didn't even react. Cole nudged his heels and asked for a walk. Shadowfax obeyed without a fight. They had done it. Now that Shadowfax could be ridden things went along much faster. They decided to train him for racing as he seemed to have the speed for it and that was how Ariana's ranch and stables got their first racing pair. It seemed Shadowfax had something to prove as he desired to catch up to Zenyatta and soon everyone knew the name Shadowfax. Then it all ended. One injury ended his racing career. He could be ridden still but he would never run on a racetrack again. Zenyatta started acting up then and soon her career ended as well. Both horses missed the sport dearly and would be seen racing each other at times. Though never as fast as they used too. It seemed both knew that Shadowfax wouldn't be able to handle it. The horses didn't interact much with the others and often tried to run away when Eric or Cole came for them. They just didn't seem to want human interaction at the moment. This carried on for months until finally, the pair came when Ariana called for them. Ariana was hosting a children's riding camp and thought they would be perfect. Zenyatta fell in love instantly when she saw a very shy eight year old boy. Ariana was quick to assign him as her rider. Shadowfax didn't seem at all interested until he heard crying. He went to investigate and found a ten year old girl crying. He nuzzled her gently and that was all she wrote. Shadowfax and Zenyatta had found their new calling. They loved working with kids and the two former racehorses proved themselves to quite gentle and rather able to hand children. The two would go on to have many foals most of them racers that were in the money. All the proceeds went to helping children and schools. Ariana was always big on helping kids especially those that didn't have a good home life.

[Ariana Black]

2,632 Words

Hello, there I'm Ariana Black, owner of Cottonwood Horse Ranch and Stables. I own many different breeds but you don't want to hear about them. You want to hear about how I first met Ragnarök. I have always been interested in tolters with rare and interesting marks and already owned a fair few. Nothing though could prepare for Ragnarök I got a call from one of my breeder friends saying that they had a rare marked yearling stallion named, Ragnarök. They were asking if I wanted him and when I said yes they warned me that he could be rather violent. I was uncertain at first but was sure I could handle it along with my right hand and foreman, Eric. Eric was quick to hitch the trailer up to my van and soon we were off. Eric knew how to spot a good horse faster than I did which was why he almost always came with me to check on horses before I bought them. It took us a few hours and the roads were bumpy but we finally reached my friend's ranch. Nate was there waiting for us and after talking with us for a while he took us back to see Ragnarök. We could tell almost immediately that he seemed almost mean spirited but we were still wanting to take him home. We loved his fiery spirit and the way he carried himself. I told Nate I wanted him and named a price. Nate agreed and went to get Ragnarök's papers while I filled out the check. When Nate returned I handed him the check. Eric and I then looked Ragnarök's papers over and saw he came from good stock. He definitely had some jumping and dressage champions in his blood which was what I was looking for. Nate then said he was already proving himself to be a good jumper as well as dressage horse without any training. I couldn't help but smile at that and I asked Eric to go get him and Nate handed him a rope to catch him with and gave me a black halter with gold studs on it with a matching lead rope. Eric went to get him while I watched him. As I watched I saw what Nate meant about him being perfect for dressage. He had a lovely git that was nice and smooth. I also got to see what Nate meant by violent as Ragnarök bit Eric savagely on the shoulder before letting go. I quickly ran in and Ragnarök seemed to just stare at me. I then realized that he wasn't attacking me and appeared rather calm. Nate said this was the first time he ever saw Rag do that. Though it was also the first time Nate had seen him around a woman. Rag had originally come from an abusive home and Nate had bought him. He had thought he could help the colt but it proved to be a bit much for him. He knew if anyone could gentle him it would be me. I took the lead rope from Eric and led Rag into the horse trailer. He didn't seem to like it much so I wrapped and padded his legs so that he wouldn't cause damage to himself. I then closed up the back and went to check on Eric. The wound wasn't too deep and Nate had bandaged him up after disinfecting it as well as applying medicine to it. I decided I would drive us back so that Eric wouldn't have to move that shoulder too much. As I drove us home, I was proven right in my thinking. Rag did not like the trailer and was kicking at the walls. Thankfully with the wrappings, he couldn't damage himself or the trailer. As we drove, I put on the blinkers so that we could go slow and hopefully not upset Rag further. We were about an hour away from home when we got pulled over by a police officer. The officer didn't seem to like that Rag was causing a ruckus and opened the trailer door. Rag didn't seem to like the smoke coming out of the officer's cigarette and pretty much screamed in his face and stamped his feet. The officer quickly closed the trailer and offered to give us a police escort. I could tell the officer wasn't going to take no as an answer and soon we were on the road again. It took an hour but we made it home without any trouble. The officer left and Eric came and opened the trailer. We both had a rope around his neck and were trying to slowly back him out. Rag had other ideas however and once he was no longer tied to the trailer he whirled around and raced out of the trailer. Once outside he started rearing up wildly. It took me, Eric and Sam to get him in a paddock of his own. The other horses hearing him ran away unsure of the fiery stallion. It took us a few days to get Rag to settle down enough that he didn't lunge and attack us anytime we entered the paddock. It seemed the only person he liked was me. He didn't even like any of the other horses. He even attacked the barn cat and rabbit. What calmed him down however was my dog Suki. It was surprising how well he took to the quick moving Saluki. I was just glad he didn't attack her. We soon learned we couldn't keep the two of them apart very long which proved troublesome since Suki had a job around the ranch. It turned though he liked the other Salukis so that Suki wasn't always having to be with Rag. It seemed that Rag calmed down a great deal when the dogs were near. That helped a lot since we needed to start working with him. It appeared it would just be me working with him because he wouldn't let any of the others near him. Maybe if I had hired some women that weren't just show riders for some horses then maybe it would help Rag get used to people. However, he scared my female riders and they wouldn't go near him.So it was up to me to see to his training and such. It was because of me being the only one that came near him that Rag would be known later on in life as the one woman horse. Rag soon proved himself to rather intelligent as well as mean spirited towards men. It showed when I brought his halter into the pasture. Nate had given Rag's halter but said he had never halter broke so I never put the halter on. Now I needed to as I wanted to start his training. He was close to being two years old and he needed to start his training so that he could be either a dressage or jumping horse. As he had started doing, Rag trotted forwards prancing as he showed off for me and Suki. I showed him the halter and he sniffed at it snorting some. He then lowered his and surprising let me slide it on him and attach the lead rope. It was when I tried to walk him out of the pasture that he started to balk and rear up. He never once did bite me like he had done Eric though. It was Suki that got him calmed down by yipping at him. Soon he walked calmly with me into the large training pin that would also be where he would be staying until he was trained. It was large enough with plenty of grass and a water trough. The part Rag didn't seem to like was that the fence walls were up higher than his head so he couldn't escape if he wanted to. Though Rag has never shown that he wanted to escape. It was just a safety precaution. It had nearly been a week since I had halter broke Rag. These next few days were going to lead up to a way of new thinking for Rag and I hoped he wouldn't fight me the whole way. I had purchased him some English tack. The bridle and the saddle matched his halter being black with gold studs. His blanket was black with gold trim. I brought the tack in and immediately Rag started rearing up as if the tack would reach out and bite him. Bart, my black Saluki stud, barked and yipped. Bart didn't take too well to horses misbehaving. Rag stopped rearing but he kept his ears pinned back. Some days he got along with Bart and other days he didn't. He didn't like the dog telling him what to do. Rag slowly approached and nudged each piece curiously. I picked up the blanket and shook it around him. He snorted and tried to snap his teeth at it but soon settled down. Next, I placed the saddle on him. He snorted and I backed away quickly as he bucked it off. He then charged at me and I dived under the railing. Bart charged at him and nipped at his heels driving Rag away so that I could get back inside. Once more I tried to get the saddle on him and this time he didn't fight it. He just kept his ears pinned his ears pinned back. He then pranced back nuzzling me. This was how our next few days went. I was beginning to think he would never take to the saddle. Then he stepped back and tried walking about with the saddle on him. I smiled hoping that it was a good sign and that he wasn't plotting more trouble. When he stopped walking around, he stood in front of me and I decided to try and cinch the saddle. He stood stalk still and I moved back. He bucked a few times but the saddle didn't fall off. He sniffed at the saddle unsure of it. Rag and Bart ran around the pen for a bit and I smiled as Rag worked hard getting used to the saddle. When they came back, I undid the saddle and took it and the blanket off. I told him he was a good boy and gave him a carrot piece. I pumped some water in the trough and went to go get him some hay. The next day I saddled him up once more and he didn't mind. Placing the bridle on him was the easiest part however he didn't like the bit and kept trying to spit it out. When he did succeed in spitting it out, he would trample on it and Ariana would clean it before putting it back in his mouth. This seemed to go on for the rest of the week and I finally almost called it quits. Then I had an idea. Rag seemed to like hard candy so maybe she would try a candy came to get him used to something pressing down on his tongue. Sure enough, he took to the candy cane rather well, especially when he got to eat it. It was another week before I got him accepting the bit. He was now officially two years old and was ready to gentled in. He was a big boy with good strong muscles and bones. He was more than ready to handle a rider. I stilled waited a week to make sure Rag was tack truly tack broke before trying to get him ready for me riding him. After making sure he was tack broke I started to place bags of grain equaling my weight of 120 pounded onto Drago's back. He would buck and rear until they fell off and then he would attack the bags ripping them up. So I tried other things that equaled my weight and soon he started to take to the weight on his back. He would run about with it on his back getting used to it. A few days of this being our daily routine and I believed he was ready for me to start the next part of his training. I attached him to the lunge line and started working with him. He took it rather well and was rather obedient. He always liked trotting and running. Though mostly I would try to keep him at a walk the first day.. Each day I kept asking him to go faster without balking. Soon he could flat out run with the weight on his back. He loved it. Now came the part that worried me the most. It started out as a normal day. I helped feed and water all the horses before I came to see Rag. Suki was trotting along at my heels. She wanted to be close by in case she was needed. Bart was there as well. I brought Rag's grooming kit and tack and he started to dance. I hoped that was a good sign as a crowd gathered around. I entered the paddock and once started grooming Rag. First I brushed out all the knots, dirt and anything else out of Rag's mane and tail. Then I brushed and curried Rag's coat before rubbing him down with a cloth. Then one by one, I lifted Rag's hooves and started cleaning out all the gunk. I gave Rag a peppermint piece for being such a good boy. I then tacked him up. Once I was done I led him over to the stool. He seemed to look about for the weights but I hadn't brought them. Soon I lifted my leg over the saddle and landed gracefully in it. I waited for the explosion and I wasn't disappointed. Rag pinned his ears back and started rearing up as well as bucking. He wasn't the least bit happy about this. I clung onto him like a bur not wanting to let up. He continued bucking and racing around until he tossed himself on the ground and I jumped off. He rolled over shaking himself. He looked at me and snorted before charging at me. Once more I dived under the rails to get away from his hooves. Bart and Suki barked pressing him back. I gave Rag a few minutes before coming back in to try again. Once again I slipped into the saddle and he turned his head around to stare at me. I smiled softly to him and nudged him with my heels and gave the order to walk. He snorted but slowly started to walk. He seemed unsure at first but soon he was enjoying himself and prancing around as if he did this his whole life. I then gave him a break treats and water. For the next few days we were cautious but Rag never again tried to throw me off. He was now as I liked to call it gentled into riding. It was a big relief cause I wasn't sure I could handle any more of his fighting me. It sure hurt. It took a few weeks before Is started to slowly train him for dressage and jumping. He didn't quite like jumping but he did like dressage. It was months before I believed he was ready for an actual dressage show. He showed himself well and was actually well behaved around the others. Sadly because of one slight mistep, he got fifth place. I kept working with him and entering him in shows. After that first show, he started getting third place ribbons and then moved up to first place. He was growing to be a well sought after dressage stud even with his temper. I couldn't have been more proud of him.