a new beginning! | AC Claim 6278

The trailer stood parked under the shade of some trees. I stood in front of the paddock, admiring the stallion frolicking through it. "Beautiful creature," I said, turning to look at the seller with a smile. "I'll take him." The salesperson smiled back and handed me a halter. I turned it over in my hand, reading the ID number engraved on the side. "6278… What a beauty." I stepped into the paddock, noting how the horse raised his head and turned towards me. His ears were pricked and his eyes shone with intelligence and spirit; qualities which I looked for in my Loshenka. I pulled out a cookie from my pocket as I approached him, offering it on a flat palm. "Hey there, good boy… I'm your new owner." I let him sniff my hand, chuckling slightly as he accepted the cookie. "I bet you're going to love your new home, boy. You'd make great company for my darling Custard."

I reached over his head, gently pulling the halter onto his face and securing it behind his ears, carefully monitoring his body language. To my relief, he appeared to be a well-handled animal, and only nosed my sweatshirt — presumably searching for more delicacies. "Whoa there, buddy. I'm not going to give you cookies if you beg," I said with a laugh, even as I reached into my pocket to pull out another treat for him. "But I guess I can't say no to your adorable face, huh?" I gently scratched the side of his face as he blissfully munched on the cookie. I led him through the paddock, alternating between walking and trotting him to gauge for any lameness. When I confirmed he was sound, I led him back to my trailer. "Okay, buddy. We've got quite a long haul ahead of us, but you've got some hay and a lot of water with you. And I promise we'll take breaks," I said, patting his neck as I secured him in the van, making sure his tail had enough room to freely sway.

"He's a Rapunzel," his seller remarked as I backed away from the trailer. "One of my finest." While I was getting to know the Loshenka, they had disappeared into the barn — presumably to take care of their other horses. I was pleasantly surprised when they handed over a small basket with grooming supplies. "Figured you'd need these," they said. "Rapunzel tails are different from regular Loshie tails… they need more maintenance." I nodded, glancing back at the stallion in the trailer. He was contentedly munching on the hay I'd prepared for him, and I smiled at the sight. "I can't believe it… I'm going to be his new owner!" His ears pricked at my excited voice, and he slightly turned his head to let out a soft whinny. I chuckled and turned back to face his seller. "Rest assured… I'll take really good care of him," I said, rummaging through my wallet and pulling out a cheque as well as some cash. "Here's the payment, and a little extra. For the supplies." The seller chuckled and accepted the money, waving as I pulled away.

I was buzzing with energy for the drive back home. I couldn't stop looking at my new Loshenka through the rearview mirror, smiling as I processed the reality that he was now mine! "You would just adore Custard," I said out loud. He looked up at me, a few pieces of hay falling from his mouth as he chewed. "She's a sweetheart. I'm sure you two will be friends in no time!" I hummed contemplatively as I continued driving. "I'm going to need to give you a name… Let me think. You're going to be living with Custard Cream…" I mused, my eyes on the road as my mind raced with name choices. "Aha! How about Apple Pudding?" I chuckled as he startled at my sudden excitement. "Sorry, boy. It's just so exciting! Oh, I can't wait for you to be home!" I grinned as I sped through the highway, loudly singing to the music I played as we came closer to home.

It was pretty late when we pulled in to my driveway. I parked the trailer and jumped out, letting out a groan of relief and stretching my stiff muscles. "Here we are, boy," I murmured. "Home sweet home." I opened the back gate of the trailer and stepped in, gently petting his rump as I made my way over to get a lead rope onto his halter. "Tomorrow, we're gonna get you checked over by the farrier and vet. Then we're gonna get you some bodywork," I murmured as I began backing him off the trailer. "After that, we're gonna get you some well-fitting tack. How does that sound for a plan?" He let out a soft nicker, playfully grabbing some of my hair with his lips and letting go. I laughed, turning to stroke his neck. "Sounds like someone's a fan." I led him through my land, pointing out the different arenas as well as talking about some of my favourite spots. He listened attentively, looking around with interest, and for a moment I almost believed he understood the meaning behind the words I was saying.

As we neared the barn, I could see Custard frolicking in the paddock nearby. She stopped when she noticed me, and ran up to the fence with a loud whinny of excitement. Apple responded with a whinny of his own, but didn't attempt to bolt towards the mare. I let out a sigh of relief as I realized just how well socialized this stallion was. "I'll let you go be in the paddock with her in just a second," I said, leading him into the barn and to the stall I had prepared for him. "Let's just get you out of your travel boots and into a nice blanket." I knelt down and unfastened the boots around all four of his legs, then used my hoof pick to clean any debris out of his hooves. I brushed his coat down with my usual grooming brush, then gently detangled his tail with my hands. Finally, I sprayed him with a dose of fly spray and covered his body with a blanket. "All done," I said proudly and led him out to the field. I put a fly mask on his face before removing the halter and smiled in contentment as he ran over to meet Custard. "Welcome home, Apple Pudding. It's wonderful to have you."