Pet's ID Tag:Kennel #23
Name You'd Choose for It:Mae
Gender:Female
Reason You Want It:To be honest... I don't really tend to go for horse characters, as I never have any kind of spark or connection with them. This one was different however, and something about her just picked my interest. I was putting it off, seeing if my interest fell to something else, but I very much like her still, and I do think she will be a very good equine 'mentor' for my poor Mercurio, who thanks to Carter seems to think himself a dog, and a very stubborn one at that... probably the donkey in him~
History/Background/Other:BreedShire
Age23 Years Old
PersonalityWise and calm, Mae is not one to have outbreaks of rage. This old Shire tends to be happiest when grazing with the company of others to talk to, usually sharing stories about her earlier years with the younger ones, or happily listening to their own stories. Never having had foals of her own, Mae tends to get very maternal around young ones that have been separated from their mothers at too young an age, usually comforting them and teaching them about the treacheries of life and how to handle them.
BackgroundI was born from a good line... my father was a prized stallion from a reputable breeder. My mother? She was a famous horse, what it was she was famous for I can't really say I remember, she wasn't one to constantly talk about it. She didn't constantly talk now that I think about it. I had a good number of seasons as a foal, can't complain. Our human was a doll who always brought nothing but the best food, and the pastures tasted so sweet my mouth still waters at the memory.Mae was a pureblooded Shire, bred for the labors of pulling carts, helping with the ploughing of the farmlands... all in all, the usual Shire activities. Her father, Kenelop, was a well known stud from one of the best breeders in the continent. Her mother, Crystal, unlike her father, was a show horse. She was a first class horse, with all of the demands of the breed met to perfection. A dapple gray mother and a bay father, Mae was a black filly with very common markings on shires. This didn't make her get any less attention however, as her elegant gait even as a foal made her lineage obvious.
As with all foals however, the time came for me to be taught how to get used to being in harness. I must admit, that was horrible. I hated the heavy feel of it, and the way they kept making me pull things such as carts or wagons. The worst was when I was being ridden at the same time. Of course, in time, I got used to it, and actually got to enjoy it.At two years, Mae was taught to get into harness, both work harness and riding harness. With her mother's coaxing and patience, the young shire soon got the hang of them, and looked forward to her daily lessons on proper walking and on how to manage the weight of a plough. The one thing Mae was never particularly fond off was the small bows that messed her mane every time they placed them on her, however, she would let them place them on her without so much as a grunt, knowing that proper behavior would be rewarded with kind words and treatment afterwards.
Then, as life goes, I eventually changed owners. I was bought by a rather eccentric old man whom seemed to have no real use for me other than showing me off in his stable. The change of scenery wasn't all that bad. I had friends in that stable, a feisty Arabian, a handsome Shire, and a rather funny Fjord. Their names? They aren't really important I suppose. It was such a long time ago.At a little before her three years of age, Mae was finally sold to her first master, a wealthy horse fanatic whom at old age had started keeping horses he liked in his own private stables for the pleasure of their company. The Arabian, Ginger, had been his first horse, a rescue horse who had never gotten quite over her past life and never got to trust humans much, although even she had a soft spot for the old man. The Shire, who went by the name of Shemlork, was a black Shire just like Mae, with just a year over her. Unlike her, he was a bit on the stubborn side, but he was never fierce or unkind. Finally, the Fjord, a chatty bloke by the name of Luke, was one of the higlights of the stable. Always getting in trouble, but never for long as his antics usually got the old man and the stable grooms laughing along with his happy neighs. Together, they were Mae's second family, and possibly the one she cherished the most in her youth.
A couple of years after I was bought by the old man, he passed away, and things changed... drastically. His son, a cruel man, took over. Having no use for his father's horses, he sold us off respectively. I hear that the Arabian went to the racing track, but was shot down when she fell and broke her legs. I never heard of Shemlork again.At the age of seven, the old man passed away from illness, and his one son took over his residence. Lacking the old man's gentle nature, his son quickly disposed of the horses, finding no financial gain in them other than what he would make from their buyers. Ginger, due to her own lineage, ended up as a race horse. Shemlork was sold to a barn as a plough horse, and Luke was bought by a horse instructing school as one of the school horses.
Me? Well, I was sold off to a lady with a bit of a temper. She investigated me thoroughly before giving me a home, a home which was not fit for a horse of my stature. I doubt even that little Fjord would have been comfortable in such a stable. None the less, I behaved myself, knowing I could have been off much worse. In return, I got food, water, and shelter from the rain. The lady, however, did something no other owner of mine had ever done. She took me places, made me train for some competitions, dressage I believe they called them. She also made sure I stood out in a crowd. My mane and tail would be dyed in red and white, as well as my rump with intricate designs.Being a well bred shire, Mae attracted a rather eccentric dressage competitor towards her. She didn't have a reputation for keeping her horses in the best of conditions, as a result, her horses tended to barely be eligible for competition, although she always made sure that the got in. Mae was no exception to her training and treatment, and thanks to her calm disposition, eventually made even her new master gain a soft spot for her, leading to a calmer life and actually enjoyable competitions.
As the years went by, I grew older, and competitions started being a bit of a drag. As that time came, I was eventually sold off. I must admit, I was rather hurt at first. After all I had done, I would have thought that I would have been treated better at the end. However, soon I realized that being sold was probably the best thing that had happened to me.As she grew older, Mae was sold off to a riding school, and soon found herself back with her old friend, Luke. Together they spoke of the older days, and laughed at the antiques of a young Sheltie that seemed to think it was his life's mission to steal the student's lunches and create havoc in the harness closet. While she missed the grandness of the competition grounds, she would never replace her new life here, with the kids still dyeing her mane and tail, and with the constant patting that would follow the everyday lessons.
I understand that by adopting this creature I take full responsibility for it.
