PHASE 2: Past and Present

Rainbrand, as the bay roan Loshenka mare was known, had experienced quite some difficulties settling into her new environment. Already the vet had been out to float her teeth, give her yearly shots, and scope her for ulcers. Sure enough the roan mare had been riddled with the painful ailment. Almost immediately they began ulcer treatment for the mare. In addition to this the mare was given a roomy stall with a large paddock that they opened into a grassy pasture during the day. 

This grassy expanse had seemed vast to the young Rainbrand who had been accustomed to living in a box stall most of her days. She had not been allowed turnout before lest she injure herself before a competition. For the first couple of days she refused to enter the pasture unless led out by halter. Then once she got over her initial hesitations she would pace the fence line. Up and down and up and down she would go. Rainbrand had never had access to such a thing like this before and was unsure of how to act.

Elle worried that the mare wasn’t settling in as she should and decided a friend might be nice for the high strung, anxiety ridden mare. Emerald Ridge Stables, Elle’s home base and training operation, was home to four Loshenkas currently. Two mares and two stallions. She didn’t wish to upset the mare further by placing a stallion in her midst so she decided to choose between the mares to pair her with. 

Sugar had been her initial choice, but after further consideration Elle had determined Dulce to be a better fit for Rainbrand. Dulce, a stunning silver sooty mink Merle roan tobiano mare, was docile and good natured. She was rather easygoing and was neither too dominant nor too submissive. Elle hoped Dulce’s calming nature would have some positive effect on Rainy.

So that was that and the next day Dulce was moved to the stall and adjoining pasture next to Rainbrand. The bay roan mare had squealed a bit and kicked out but it did not seem to phase Dulce one bit. The silver mare merely resumed her grazing as though nothing was a matter. Rainbrand had been left puzzled, ears askew as if unsure of why she had garnered no such reaction from the newcomer.

Within a week or so Dulce and Rainbrand had settled into a comfortable routine and struck up a friendship of sorts. Sometimes when Rainy didn’t think anyone was watching Elle caught the mares grooming each other over the fence as friends might. Elle had also noted that the great bay roan Rainbrand no longer paced up and down the fence line. Rather she opted to graze alongside the fence by Dulce. It seemed as though Elle’s plan was a success and that Dulce’s docile nature was rubbing off on the nervous nelly of a mare.

Thus the staff opened the gates between the adjoining pastures so that Dulce and Rainbrand could graze in the same space. To everyone’s delight there was no big fuss other than the mares prancing about happily and snorting in the crisp morning air. Rainy flagged her tail high and seemed quite excited at the prospect of being turned out with a friend for the first time. Dulce indulged her with a bit of prancing of her own before encouraging her friend to focus on the more important matters. Matters such as food.

They allowed Rainbrand a full three weeks of rest and relaxation, along with regular ulcer treatments, to recover before entertaining the notion of riding the great mare. The mare had been a champion showjumper previously and Elle was eager to see what she might be like under saddle. She poured through the internet looking at photos and videos of Rainbrand at competitions all over the country. The mare had garnered quite a name for herself before suddenly refusing to jump anymore. 

Upon further inspection Elle noticed that the mare seemed to shrink under her rider in the videos. Any time the pressure of competition peeked and her rider pushed her on the mare seemed to choke. It was as though the high stakes environment was all too much for the mare to handle.

The last time the mare competed had been televised. Elle managed to get a copy of it and watched it intently. Rainbrand soared over the jumps with the grace of a cat. She seemed like such a natural in her element. And then coming towards the second to last jump she could see a nervous look come about the mare. The mare began to falter. Her rider, intent on the win, spurred into her side and popped the crop back with a loud crack. Immediately Rainbrand broke. The mare dipped and spun out from under her rider. She galloped circles around the ring, foam frothing on her skin. Her eyes were saucers wide with fear. It took three people to catch and restrain her and then the video feed cut off.

Watching Rainy’s career ending round on video was hard for many reasons. But it was also enlightening. The mare had risen through the ranks too fast at too young an age. She had been unprepared to cope with the pressure and had been driven to the point of panic time and time again. It was no small wonder that the mare had become a basket case. She was just scared and stressed.

Thus Elle took a different approach to rebacking Rainy under saddle. The first couple of rides she only walked and trotted the mare in the round pen. Then once the mare was able to relax and stretch into the contact Elle deemed it safe to move her to the arena. She was careful to make sure there were no jumps set up and that the arena was not too busy. At first Rainy had been quite spooky and nervous but after a few rides she settled into the routine quite nicely. The mare wasn’t especially fond of flat work but she tried to do a good job for her rider Elle nonetheless. 

Rainy’s favorite thing to do now was to go for a hack. She loved to canter down the trails and through the fields. The young mare took a special interest to water and greatly enjoyed running through puddles and wading into the pond. Elle thought that if the bay roan mare ever got over her apprehension with jumping that she might truly enjoy cross country. But for now she would not push the matter of jumping with the big bay roan mare. For now Elle was satisfied with the calm way Rainbrand went about the flat work and relaxed way she was on hacks. The mare was happy and finally coming out of her shell. And that was all that truly mattered.

Overall Rainbrand had improved considerably since coming to Emerald Ridge Stables under Elle’s care. Her ulcers were healing, she was enjoying being a horse, and she had even made quite the friend in Dulce. Elle was confident that with a little more time the nervous mare might regain her confidence and have quite the transformation indeed.