Ninety-nine.

[DJ]

The truck pulled out of the stable yard, and down the tar road. It was always hard watching the fields and equine's standings still as you drove off, leaving them behind. But she could cope. They were off to the auction.

Hope turned the radio down and rolled down her window a bit while the AC worked up, not cooling anything down yet.

She glanced over at Micheal, who seemed a bit uncomfortable, but Hope was excited to bring her to the auction. There were always some great deals on lesson horses and other training challenges that turned out to be fantastic eventers, dressagers, or hunters.

"So. Are you looking out for anything today?" Hope asked the girl, trying to offer a conversation starter.

[Bree]

"Nothing special, but if something were to present itself." Micheal shrugged. She was excited to get there, ready to look at all the horses. Although she knew she probably would be disappointed but it was always the thrill of the hunt. She was very excited about the opportunities being handed to her and she tried not to think of the things she was so desperately leaving behind.

[DJ]

They drove for a bit in silence before pulling into a large lot filled with many vehicles, trailers, and storage units.

Hope parked and pulled the keys out of the ignition, placing them in the cup holder as she always did. She unbuckled her seatbelt and looked over at Micheal.

"Ready to go?" She smiled and opened the truck door.

[Bree]

"You bet." Micheal snickered and swung down from the passenger seat taking in the scents and sites of the back lot. Raising excited eyebrows at Hope she walked into the lean-to that held all the horses about to be auctioned. It was a great time to look at the horses you were interested in before the auction started. Like a greedy child she looked at each horse with eager eyes mentally going through a check-list in her head studying the conformation and emotions they each had. A big bay gelding looked eagerly over his paddock slot. He had great conformation but had a bit of an ewe neck. She pet the horse and walked on, he was too expensive anyway.

[DJ]

Hope followed Micheal through the stall-type structures checking out each of the horses quickly. Ewe necked, pigeon-toed, sway backed.

She came across a nice looking gelding but was discouraged when she snuck a look at the price.

"Sorry, boy, I don't think so." She scratched the gelding's nose lightly before continuing on.

[Bree]

Each horse had its own personality. Some stayed far away from the bars some huddled sheepishly in the corner. All the ones that came to greet her Micheal pet affectionately except for those who's ears were back. One horse in particular caught her eye it was a beautiful dapple grey that had great conformation it was listed as a four year old. As Micheal nodded at the vendor leaning up against the fence she slid her fingers in the horse's mouth and opened it looking at the teeth. Just as she thought the horse's Galvayne groove had been filled and filed down to give the appearance of a younger horse. She guessed that the mare was about twelve. Not very bad especially for the price and most likely people would pass her over when they saw that her teeth had been tampered with. She looked at her number and wrote it down on a pad she carried in her pants, number 43. Each horse she looked at carried new possibilities. Some were too old but some weren't even broke yet. Each horse looked in its best condition. She wrote down two more numbers of possible horses, 56 and 58. Both were owned by the same stable who were weaning there stock in horses. Both were tall Warmbloods who would do very well in jumping.

OOC: I'll post the spotting of the horse in the next post unless you would like to. I think a stallion would be cool but if you already have a good stable stud. Maybe a Warmblood? A tobiano would be cool.

[DJ]

OOC:: I'll let you do it. And a stallion would be nice, except you can't show it until your 18... :/

BIC:: Hope continued down the aisle right behind Micheal, trying to avoid the other people coming the other way. She saw a great looking chestnut Saddlebred with a small snip and star. The mare had a proud personality and lovely conformation. She thought about asking Micheal to copy down the number, but discouraged herself while wishing she had more use for a saddleseat horse as the mare would have been stunning.

Hope studied a lovely grey Andalusian hidden in the corner of his stall, but turned away when she clucked to him and he pinned his ears and flared his nostrils toward her.


One thing that caught her eye, were two Swedish Warmbloods Micheal was looking at. The buckskin was almost full of personality when Hope reached to to pat him, he stuck his muzzle out toward her begging for a scratch. She scratched his upper lip and he pulled it up, showing his teeth. She laughed slightly and left the stallion to see the steel grey next to him, not as fun as the buckskin, but his ears swiveled back and forth as he watched people pass with his head hung over the half-door. Hope thought they'd both be fantastic horses, and was about to ask Micheal to copy down the numbers, but she saw they were already on the pad in her hand. She smiled lightly, biting her lip in excitement.

Hope followed down the aisle, not interested in much else she saw, either from conformation flaws or temperamental issues.

Another horse she liked the look of was a 14.1hh pony. Looking like a shrunken Rocky Mountain Horse, the chocolate body and flaxen mane were carried by a light build on study legs, looking great for jumping. The pony seemed friendly enough, nuzzling her hand for expectations of treats.

Hope mentioned to Micheal the number 77 and walked forward to continue browsing.

With the 4-horse slant load she was pulling, Hope thought about making some investments.

OOC:: I want the Warmbloods, and the Pony seems cute too.

[Bree]

OOC: Pony! x) And Micheal's birthday is soon.

Micheal nodded and wrote down number 77 on her pad. She pet the pony that Hope seemed to take an interest to. The friendly animal nudged her out-stretched hand begging for a treat. Micheal opened its mouth seeing what she expected in the younger pony. Its apparent willingness would make it a great starting pony. Walking down the aisle she continued looking in each stall. On almost every horse she could point out a fault but they were all excellent horses of breeding and showing.

Peering into one stall she saw a piebald. The mare immediately nickered to her and stretched out as far as she could. Micheal hadn't really liked paints but this one seemed eager and friendly. She looked down the horse's legs. The mare was pigeon-toed so she gave her one last pat and moved on.

Micheal walked a few more stalls down, it seemed empty except for a dark shadow at the far corner. She tried to see the horse but it was too far back. Clucking to the animal she could see it's ears swivel but it stood still. A second clucking brought the animal into the light. All the bones stuck out from its tight skin. She could see now it was a stallion, perhaps a Selle Francias but it was hard to tell. Its wormy belly hung down giving the appearance of fat. Even through the treatment this horse must have gone through she could still see the good conformation he had.
"Hope."
She called nodding into the stall. Not seeing a vendor anywhere she ducked between the slats and walked up to the horse. His white hoofs were long and untrimmed which made walking look incredibly painful. She could now see that he was a buckskin tobiano with a big, long star and a snip that made his muzzle, where the snip was, pink. His eyes were still kind although they were glazed over.
"Aww.. man."
She whispered as she tried to rub down his tangled mane. She read his name, "Dusty" they advertised him as a twelve year old but giving his situation he could be younger. Taking one look at his dirt stained body she sighed.
"Name fits doesn't it boy?"
She straightened his forlock and fought the temptation to pull her pad out and write down his number. Hope was a sweet person but this might have been too much to take on. Looking into his eyes she felt like crying for him but it wouldn't do any good.

OOC: His name will change and he's not a Selle. Clarification is good.

[DJ]

Hope followed Micheal down the aisles, seeming to shrink with the mass numbers of people now walking either way, rushing to view the continuing line of horse, after horse, after horse. The auction was starting in about 20 minutes.

Hope heard her name and looked toward Micheal who was slipping between the slats into a horse stall. Hope peered over the door and gasped lightly at the equine in the dim light. The matted hair clung onto the deep back of the animal, with a drooping stomach and ribcage easily seen through the painted buckskin pelt. The untrimmed hooves looking "elvish" were just starting to flip upward and the ends of the equine's toes.

"Poor boy," Hope murmured quietly. She remembered the extra stall in the trailer even if she picked up the other three horses.

Hope stared at the glassy-eyed horse, looking mindlessly numb as Micheal looked him over.

Hope waited to catch Micheal's glance not needing to say anything and she copied down the number.

99.

[Bree]

Micheal smiled as she saw Hope write down the number. Reaching down she felt the horse's legs. They felt warm. She took a deep breath and entered her thumb into his mouth and opened it. Well, he wasn't twelve that was for sure. By his mouth she'd say he was four to six years old. She wondered about the credibility of the people that were selling him if they couldn't even tell how old he was. As she rubbed his chest she thought about how much he would change with a few oats in him.

A few other people walked by peering into the stall but shook their heads tsk'ing and walking on. But still no sight of the seller. Micheal sighed and smiled weakly at the suffering horse. She ducked back out of the stall and stood next to Hope.
"If you want we can go try out the other horses if you interested in them."
Micheal smiled at Hope like she knew the horse would have a chance now.

[DJ]

Hope shrugged. "I'm afraid to look any farther in fear of seeing another horse I like." She laughed lightly debating whether or not to continue.

"Why not?" She shrugged and moved forward. She walked down the aisle, peering into stalls, still thinking of the neglected horse behind her.

She stopped at the end of the aisle, not seeing anything else she was interested in.

She snuck a look at her watch. "10 minutes. Should we go into the arena building and get ready?" She smirked towards Micheal.

[Bree]

OOC: Lol, I meant trying as in riding the horses. Your allowed to at auctions.

[DJ]

OOC:: Fwee right. XD Sorries. -never been to an auction-

"Well, I'd like to hop on the two warmbloods. If you'd like to take one and I'll take the other?"

She started on her way back down, not wanting to leave the stallion but knew she'd have a change to buy him later in the day.

"I have helmets in the tack room in the trailer. I'm going to go grab them. Would you like one? I'll meet you back by the horses."

OOC:: Do I need tack also or do the sellers have that? I can bring some if not... XD

[Bree]

OOC: They usually have tack. At least I think. XD

"And the pony?"
Micheal gave Hope a devilish look. She refrained from looking back at the stallion she knew what a hole it would make in her heart. If there was no way she could help him she didn't want to get too attached even though she wanted to protect him from any harm.

"Sounds good. I'll take the buckskin?"
Micheal said walking toward the stalls they were in.

[DJ]

"I'd like to get on, but if I don't have time, I think I'm just taking my chances and getting him. Hoping I have time though." She twisted her mouth unhappily before jogging off to the trailer.

--

After arriving back at the horses' stalls, and handed Micheal a velvet helmet. She slipped hers on and buckled the bottom before tacking the horse up, tightening the girth quickly and uncomfortably seeing if the horse wanted to bite or anything. The grey peered over the stall door ignoring everything, keeping a happy face.

She slipped a bridle over the horse's face trying to be a bit awkward, but the horse remained happy and calm.

"I'm liking you," Hope spoke to the horse.