Post by DJ on Feb 6, 2008 8:15:25 GMT -5
Hope closed the feed room door behind herself and struggled with the pile of small blue buckets into her arms. Hope walked to the end of the cement aisle and started dumping the contents through the feed opening and into the horses' corner feeders. Slowly, as she worked her way down the aisle, the kicking, banging, nickering, and whinnying stopped, one by one and the scene was quieted to chewing and rustling as the horses dug their heads into the very corners of buckets licking up crumbs and missed bits.
Hope started at one end of the barn with Mentira's stall. The bay Andalusian greeted Hope and snuffled her jacket pockets for any possible treats. Hope scratched the stallion's white forehead and went to his hocks to unclip the black leg straps on his hunter green sheet. She moved to his barrel and untwisted his belly straps and let them fall to the other side of his stomach. Hope walked to the horse's chest and fumbled with the buckles as Mentira continued to try to put his head down to sniff Hope and his neck covered the straps. "I'd suggest you'd keep your head up," Hope mumbled to the stallion. "You'll get your blanket off much faster and you'll be able to head outside. The horse seemed to understand and his head shot up as Hope unbuckled the last strap and she pulled the blanket off over the stallion's rump. The equine bounced in his stall so excited to go outside.
Hope exited the stall and pulled the blanket rack off of the wall after she'd folded the sheet. She rested the blanket down and pulled the bell-boots that were hooked on the rack. She brought them into his stall and squatted down near the horse's front hooves. The interested horse snuffled Hope's hair as she pulled the boot around the horse's hoof and connected the Velcro in the back. The horse moved his head and snuffled and attempted to chew the rubbery material around his hoof. "We're very interested in everything today, huh," Hope chuckled to the horse. "Chill." Hope stood up and ruffled the stallion's forelock.
"Ready to go outside?" Hope grabbed the stallion's halter from the hook on his door. The stallion eagerly shoved his head into the halter and Hope pulled it under his jowl and clipped the side.
"Let's go!" Hope slid open the door and the stallion rushed to it. "Ahh! No," Hope pulled the stallion back. "Humans first. You know your manners." Hope slipped through the door allowing the stallion to follow out behind her.
The stallion pranced down the aisle, staying at Hope's shoulder like asked, but listing his legs high and shoving his hooves out in front of himself in excitement to get outside.
Hope squinted in the bright morning light, unable to see many things. Her eyes adjusted and she relaxed a bit.
The stallion threw his head up quickly, thrilled to be outside in the warm morning air, but cooled by a slight breeze.
"Easy," Hope spoke to the stallion. She pulled him back and forced him to stand. Rushing to the paddock won't get you there any faster, she thought. Stand still and we can move on again. But the stallion did not want to stand. He became frustrated with the wait and pinned his ears. He popped his front end in a small rear and pounded back down onto the earth pawing and striking madly, ripping up the soft grass allowing it to fly behind him in a small pile. "Honestly, Mentira. Chill. We're not moving any faster with your impatientness!"
The stallion flared a nostril and lowered his head and sighed. An ear flicked to the side in disgust. "Oh fine," he seemed to say.
"That's better!" Hope walked forward and the Andalusian followed calmly, dragging his hooves on the pebbled sand. She lead him to the gate and led him through the gate at he spun around and held his head out for Hope to take his halter off. Hope leaned against the gate, not letting it swing open behind her. Mentira shoved her side asking her to take his halter off. "Patience," Hope reminded the stallion. He pulled his head back and kept it to himself.
Hope pulled a leadrope around his neck and slid his halter off. "Wait." She held his neck rope not allowing him to tear away. She gave him a pat after a few moments and allowed him to go, he ran off, shaking his head before diving into the fetlock-deep grass, inhaling it without chewing as it fell out of the sides of his face. "Chew," Hope reminded the bay.
She rested his halter on the gate hook and turned around to get the other horses ready.
Hope started at one end of the barn with Mentira's stall. The bay Andalusian greeted Hope and snuffled her jacket pockets for any possible treats. Hope scratched the stallion's white forehead and went to his hocks to unclip the black leg straps on his hunter green sheet. She moved to his barrel and untwisted his belly straps and let them fall to the other side of his stomach. Hope walked to the horse's chest and fumbled with the buckles as Mentira continued to try to put his head down to sniff Hope and his neck covered the straps. "I'd suggest you'd keep your head up," Hope mumbled to the stallion. "You'll get your blanket off much faster and you'll be able to head outside. The horse seemed to understand and his head shot up as Hope unbuckled the last strap and she pulled the blanket off over the stallion's rump. The equine bounced in his stall so excited to go outside.
Hope exited the stall and pulled the blanket rack off of the wall after she'd folded the sheet. She rested the blanket down and pulled the bell-boots that were hooked on the rack. She brought them into his stall and squatted down near the horse's front hooves. The interested horse snuffled Hope's hair as she pulled the boot around the horse's hoof and connected the Velcro in the back. The horse moved his head and snuffled and attempted to chew the rubbery material around his hoof. "We're very interested in everything today, huh," Hope chuckled to the horse. "Chill." Hope stood up and ruffled the stallion's forelock.
"Ready to go outside?" Hope grabbed the stallion's halter from the hook on his door. The stallion eagerly shoved his head into the halter and Hope pulled it under his jowl and clipped the side.
"Let's go!" Hope slid open the door and the stallion rushed to it. "Ahh! No," Hope pulled the stallion back. "Humans first. You know your manners." Hope slipped through the door allowing the stallion to follow out behind her.
The stallion pranced down the aisle, staying at Hope's shoulder like asked, but listing his legs high and shoving his hooves out in front of himself in excitement to get outside.
Hope squinted in the bright morning light, unable to see many things. Her eyes adjusted and she relaxed a bit.
The stallion threw his head up quickly, thrilled to be outside in the warm morning air, but cooled by a slight breeze.
"Easy," Hope spoke to the stallion. She pulled him back and forced him to stand. Rushing to the paddock won't get you there any faster, she thought. Stand still and we can move on again. But the stallion did not want to stand. He became frustrated with the wait and pinned his ears. He popped his front end in a small rear and pounded back down onto the earth pawing and striking madly, ripping up the soft grass allowing it to fly behind him in a small pile. "Honestly, Mentira. Chill. We're not moving any faster with your impatientness!"
The stallion flared a nostril and lowered his head and sighed. An ear flicked to the side in disgust. "Oh fine," he seemed to say.
"That's better!" Hope walked forward and the Andalusian followed calmly, dragging his hooves on the pebbled sand. She lead him to the gate and led him through the gate at he spun around and held his head out for Hope to take his halter off. Hope leaned against the gate, not letting it swing open behind her. Mentira shoved her side asking her to take his halter off. "Patience," Hope reminded the stallion. He pulled his head back and kept it to himself.
Hope pulled a leadrope around his neck and slid his halter off. "Wait." She held his neck rope not allowing him to tear away. She gave him a pat after a few moments and allowed him to go, he ran off, shaking his head before diving into the fetlock-deep grass, inhaling it without chewing as it fell out of the sides of his face. "Chew," Hope reminded the bay.
She rested his halter on the gate hook and turned around to get the other horses ready.