[Phase 2]Creek Race

Raya had consulted one of her equine trainer friends one evening with a burning question; how to you treat a horse of such a large fear after such an awful accident?

  The best advice she would be given regarding helping Molly would be the following: sometimes it's better for let another horse teach them. 

  So instead of continuing to fight with her after getting kicked trying to lead her near a creek, she turned her out with one of the resident horses, a grulla mare named Birdy. This horse loves the water, everything about it. Birdy has mild arthritis from a previous owner jumping her too young in life, and aqua therapy keeps the mares strength up all months of the year without the need to stress her joints on the hard ground. 

  Molly was turned out with this mare the following morning, allowing them to have some time to get to know each other. One other younger mare was pastured with them, a young grulla appaloosa filly. 

  Molly stopped when she saw she'd been turned out with another horse. Her head was high and her ears forward, alert. She had been in a quarantine stall from the day that she arrived, resting her leg that had been cut up on the ride to this strange new barn. It has since healed, nicely closed and fur was already growing back with the help of some bacon grease. 

  Birdy lazily raised her head, a mouthful of grass in her jaws. She chewed her breakfast grass lazily as she eyed the new mare, a kind look on her angular dark face. 

  Molly nickered quietly to her as if to say ‘hello, who are you? Where are we?’ She loved other horses, and this new mare gave her a quiet curiosity. She enjoyed being out with the calm, lazier mares. It made life much easier and so less dramatic. This also meant Molly did not enjoy foals as much as a typical mare, as she preferred a small herd in a quiet pastures of mature mares and geldings. 

  Birdy approached her slowly, reaching her small, pink-kissed nose to touch the pretty strangers shoulder. Molly reciprocated by bending her lithe neck around to touch Birdys shoulder, taking a deep breath to gain the mares scent. She smelled on pine shavings and peppermint shampoo. Molly gave her a quick lick, but quickly discovered she did not taste as good. 

  Birdy tossed her head and began trotting off, flagging her tail to initiate a chase. 

  Molly took off after her, now spirited and excited. The two dashed across a flat open field towards a distant treeline, the morning sun shining on the grass in such a way it turned the green into hues of gold. The lush grass brushed against her belly as they galloped. The sound of their hooves pounding the earth and the whoosh of the wind being the only sound. 

  Birdy jumped over a small creek, not missing a beat as she ran with her new best friend. When she looked back expecting to see Molly right on her heels, she was shocked to notice she had been running by herself for about five whole strides. She hit the breaks, sliding to a stop, then began trotting back to her. 

  Molly stared down at the creek, about as long across as she was from nose to tail tip. She reached down and snorted at it. She was afraid. 

  Birdy walked over, a somber look on her face. She stared at her shaky new friend from a few strides away. She whinnied to her, tossing her head to try and egg her on to jump over. But Molly just looked at her. 

  Birdy walked forward and stood at the edge of the creek, tapping the surface with a hoof and making a spoink sound in the water. Molly looked down. She did not wish to touch the water. 

  Birdy frowned a little. How could she show her new friend that her most favorite thing in the world was not scary? She stepped into the water, wading just about to her ankles. She dipped her nose down into the water and tossed some up at Molly, who let it splatter on her pink nose. 

  Birdy tossed her head again, inviting the other mare to join her. 

  Reluctantly, Molly took a step into the water. The water swallowed her hoof, and her worried reflection appeared below her nose. It rippled from the disturbance her hoof caused, and as it settled, her face appeared clear to her. She stared at herself for a moment, and let her face relax. Shallow water couldn't be as scary as deep water, could it?

  She leaned forward, hesitant, then put her other front hoof in. The running feeling of the stream felt nice on her ankles. 

  Birdy walked closer to her, thrilled. Was her new friend finally going to join her?

  Molly held her breath, getting ready for her back feet to join her. She leaped forward, creating a small splash that landed in droplets around her. 

  Birdy reared up, excited. She turned to run downstream, pushing Molly to run with her. The light-coated mare tossed her head and turned to run with her, following in her dark-coated friends path. 

  They ran the full length of the pasture together, hopping out at the end as the wooden fence line came into the twos sight. 

  Birdy leaped from in the water and hit the ditch with a thud. Molly skidded in the water, jumping disgracefully from the creek and stumbling onto the bank. She wasn't as graceful and coordinated as her cross country trained friend. 

  The two mares looked at each other, water dripping down their legs and spattered up their sides. Water dripped down their face and off their belly. 

  Molly felt exhilaration running through her. She wasn't quite over her fear of big water, but her new friend Birdy had certainly lessened her anxiety and she'd be able to run through the pasture without fear of shallow water. 

Later in the evening after having spent the day together, Molly's owner came to retrieve her from the pasture. 

  Raya whistled, grinning. She'd watched the interaction from afar earlier in the day. “How's it going Molly girl?!” The mare looked up, mid-grazing. “Come get dinner!” 

  The mare came running up, calling excitedly for her owner like a kid. 

  Raya smiled, holding up a treat and her halter. “Hi girly! How about we face that evil creek together?”

  Raya led Molly down to the creek again, and she looked at it for a moment, but was not phased this time. She plopped right in and began walking a circle, yanked the lead rope from within Rayas unsuspecting hands, and flipped into the creek, rolling around. 

  Raya was hit with a splash of water, and she began laughing. Her shirt was soaked but not ruined. Finally, the mare was beginning to break out of her shell and show her true colors. The trailer incident may have set her back a little, but this horse was not done yet. And as long as Raya was willing to fight for her to be brave again, Molly would be brave.