It's Been a Long Time - CLOSED

[Bree]

Micheal walked slowly down the aisle. With every step she cringed as the buckskin tobiano treaded as fast as he could in his condition. The long hooves made walking for the horse like walking with high heels on backward. She rubbed his neck affectionately as he leaned in for her to reach deeper. A deep sigh that he emitted made her want to cry for him. He had been through so much.

After she put him in the grooming stall she clipped the cross-ties to the old bridle.
"Don't worry boy, after you get all clean you get to wear your new one."
She smiled and rubbed down his cheek. Sighing she looked at which place to start first. Turning on the hose she put it in front of his muzzle letting him investigate it for a bit. He didn't seem shy of it as he nuzzled the water. Micheal kept a running monologue with him as she started to rub down his legs with a mitt gently at first to test for sore spots. Dirt ran down his hoofs and into the drain. He shifted on the leg loving every minute of the session.

[DJ]

Hope leaned against the side of the stall, grasping a bottle of medicated shampoo.

She was waiting for his back to get wet before scrubbing.

When the hose ran across his back, Hope moved in for the kill, turning the bottle upside down and squeezed globs of shampoo on either side of his spine. She flipped the bottle back up and placed it on the cement floor, out of the stall, and stepped back on the rubber mat in the stall.

Using her thumb, pointer, and middle finger on each hand, she scrubbed the stallion's back around and along his spine moving forward and backward to his shoulder and rump, continuing to massage and scrub.

"When we finish, we'll dry him off, cover him in a cooler, and quarter him in liniment, and then wrap him." Hope suggested referring to "quartering" when you keep the blanket on and lift up certain parts that you're working on while keeping the rest of the horse covered and warm.

[Bree]

"That sounds good."
Micheal curried close behind where the streams of water fell off his back. When she reached a spot his whithers his lips smacked together and elongated moving his head to the side. She smiled and laughed rubbing harder and watching him. Hair and dirt fell off of him and into the drain almost clogging it. She could see now clearly his bones showing on his back and around his body.

She dropped the hose turning it off after filling up a red sponge. Dabbing a bit of shampoo on it she rubbed it on the horse's dirty face. After it was sufficiently scrubbed she turned on the hose very softly and let it run down his face. He licked the water drippings that fell down his muzzle. After turning off the water again waiting for Hope to need it again after soaping him up.

She blew a breath out. He still needed his mane and tail combed out. Perhaps they should cut it shorter it was very long anyway. She looked down his body he was very starting to look good despite his bony condition. She cringed when she thought of his sheath, it would also need cleaning. She wished now she bought rubber gloves.

OOC: If sheath cleaning is not allowed I'll modify it.

[DJ]

OOC:: Ask Hope for Excaliber and gloves. :3

BIC::

Hope picked up the hose and sprayed the soap off of the horse's back and spine. She spent extra time rinsing being sure to get all of the suds out, not wanting to irritate the horse's skin.

She went to get a comb to start unknotting his tail. "I'm not sure you'll want to do it now, but if you do, conditioner his tail and braid it loosely. Then slip it into a tail bag. Do that every other day and it will grow faster and he can't rub it. I'm sure his dock was itchy from the dirt," she replied while scratching the frayed and rubbed hair towards the top of his tail.

"He's a good boy, though." She continued smoothing the comb through his tail.

[Bree]

Micheal nodded. She'd noticed the rubbing on his tail and mane.
"I should have picked up the spray that goes on the rubbed spots."
She started combing out his forlock. Since it had been so long in the knots it was now puffy and sparse. When he looked at her his forlock rose taller than his ears. Micheal giggled and smoothed it down.
"I probably pull his tail later also."
She sighed and rubbed some dirt off her face with her for-arm.
"Do you have any scissors I think his tail should be cut anyway."
She watched as Hope struggled with the knots.
"Also do you have any gloves or anything."
She looked with a frown.

[DJ]

Hope nodded and put her comb down to go get scissors and gloves. She looked around the corner before leaving. "Want Excaliber?" She grinned and continued on her way.

She came back with scissors and a bottle of Excaliber along with a box of rubber medical gloves. "Here we go." She smiled and sat back down on the bucket, finishing his tail.

We can dock his tail. And I'll wash and bag it if you'd like to work on his mane or sheath."

[Bree]

"Thank you."
She said snidely trying to hold back the smile. Slipping on the gloves she put some goo on her hand and dug in.
"I think he has a bean."
She said holding her hand over her nose to block the smell. She groaned. She quickly grabbed the hose and squirted it on her hand. The black-ish gunk dripped slimly off her hand. She turned her head to stop from gagging. Instead she coughed. Sticking her hand back in she dug the bean out. Spraying the hose in she waited until it ran clear.
"Ugh. I bet he feels so violated."
The horse looked back and sniffed her hand as she pulled off the glove.

[DJ]

Hope laughed to herself as Micheal almost gagged, glad she wasn't the one doing it this time.

"Do you have clothes for tonight? I can grab something for you at home tonight if you don't have anything." Hope grinned, finishing the stallions tail. It fell to the floor with about an inch of hair dragging on the ground. It would be banged after.

She stepped up to his neck and started untangling his ratty mane.

[Bree]

"I think we should cut it before we braid it.
Micheal said looking at the long tail and snickering. When the horse twitched his tail it hit her on the chest. Micheal stared at him with a fake evil glare.
"I think that settles it."
Taking the shears she measured the tail out to about five inches below the bottom of his tail bone. Holding it steady she lopped of the rest. She picked up the bundle of horse hair.
"Maybe I should make a bracelet and a necklace."
She looked back at the pile in her hands.
"For everyone."
With that she snickered and curled all she could into a ball and wrapped it with a rubber band that was in her pocket. It seemed silly but she was thinking about making a Celtic knot bracelet with the hairs. She surely had enough for some mistakes. With that she thought of the necklace she had that had a gem filled with Pie's hair. Too fancy for a barn but perhaps she could in-twine some of Pie's hair with his hair.
"I wish I did have some clothes but I don't. Mabye I should keep some here just in case."

[DJ]

Hope nodded and began braiding the tail after it was cut. It looked very nice banged and all brushed out. she began braiding right below his tailbone, gliding the hair over the past hair, over that hair and continuing down to the bottom loosely.

"There. Let me go grab a bag." And with that she went off to the tack room flipping through the container of folded bags looking for a possible yellow or wine-colored one. Ah-hah! She pulled up a maroon bag with dark green stitching. This will have to do, she told herself.

Going back to the washstall, she gave "the horse", the nameless thing that he was, a scratch on his nose before going back to his braided tail and looping it, stuffing it into the bag and tying it on. "That should keep it nice and safe."

She snuck a peek at the clock on the other side of the wall. 7:30. "I can grab you some clothes when I go down to the house. But I think I'm going to go call the vet and dentist before it gets too late," She commented heading toward the office.

[Bree]

Micheal nodded watching Hope put on the bag.
"His mane is really bad too. I may give him a buzz cut or at least cut it a bit."
She stood petting the horse and thought what else she could do.
"I may also pick up some of that super growth tail stuff. Forgot what it's called."
As she watched Hope go call the vet and farrier she started unhooking the cross-ties.
"I think I'll go whip up some bran mash for him."
Which was going to take longer than she anticipated. The horse still had to walk slowly but he seemed to walk faster than before. Perhaps it was just Micheal's imagination.

After she turned him into his stall she closed the door and headed for the feed room. Grabbing all the essentials for the mash she headed for the lounge to heat up the food. Adding a few carrots for taste.

Micheal walked to the stall with the bucket in hand. Letting herself into the stall the horse walked up to her nosing the bucket. She held the bucket for him to eat. Stopping him from wolfing it.
"Mi bàidh sibh mo capull. Eat well."
She rubbed his damp neck taking a deep breath of his smell.
"Paladin."

[DJ]

"We can pull it, or just trim it and let it grow out." Hope drew a blank."I can't remember the name of the product to put on his tail. But the supplement I'll give him will definitely increase his mane and tail growth and also help his coat. And if you'd like to give him a bran mash, I'm going to get his grain in a bit. I'll need to add supplements and oil, so thatll help."

She went off to call the vet and dentist.

Appearing back at the stall, she commented, "Okay. Vet is coming tomorrow. Dentist will be out on Monday. And farrier will be out on Monday." She smiled and watched the horse inhale the excess bran around the corners of his dish.

"Because he's on light work right now, he needs about 80 percent roughage in his diet with only 10 to 20 percent of concentrated feed. I'm most likely going to give him some of the mix and add a multi-vitamin, oil, and a coat supplement like Super 14." Hope nodded going over the diet again to herself. "If you're able to go up and toss down some hay, feel free to give him like, 6 flakes. It's a lot, but he will not over-eat himself on hay, and he needs a ton of roughage anyway."

Hope went to mix his feed in the feed room.

[Bree]

Micheal nodded.
"Especially since he can't get any grass. When the vet comes I will ask him what he suggests for a few things."
With that she climbed up to the hay loft and threw down a half of a bale of Timothy hay. It flopped down creating a whirlwind of soft crinkles. Paladin stuck his head over the stall door looking at the pile. Micheal swung off the ladder and walked down to Din's stall. Grabbing a few flakes she threw them into his stall. He stepped back and munched happily.

When Hope returned Micheal stepped back so she could go into the stall.
"I was thinking about naming him Paladin. Din for short?"

[DJ]

Hope slowly shook the grain into the corner feeder, waiting for him to finish what was there before pouring in more. There was only about a cup of the mixed feed, but she still wanted him to chew thoroughly, allowing his to get more nutrients.

"Good boy." She spoke softly, staring at the deep crevices above him eyes sink and inflate with each movement of his jaw.

A huge bunch of hay fell from the chute above. "Looks like the hay goddesses left you a present," she added as he peered over to the hay pile, but waited to walk over until the grail was gone.

"Paladin." She spoke the word. "I love it!' She stallion looked up as she said it again, almost like he knew it was his name already.

"I hate to leave him, but want to come with me to the house? We can grab a bite to eat and grab our stuff before coming back." Hope smiled and hoped to discuss show plans sometime tonight.