The Winter Bear
Retrieval
Dessabella Romaine Thalia sat in the passenger seat of the winter vehicle. She was on her way of retrieving an older stallion from a reserve in Nunavut. She wasn't a huge fan of winter or any cold weather, but she did learn to appreciate it. Dessa kept her hood up to cover her ears and keep herself hidden from the humans.
The driver of the truck they were in was human. Dessa had brought two Elven veterinary specialist with her for extra support. Between the three of them they should be able to give a highly accurate vet check and inspection of the animal they were picking up. According the reports Dessa had already been given this stallion had been found with a resporitory infection. In theory he might have also been in a nasty scrape with a polar bear.
It didn't take long for the quad to reach the reserve where Dessa was to retrieve her new horse for Artillery Stables. Her stables were known for their various programs and diversity in breeds. She hugged her thick coat tighter around herself and gazed at the bay animal brought to her by a couple of handlers.
"He doesn't seem to be aggressive towards anyone." Dess said quietly to her comrades, "This is a good sign."
She walked right up to the stallion and reached out a hand to pet his muzzle. At first the old boy snorted and retreated a few steps, but after a few more tries from Dessa he relented. She stroked his muzzle in a gentle way and slowly started to rub her hands over other areas of his face and neck. He didn't move or budge, just stood there and took it. At times he would moan a little to show he liked the pets or massages she was giving him. Clearly he had had a good experience with humans before. This would make their process a little easier.
Dessa gently took the lead rope from the handlers and began to lead in around in circles. He followed her without complaint and even had his ears upright and attentive. So far so good. Now for a vet check.
---(read vet check)---
After the ride to the docs was finished, Dessa, with the help of one of her companions, helped her lead the nervous stallion onto the ship. The bay stallion didn't seem to like what was going on at all. He would pull back or would stop moving altogether. It took everything Dessa had to convince the old boy to keep moving forward toward the cargo hold where the horse stalls were.
It had taken them roughly three days to get to the island and about two days to get to the high pass where the summer mountain location was. Dessa opened up the trailer door and slowly lead the new boy out.
"Welcome home, old man."
Onsite Vet Check
Dessa began her check by making every note about his physical appearance. He had little scratches and even some scarring. She noted that he did have a limp and it seemed to be from either a sprain or from an incorrectly healed scar.
Next the trio began to rub him down. They were looking for any signs of cracks or breaks in his bones, infections, bruises, and any diseases. Of course they didn't find anything. His teeth, as Dessa observed, were well worn from grazing and definitely appeared to be from a horse that was around 20 years of age. Of course given that he is 22 that was pretty good. He seemed very healthy despite his battle wounds and scarring. Dessa even took another look at his scarred hind leg and decided the cause of his limp was indeed from an incorrectly healed scar. That was fine seeing as how that was easier and faster to treat than sprains.
Lastly, Dessa brought out her stethoscope and began to check his vitals. She concluded that his heart was healthy for his age, but his lungs did sound off. She would have to get a sample of his mucus and see what the real problem is. She took out a swab and gently swabbed the inside of his nose. One of Dessabella's comrades swabbed the stallions mouth and tried to gently get a little bit from his throat. Once the samples were taken, Dessa placed the swabs in some clear liquid and shook the vials. Depending on the color of the liquid she would be able to see what was wrong.
The liquid turned into some sort of clear yellow-green. That meant this poor old boy had a minor infection. If they didn't start treating it, it could get worse. Other than the scars , cuts, and the infection he was pretty healthy. Artillery Stables would definitely be able to take this boy in and fix him up to tip-top shape again. Of course given his age he probably won't be worked too much and will be given a partner to work with. Dessa would just have to find a horse he would be compatible with.
Dessabella signed whatever paperwork was needed and she, herself, lead the bay stallion into the trailer and latched it up all good and tight. The journey back to her private island will take a couple days. The trip to the high pass will take a day or two more depending on the weather and temperament of the mountains.
Dessa and her comrades climbed into the truck and off they went towards the docs. The ship should be waiting for them to take them off to the island.
Introductions to a New Home
The bay stallion seemed curious towards everything. He sniffed the ground, the fences, everything that he and Dessa passed on their way toward the stables. Dessa did not mind as much for he was investigating his new home. This is a good sign. It at least shows that he is smart and attentive.
The two did eventually make it to the stables where the stallion will be kept at night or when he was not being worked. In the mountains they generally don't let their horses roam free, but down bellow they do authorize a few select horses to roam free about the lower regions of the island. Fencing keeps them from going into the mountains or into regions that are not authorized for them.
The old bay sniffed around the stables and looked into each stall. He eventually just walked into one of the unused stalls and laid down in the thick straw. Clearly he liked the thick padding and Dessa made note of that. "Come on, there's still more for you to see. You can sleep later."
The pony stood up and followed after the woman without any verbal protest. He could put up with this for a little while, but the longer he was up and about, the crankier he was getting. Clearly the old man was exhausted and wanted to rest.
"Well, you know where the stables and pastures are. So why don't you go lay down for a while? I'll come get you when it's time to treat those wounds." the Elf smiled at the old stallion and chuckled, "I think I'll name you The Winter Bear, or Polarize for short. You act like a cranky tired old bear and it'll go with your bear-attacking history. What do you think, old man?" of course she didn't expect an answer, but he did give her a look that he said he was alright with it.
Polarize snorted and turned around to go limp back to the stables so he could nap. After a long day of being introduced to his new home and surroundings, it felt good to finally lay down and relax in a real soft bed.
Released
The next morning Dessa took Polarized out to the pasture. Today she will be releasing him in the open space to see how he acts and what his tendencies are when he's not cooped up. The moment the old horse saw the wide open space he nearly took off with Dessa's arm. The woman laughed and patted his neck. She unclipped his lead rope from his halter and sent him loose.
If it weren't for Polarize's hind leg, he would have gone faster. For now, however, he will just slowly canter around. The snow rose knee deep for him and could come up to hit his chin on some of his bounces. A couple times he fell on his side and would roll around in the snow. Dessa made note that he loved snow.
Polarize was happy to be free of the facilities and the humans (or elves). It wasn't that he didn't mind them, oh no, he could put up with them, but he liked his freedom too. He was glad to have these wide open spaces to roam around. He just kind of wished there were more of his kind here. It is true, Polarize is the first AISP to come to Artillery Stables. He hoped more would soon come or be on the way. The pastures would be so much more fun with someone to adventure with.
The old stallion visited every corner of the large pasture. At some points he was so far out that he couldn't even see the large mountain facilities. These pastures were huge and probably could stretch out for miles. Then again, this island is nothing more than a retirement home for old horses. These big pastures were made to hold hundreds of horses. It was only logical to own a remote island specifically for horses. Here hundreds could roam free with more than enough room to run around. Yes, Polarize decided, he loved this new home.
Polarize
