Phase 3: Welcome Home
In 2024 Loshenka Makeover ・
By Possum-Dad
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Adeline Hill pushed back from her desk with a frustrated sigh, rubbing her temples to stave off the approaching headache. The St. Claires had tasked her with balancing their recent feed transactions, a job that typically went to their accountant. Still, since Lorelai was out of town for a family event, it fell upon Adeline, despite her utter lack of interest in anything financial. Thus far, she had only concluded that they spent far too much money on alfalfa- which their horses did not need with the lush summer grass overflowing their pastures. Regardless, she was bored.
Her fingers leafed through the to-do list she had made herself, pausing as she saw the most recent entry. She was to call a prospective buyer about the Loshenka mare she had received for a make-over event. According to her file, the mare was excessively lazy, utterly useless in an arena, and challenging to catch, and while all those things proved evident when she arrived at Black Coast, as was the solution to the problem. Miata, affectionately nicknamed Mia, suffered from the same condition as Adeline: Boredom.
The head trainer rose to her feet, stretching out her aching spine, before stepping onto the cobbled path leading to the main yard. Pastures lined the walk, and Loshenka paused their grazing momentarily to watch her pass, their coats shining in the summer sun. She smiled, being reminded yet again how lucky she was.
Black Coast's two make-over horses resided in a smaller pasture on the East wing, typically used for quarantining incoming horses. Adeline had decided to separate the pair to force-bond them in case their issues stemmed from a lack of friends. The gray thoroughbred lifted his head and whinnied to her as she approached, ears pushed forward. As Adeline had expected, Mia swiveled an ear towards her direction and continued eating, tail swishing contentedly.
"Care for a ride?" Draping her arms over the fence, Adeline watched the roan Loshenka- or rather, watched her hindquarters. She had yet to train Mia to approach Adeline at the fence, as many of her other horses did, but further improvement would come with time. She was already proud of how far the mare had come.
With an amused snort, the woman slung Mia's halter over her shoulder and popped the fence, stepping to the mare with an exaggerated step. Her soft fur tickled Adeline's fingertips as she brushed them over her flank, admiring the gentle curve of muscle, something that had been absent only weeks ago. The first few days of Mia's stay had been filled with troubleshooting. After being cleared by Black Coast's resident vet, Adeline filled her days with trying to find something Mia enjoyed doing.
They began with dressage, which was met with complete disinterest, then moved onto running barrels, which she knocked consistently, and roping, for which she refused to move. No amount of bribery, spurs, or chasing from onlookers could inspire the mare to step forward of her own volition. They tried pole bending, various forms of gymkhana, polo, cross country, stadium jumping, bulldogging, and racing- none of which inspired any flame within Mia. She hardly went fast enough to engage in any of the sports they attempted adequately. Adeline had begun to give up hope until they tried liberty in the field as one last ditch effort.
It was as if a weight had been lifted from Mia's back. She was immediately fascinated. Mia learned quickly and worked eagerly for the first time since entering Adeline's care. Her ability in the field was soon reflected in the arena, and the mare began to find passion in what was asked of her. It seemed to Adeline that she wanted someone willing to spend time with her instead of throwing a saddle at her back the second they met. The head trainer enjoyed her nights with Mia, working with her on bend and flexion on the ground, then transferring it to under saddle work. She had even gone so far as to enter her in a local dressage show, and while they had scored 8th, she was beyond proud of her performance.
"What do you have in mind for Miata today?" The familiar voice of Ruben Norwood, Black Coast's yard manager, pulled her from her reverie.
Adeline slipped the halter over Mia's ears and began to lead her from the pasture. "A hack, I think. She's worked so hard lately."
"She's filling out beautifully."
"Truthfully, I didn't think I'd get so attached. I'm supposed to call someone interested in her later today, but I don't know..."
"Thinking of keeping her?"
Adeline shrugged, passing below the grand arch into the main barn and situating Mia in the crossties. Ruben followed, his dopey lab following at his heels, tongue lolling.
"Would you have time with her? Between showing Judas and working with the others?" He leaned on the pitchfork, chin resting on gloved hands.
"That's what is holding me back." Dust clouded the air as Adeline brushed out the mare's silky coat. Due to the nature of Loshenka, very little grime ever settled further than surface level. "I want to give her the attention she deserves."
The facility manager busied himself collecting Miata's borrowed tack, choosing a lilac pad that had quickly become one of Adeline's favorites for the mare. "You could talk to Annie? Maybe she'd be interested her- that way, she'd still be close by."
Annie had been Adeline's best friend since secondary school and worked under a famous eventing coach several kilometers south. She had been trying to convince Adeline to add a lesson program to Black Coast for years. Adeline shrugged again, chewing her inner lip.
Mia glanced at her rider, blue eyes intelligent as a raven's, closing slightly as Adeline rested her forehead against hers. Adeline inhaled the sweet scent of her- hay, dust, and leather conditioner- and brushed her fingers through the impossibly soft fur of her neck and over the crest where a mane would typically grow from any average breed. "Oh, Mia, I can't get rid of you. Especially not to some farm in Scotland where I'd never see you again."
There was silence for a moment before Ruben spoke, his voice laced with amusement and resignation. "You better tell the St. Claires that there is to be a new permanent resident at Black Coast stables. Perhaps two, for Goofy is just as attached to her as you are."
Adeline shot Ruben an innocent grin as she slid the bit between the mare's teeth and fixed her throat latch. "They should have known."
With Ruben's bemused chuckling behind them, Adeline led her mare down the flower-ringed path to their grandiose outdoor arena. It was a beautiful day, with the Russian summer sun smiling down upon them in warming rays, bringing forth a breeze that tickled the hair on Adeline's neck. Mia paused momentarily to observe the flowers around them, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled the scent oozing from them. Now that her decision had been made, Adeline did not doubt it was right. With proper diligence and training, she could shape this mare into one that could rival her current competition horses; she was sure of it.
But for now, she was just grateful that this mare was home.
Event: 2024 Loshenka Makeover
Phase Number: 3
Horse ID#: 6408
- Issues: Lazy, Hard to Catch
- Description: Previously surrendered due to financial constraints, this horse displays a tendency toward laziness and evasion when approached. It takes a lot to get this horse moving under saddle, ignoring all cues and simply standing still or lipping at the ground instead. When trying to retrieve them from the pasture, they walk away just fast enough to keep from being caught.
1200 WC - 12 XP
Handler Bonus (1000)- 2 XP
Total= 14
Submitted By Possum-Dad
Submitted: 1 year ago ・
Last Updated: 1 year ago
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