4865 Adoption Claim

I was going on a trail ride, roaming the familiar territory of my uncle's farm. My horse, a reliable black stallion with an appaloosa blanket and a steady gait, was responsive as always to my commands and I knew they were always reliable whenever I wanted to simply ride and not micromanage a horse. It was a nice escape from the business of the stables and a well-earned break for all the work I've finished today. I'd just like to congratulate myself for mucking every single stable and refilling everyone's feed bowls. The sun wasn't as high in the air as when I finished working though, now coming closer and closer to meeting the horizon. The sky was already starting to turn a shade of darker blue, with the slightest hints of pink and purple blending into the clouds. I stopped my horse to take in the view and admire how lucky I was to be able to enjoy this at all. And as I was taking in the view and reflecting on my life, a flash of white reflecting the same colors the sky held caught my eye. It wasn't hard to see it after all, sticking out so plainly in a field of varying shades of green.

I brought my horse closer to the white dot, as it was far in the distance at the current moment. And as we got closer, the blob's shape became more and more defined, a head, a body, a long tail and finally 4 thing legs. It wasn't even white, but a pale yellow, so pale that it would probably seem white in the right lighting. Currently it was busy eating and foraging for berries in a bush. My uncle's property doesn't get a lot of wild horses, usually we're the ones who have to go out and search for them, so it's surprising to see one that's wandered its way here. Briefly, I wondered if someone had let it go here.

I was about one hundred feet away downwind so the horse didn't detect me, I would not want to spook it for any reason after all. That long tail though.. that has to be a Loshenka if I have ever known one! I have only ever seen a couple of them down where my uncle and I live, but they sure are a rarity. I brought my horse closer to the Loshenka, waiting for it to smell us and acknowledge us. I wanted to see how it would react to any other horses around it.

The Loshenka perked up, swiveling its ears before its head finally followed as well. From here, I could see the dapples that were speckled across its body and the four white stockings that crept up each one of its legs. It additionally had a white blaze smack in the middle of its face. The most subtle feature of all though was the slightest gradient on its tail, from a pale yellow at the roots to a creamy white at the tips. It tilted its head in confusion and surprisingly, it came up to see us and what we were doing just standing there. I knew my horse was fine around other horses, so I wasn't worried about him at least.

The Loshenka sniffed me and my horse, circling us. It did not look to be hostile, as I think it would have done something already if it was. Instead, it took to sniffing my horse specifically. I let go of the reins in order for my horse to sniff the wild Loshenka as well. Suddenly, I got an idea.

I dug through my pockets for varying horse treats I always had on me whenever I went trail riding, and luckily I did not give them all to my horse yet. Hoping he would forgive me for betraying him, I stuck out my hand with an apple on my palm. The Loshenka sniffed the apple as well, it seemed to be as cautious as it was curious, before eating it in one big bite. I felt my horse snort in disbelief, watching the random horse in front of us take his well-earned treats.

"I promise I'll give you some more when we get back, okay?" My horse snorted yet again, like he was rolling his eyes at me. I apologetically patted him and scratched him behind the ears and hoped that it was a suitable apology for now. The Loshenka was now finished with its food and for some reason, it was looking at me yet again. It got close to my horse and even closer to me, just to nudge my hand for more food.

"I don't have any more! That was my last apple!" The Loshenka tilted its head once more. Maybe it didn't understand. I tried backing away with my horse to create more space, no doubt he was uncomfortable, but the Loshenka merely followed us. One step backward with my horse was two steps forward from the Loshenka. I tried telling my horse to gallop away, but the Loshenka also galloped with us, meeting every one of my horse's strides. My horse whinnied in disbelief as the Loshenka whinnied for more food. It wasn't long before we made it back to my uncle's stables, my horse slightly annoyed and the Loshenka still relentless in its pursuit for food.

"I think I have another horse now" I murmured to myself in disbelief.