Makeover 2024 Phase 2

“Easy now,” Viola soothed, scratching the red geldings neck. “He's here to help. I promise you'll feel better when he's done.” 

The loshenka snorted, eyeing the farrier warily as he bent down next to his hooves. 

She was grateful that the farrier was able to come on relatively short notice. Getting his hooves trimmed was paramount to helping him feel better. Those long hooves had looked incredibly uncomfortable for the poor boy. At least now she felt more comfortable about allowing him some time outside. 

“Easy, boy. He's just going to trim your hooves.” She glanced at the farrier. “How's he looking?” 

“Not the worst I've seen,” he replied, cradling a hoof between his knees as he got to work, cutting off the excess and trimming it down to size. 

Viola grimaced at the thought of worse hooves than his. Those poor horses.

Iris nickered encouragingly from the stall beside them. The purple mare wasn't poking her head out, but she was standing nearby, offering comfort to the red gelding, just as Viola hoped she would. 

“See, Iris knows it's not that bad.” She reached up again to scratch his neck, keeping the lead rope tight in her other hand, just in case he spooked. “Maybe while we're here, we should give you a name.” 

The mare bobbed her head, which she took to be in agreement. 

“See, Iris thinks that's a good idea. The real question is what to name you.” 

The red roan gelding snorted, shifting his hoof away from the farrier. To the man's credit, he took it in stride and reached for the hoof again to continue his work. 

“Let's see,” Viola continued, thinking out loud as a way to give him something else to focus on while also being more productive for her than sweet comforting words, “Big Red would be fun. Hmm, but at that point I might as well call you Big Mac, I don't feel like that suits you.” 

Iris snorted her own disapproval, whether that was for the name or for the late autumn fly buzzing around her nose, who was to know. 

“Hmm, what about Aiden?” Viola suggested as the farrier finished with that hoof and moved onto the next one. The as of yet unnamed gelding didn’t look happy but hadn’t fully spooked yet. He wasn’t paying all that much attention to her either unfortunately. 

“Hey,” reached up to grab his halter and gently pulled his head down so she could better look him in the eye and scratch his cheek, “You’re a handsome boy. Like royalty. Maybe a prince? A lord? Or…” She smiled softly, coming to a decision, “Duke. Our very own Duke.” 

His ears flicked in her direction, for the first time not focused on the farrier. 

“You like that, huh?” Viola grinned, giving him an extra scratch under the chin. “Sounds like we've got ourselves a Duke.” 

Iris nickered. 

“What do you think of our new Duke, Iris? I think he'll fit right in. He's such a pretty boy.” 

The mare popped her head over the stall door, nickering again. Duke glanced at her and actually nickered back. A weight lifted off Viola's chest, loosening the worries coiled over her heart, and she smiled. He would come around. It would just take some time. 

“We'll take care of you, Duke. You’re home now.”