[makeover 2023] At Long Last

It had been a year. A year of hard work. A year of setbacks. The mare had put on weight beautifully, but once she was deemed ready to start some light work again her hooves had flared up again, once again giving everyone a fright that she might had actually developed laminitis. Lots of examinations later the vet had said her hooves had just not yet healed, and it would be best to keep her hooves absolutely dry and clean for the foreseeable future, as the mare's immune system was still recovering as well, and it just couldn't deal with all issues at once. They had pulled through, however. Almost every waking moment Harper spent with the mare, monitoring how much she ate, drank, peed. She stayed in close contact with the vet, who also really rooted for the mare's recovery.

A year later the vet had released the mare from her care. The beautiful golden buckskin mare was almost unrecognizable; her once shaggy and patchy fur had grown back into a healthy, shiny coat. Het once entirely matted tail slowly regained some length and her once ghoulish frame was now even beginning to sport some muscle again from the light training they had picked up. After being cleared, the next challenge began; The mare would officially get to come to her new home. It would be a 14 hour drive, so Harper started preparing well; she would have to rent a trailer to get from a to b, the mare would need to be made comfortable. She needed a back-up halter, and maybe a back-up for the back-up. The mare couldn't stand in a trailer comfortably for that long, so Harper had to plan their road trip with ample stops in between. 

The drive ended up taking the better part of three days, but they had made it. Harper almost cried when she loaded the mare off the trailer, the stark contrast with the way she had gotten of the trailer a year before. The mare trotted away happily, ready to explore the new pasture. Her parents had kept the place well kept in her absence, something Harper was very grateful for. She entered the pasture and the mare walked up to her immediately, eager for pets. Harper gave the mare a kiss on her face and said; "I think I finally have a name for you, gorgeous. I'll name you Phoenix, I think it suits you"