Post by sukiandcharlie on Nov 13, 2010 0:55:16 GMT -5
The barn was large, and appeared empty and silent. As she stepped in, a small, white, horse's head peered over the door of the third stall along. It was dished, with delicate eyes and nostrils and pointed ears, pricked towards the sound of Morgan's boots clicking on the concrete floor. "Hello, gorgeous! Oh, aren't you a darling?" She gently placed her hand against his muzzled and smiled affectionately. The small horse whickered softly, blowing warm air against her palm. Carefully, as not to disturb him too much, Morgan slid the door open and stepped in to have a look at the new horse. He was skinny, bones protruded from under his long, untrimmed coat. His hooves were in an even worse state, they were long and splayed, with chips and notches and one appeared to have some sort of sand crack in it. There was little hair on his fetlocks either, mud fever probably, she thought to herself. She remembered, it had been mentioned that he also had thrush and took a quite look at all the hooves by picking them up and checking the soles. The hind hooves weren't so bad (minus the sandcrack in the left hoof), but the front two weren't so great. The frog was messy and dirty and appeared to be damaged from the damp.
Morgan decided to take the horse out of the stall and check he wasn't lame. She grabbed the ragged nylon headcollar and rope from a hook net to the stable and fastened it loosely to the gelding's head. Leading him out gently, she checked for any signs of lameness. He appeared to be walking OK, so she sped up slightly. He paused for a few moments, raising his head in discomfort. Morgan's heart sank. She picked up his hind leg to check it over again. She finally managed to get him into a steady trot and analysed his gait with a critical eye. After a few minutes of walking his rhythm began to settle and he moved with ease. Probably just a bit stiff from standing still for a while. He was only young, but a few spoons of codliver oil in his feed could he remedy that. Just as she removed the headcollar and returned him to the comforts of his stable her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, she always kept it on silent when around horses, they could spook at anything.
"Hello?"
"Hi Morgan, it's mum"
"Oh hey, how's the shopping going? I'm just at the ranch with the rescue horse."
"Oh great, did you manage to get a stall for Filly too?"
"Oh yeah, I did. I'll take her here in a bit. I just need to finish with this guy"
"OK, well I was just wondering, because Finn called, maybe you'd like to meet us at the diner?"
"Finn?! He's here?"
"Yeah, he flew here from England last night, and Iver got here this morning too"
"Oh wow! Yeah I'll come over in a few minutes. Filly will be okay in the pasture for a few hours won't she?"
"Yeah, she'll be fine. I think the diner is walking distance from Willow Springs so I'll see you in like half an hour then?"
"Yeah, OK! See you then, bye!"
Morgan hung up and hurried out of the barn.
Time for a family reunion.
Morgan decided to take the horse out of the stall and check he wasn't lame. She grabbed the ragged nylon headcollar and rope from a hook net to the stable and fastened it loosely to the gelding's head. Leading him out gently, she checked for any signs of lameness. He appeared to be walking OK, so she sped up slightly. He paused for a few moments, raising his head in discomfort. Morgan's heart sank. She picked up his hind leg to check it over again. She finally managed to get him into a steady trot and analysed his gait with a critical eye. After a few minutes of walking his rhythm began to settle and he moved with ease. Probably just a bit stiff from standing still for a while. He was only young, but a few spoons of codliver oil in his feed could he remedy that. Just as she removed the headcollar and returned him to the comforts of his stable her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, she always kept it on silent when around horses, they could spook at anything.
"Hello?"
"Hi Morgan, it's mum"
"Oh hey, how's the shopping going? I'm just at the ranch with the rescue horse."
"Oh great, did you manage to get a stall for Filly too?"
"Oh yeah, I did. I'll take her here in a bit. I just need to finish with this guy"
"OK, well I was just wondering, because Finn called, maybe you'd like to meet us at the diner?"
"Finn?! He's here?"
"Yeah, he flew here from England last night, and Iver got here this morning too"
"Oh wow! Yeah I'll come over in a few minutes. Filly will be okay in the pasture for a few hours won't she?"
"Yeah, she'll be fine. I think the diner is walking distance from Willow Springs so I'll see you in like half an hour then?"
"Yeah, OK! See you then, bye!"
Morgan hung up and hurried out of the barn.
Time for a family reunion.