Frieda

Hilda crested the hill, and the herd of ponies came into view. The girl gasped, taking in the herd of Teddy Cobs, in every color of the pony rainbow. She took a deep breath, her lungs filling with the smell of horses and nature. She pulled out her phone, checking the time. She had about an hour before she had to be home for supper. Time to get to work. She began to wander through the ponies, some of whom greeted her with soft neighs or gentle nudge of her hand. A loud pinto caught her eye, grey and black streaks in his white mane. He play fought with another gelding, his fiery chestnut mane braided with several bells. Hilda stopped to watch the two ponies spar, marveling at how carefully they played, not leaving a single mark on their partner. As she watched the two geldings, she was distracted by an incredibly wooly mare, with a long flaxen mane and a soft roan coat. The mare was off to the side, peacefully grazing in a patch of dappled shade. Hilda glanced back at the geldings, but they had already grown tired of their play, and were walking to the watering hole. She took that as a sign that she should go over to the mare, so she did, talking to her gently as she approached. 

“Hey there darlin’.” She said, and the mare flicked an ear in passive acknowledgement. Hilda dug a carrot out of her jacket pocket, and offered it to the mare. This got more of a reaction, and the mare took it softly from Hilda’s hand. The girl smiled as the mare’s warm muzzle brushed against her fingers, so Hilda dug out another carrot. The mare accepted it, and Frida decided to take her chance, and try her luck with her bell ribbon. She approached the mare’s flank, deciding the tail would be the most secure place to braid the bell into. The mare turned her head, watching as Hilda began to braid her red ribbon into the mare’s flaxen tail. Hilda worked quickly, creating a long, tight braid. As she reached the end, she made sure the bell was firmly secured to the end of the ribbon, and she tied off the braid.

“There girl. That should stay in.” She said, giving the mare a pat on her wide back. The Teddy nosed the girl’s pocket, searching for more carrot. Hilda laughed, and dug out her final piece of carrot, offering it to the eager mare. 

“If you manage to keep this bell in, you can have carrots every day.” Hilda promised.