Fuzzy Bear Attempt Two

After my last meeting with the Teddy Cob, I couldn't stop thinking about the chestnut, fuzzy horse. My uncle only rolled his eyes,  huffing at my excitement and enthusiasm about the horse, but he couldn't help but smile knowing I was happy.  When I asked if we could go and visit the valley again, he simply huffed and said he needed to get some gas for the truck. 

When I woke up, the same excitement I felt the morning before going to the valley came back, almost like a familiar, old friend. Except, somehow, I have become even more estatic compared to the last trip, not even spending any time rotting in bed but going straight to changing my clothes and preparing myself for another day outside in the wilderness. With her gear in hand, I got up, prepared to make another attempt on the Teddy Cob I saw that day.

The drive to the valley was filled with less idle and speculative thoughts, but more chatter with her uncle. What would I do if I saw him again, what would I do if I didn't, etc. My uncle, as gruff as he was on the outside, was always open to giving his own advice and thoughts regarding horses, but more specifically Teddy Cobs. I think he would never admit it, but he loves being relied on and flexing his knowledge about horses. 

Finally, we arrived. The exact same spot we saw the horse last time, about 3 days ago. I came slightly more prepared this time, with carrots and apples and treats to barter with the horse in my hand. My uncle still watched closely, ensuring I was not in serious danger. I could not imagine making this trip by myself after all.  I put the fruits and treats down near where I remember the horse emerged last time,  stepping back near my uncle to wait it out. The sun was high in the sky when we got here, so I knew we were both safe enough to wait and camp out the horse for many more hours. Maybe it is a family thing, but we are both pretty patient people. 

Idly, I took in our surroundings. It truly did look like a good place for a horse to roam happily, green fields that seemed to never end with forests for the horses to run and weave through and hide from any potential dangers and onlookers. I sat crosslegged and huffed. My uncle seemed to be doing the same, taking in the nature he so loved exploring as a child. 

Like last time, a rustling of the bushes signalled the horse's arrival. It was much later in the day now, about evening. The sun has long sank into the sky and blended the sky into a haze of pink, orange and blue, making my uncle slightly nervous. After all, their vision and reflexes were the most crucial things they both had, losing one would be dangerous in wild horse territory. But, I convinced him to stay with a lot of pleading and promises of barn chores and eventually he relented. Seemingly, I made a good call as I smiled smuggly at him. He only rolled his eyes with a sigh and clambered up to get a better look at the horse.

Again, he emerged from the bushes, with significantly less leaves and twigs tangled in his fuzzy coat. He looked the exact same as the last time we encountered him thankfully, which meant no injuries or mishaps in the few days they have not seen each other. He makes a beeline for the fruit I put down hours ago, sniffing and prodding at them with his hooves and mouth. In anticipation, I simply watched, waiting to see what foods he liked the most. After all, the stomach is the way to the heart! At last it was for humans, hopefully it would be the same with horses. 

Finally, the horse picked up the apple and took a huge bite out of it, almost devouring the whole thing in one bite. He chewed happily and sloppily, without a care in the world. He looked over at both me and my uncle sitting in the grass and looked back at the fruit, as if he was asking if it was us who gave him this food. I laughed and nodded, assuring him that the fruits and treats were all for him with a wave of my hand. In thanks, he whinnied happily and trotted over to us, sniffing both me and my uncle in return. He really was a friendly horse! I idly wondered to myself he was ever tamed before us or if he really was a feral horse who was just slightly too curious for his own good. 

By the time the whole interaction ended, the sun was long gone and left behind it streaks of orange and blue. The horse scooted away from us, and scratched his fluffy hide with his teeth. Or so I thought that was what he was doing until he dug up the same bell I gave him! I almost cheered seeing it again and how he kept it safe and hidden away. My uncle, equally surprised, chuckled quietly under his breath. All in all, another good day with the mystery horse.