Show Name: Hidden Wonders
Barn Name: Velvet
The Retrieval
Rose turned the key in the truck's ignition and closed the door. The woman's sharp eyes quickly spotted the man she was looking for.
"Hello, sir." She said politely, dipping her hat. "Is the mare here?"
Rose's thoughts flicked back to when she had received her acceptance application. She had received the mare's information a day before.
"Yes, ma'am. She's doing quite fine, and ready to be taken to her home." The owner of the temporary reserve of the mare said.
"Thank you." Rose replied, following the man into the stalls to meet the new horse.
Rose's eyes fell hungrily upon the small grulla head sticking out of the stall. Curious eyes blinked back at her and Rose grinned.
"That's her, right there." The man said, standing to the side and letting Rose become acquainted with the mare. Rose first offered her hand, letting the mare sniff it. Grabbing one of her many spare sugarcubes, she offered it in her hand and the mare took it gently.
"Now that's a good girl." Rose spoke softly, watching the mare's ears flick towards her. "Good girl, Velvet." Velvet. That's her name.
Rose gently began to rub Velvet's muzzle, watching the grulla mare's body language. Velvet's ears flicked to the sides and began to droop.
"Sweet girl." Rose said, gently grabbing a halter and clasping it around Velvet's head. The mare didn't seem to mind. When the halter was finally on, Rose offered her another sugarcube, letting the young mare get used to wearing it.
She clipped on the mare's lead rope and unhooked the stall. Velvet stepped delicately out of the stall.
"She's close to perfectly halter broken." Rose said quizzically to the man, still leaning against a stall.
"She's got a great personalty.. very bubbly and social. She's got more curiosity in her than I've seen before." The man replied, shrugging as he patted a curious horse muzzle sticking out of the stall beside him.
Rose shrugged as well. She's never seen such an easy horse. She led the mare out of the barn and into the trailer. At first the mare looked daunted, her ears flicking back, but she complied anyways, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"Come now, Velvet." Rose cooed, gently leading the grulla mare onto the ramp and letting her walk up it into the trailer. Hungrily the mare reached in and grabbed a mouthful of hay, relaxing immediately. Rose hooked up her lead rope to the clips and added the crossties before jumping down and helping the men close the doors.
"Goodbye, thank you for housing her!" Rose called, waving as she entered her truck and closed the door. She turned the key in the ignition and glanced back, seeing the mare gaze at her thoughtfully while she chewed hay. Grinning, Rose turned in the driveway and started off down the road.
[477 words]
Onsite Vet Check
Rose led Velvet down the ramp of the trailer and into the barn. Most of the horses were out in the paddocks today anyways, so she didn't have much to distract her. Velvet obediently stood still while Rose clipped up all the crossties. She grabbed some of Rose's hair and began to chew, earning a laugh from the manager as she pulled her hair free.
"Alright there gal, I'm gonna poke around for a bit, that alright?" Rose said, giving the mare another sugarcube.
Rose started began by checking the mare's pulses and temperature, and listening to her chest, testing her heart rate. Everything sounded healthy there. There didn't seem to be anything out of line with her conformation, but Rose checked her anyways to see if anything was out of place. She felt the mare's legs, checking for breaks and heat, and cleaned the hooves, checking Velvet's hoof frogs. All the while Velvet stood peacefully, glancing down at Rose as she was poked and prodded at.
Rose began to stretch the mare's legs, seeing if there was any flinch. Nothing. She massaged portions of the mare's soft skin, waiting for her to flinch as if she hit a sore spot, but there wasn't anything there, either.
"You're as fit as a fiddle, young lady." Rose said in satisfaction. "I'll test your bloodwork anyways, just to be sure." Rose grabbed a needle and gently pushed it into the mare's body. Velvet flinched a little but soon it was over, and Rose gave her grateful nose pats.
"I'll get this analyzed by the lab soon and we'll make sure you don't have any hidden disease." Rose said, rubbing the mare's nose again.
"Ahh, the bloodwork results!" Rose grabbed the letter from the mail and opened it. Everything looked clean.
"Just as I thought." She said to herself. Velvet was perfectly healthy.
[310 words]
New Area
Rose led Velvet to the main barn, where the horses were kept. Several loud whinnies echoed in the barn and Velvet's ears flicked with interest.
"This is your new home, sweet Velvet." Rose said, walking her by all the stalls and letting her sniff everything. Velvet's nose touched everything, all the halters, all the lead ropes, the stall doors, the stalls, the hay on the ground, the dust in the air. Rose led her out the other door of the barn and into her own personal, small paddock. There was hay and water in a shed, and the grass was covered by a dusting of frost. Crisp morning air blew around the paddock. She opened the gate and led Velvet into the paddock, unclipping her lead rope and slowly exiting the paddock, closing the gate and locking it. The manager stood there and watched Velvet, waiting to see what she would do.
Velvet trotted around the paddock, letting out whinnies. She began to jump and buck, galloping around the paddock and stretching her legs.
Velvet ate some hay and drank a little, but she quickly grew bored. She exited the shed and leaned over the fence at the farther, much larger, open paddock, whinnying towards the other horses. When none responded, she resorted to galloping around the paddock again.
"We'll put you in the big paddock soon, Velvet. You need to be quarantined first." Rose said gently, turning on her heels and leaving the mare to herself. She had to update the mare's folder, anyways.
[255 words]
The Release into the Big Paddock
Rose's grip on the lead rope became tighter as she led Velvet out of the barn and towards the large paddock. She could tell the mare was restless, she had spent most of her life running free, and now she's been cooped up in a small stall and paddock for the last three weeks. Velvet's ears pricked at the distant whinnies and the wide, open spaces. The fencing disappeared on the horizon and one could not see the end of the large pasture.
"Well, Velvet, it's time for you to run off into the big pasture." Rose patted the mare's neck and began to open the gate. Velvet's nostrils flared in anticipation. Her lead line was still gripped tightly by the human, but she was eagerly awaiting the release.
The gate was flung open fully and Rose led Velvet all the way into the pasture and closed it behind her. Velvet's ears flicked and her tail swished. The grulla mare's anticipation was as clear as day.
Rose reached up and unclipped the lead line, letting it fall down beside her. Velvet was free. The mare immediately took off at a gallop, racing along, her hind legs flying up behind her and her mane whipping in the wind.
Rose grinned as she watched the pony's blurry legs send her flying across the grass. Obviously she was enjoying the free feeling, and soon Rose could no longer see the mare as she galloped out of sight. Rose followed, cresting a small hill to look. The mare was there, cantering around a small grove of trees where a few other horses grazed.
"She's good!" Rose called over her shoulder to some stable hands behind her.
Velvet let out a whinny, rearing and slashing her forelegs, before breaking into another run.
[297 words]
