amber attempt 2

Amber wasn't like the others  - you could tell that from across the pasture. While most horses either approached the fence or kept their distance, she did something completely different. She'd trot halfway over, then veer off at the last second like  she'd suddenly remembered something important elsewhere. Then she'd circle back , ea rs pricked forward with this  mischievous glint in her eye, like she was playing some game only she understood

The person walking toward  her pasture had heard about her reputation. "She's a character," the farm owner had said with a smile. "Good luck!"
Not exactly encouraging,  bu t in teresting enough

They'd  packed light today,  just the  usual backpack with some treats and that  old brush. But honestly? They had a feeling the treats might end up scattered in the dirt and the brush might not even make it out of the bag. Amber looked like the type who had her own plans

The morning was crisp, with that fresh smell of dew and grass. Perfect weather for whatever chaos this mare had in mind
As they approached the fence, Amber immediately perked up. Not in a calm, assessing way like other horses, more like a kid who'd spotted someone new on the playground. She actually bounced a little, lifting her front hooves off the ground in this playful half-rear that made her feathered feet look even fluffier

"Well, hello there," they said and couldn't help but grin, deciding to match her energy. When she trotted to the left, they walked along the fence line with her. When she spun around and headed right, they followed. It turned into this dance where she was clearly testing if they'd play along

After maybe ten minutes of this back-and-forth, Amber suddenly stopped center in the pasture and just stared. Not the deep, thoughtful stare, more like she was trying to figure out if they were fun enough to be worth her time

They decided to finally pull out a treat, simple apple slices, but instead of placing it carefully on a fence post, they tossed one gently onto the grass near the fence. Amber's ears shot forward, and she practically bounced over to investigate. She sniffed it, pawed at it once with her feathered hoof, then ate it up before immediately looking for more

"Demanding little pony aren't you?"  they laughed, tossing another piece
This time she caught it mid-air, which seemed to please her immensely. She tossed her head and did this  little sideways dance that made her mane fly everywhere. What a show-off..

By the time they moved to the stable area, Amber was practically buzzing with excitement. Her stall door was wide open, apparently, because she liked to stick her head out and watch everything happening in the yard. The moment she saw them approaching with a brush, she whinnied happily. "Okay, okay, I hear you," 

However Amber wasn't having any patience for slow approach, she trotted right up to them, close enough that her breath was warming their face, and bumped the brush with her nose. Hard.
"Alright, i got it"

They started brushing, but it quickly became clear that Amber had opinions about technique. When they brushed too gently, she'd turn and give them this  look like "seriously?"  When they found a spot she particularly liked, right behind her ears, she'd lean into it so hard they nearly lost their balance

The whole brushing session felt less like a peaceful bonding moment and more like a collaboration with a very opinionated partner. She'd lift her hooves for them to clean without being asked, then immediately try to investigate their pockets for more treats. When they moved to brush her other side, she'd follow them around, not wanting to miss anything

"God you're exhausting.." th ey said sighing, but couldn't help but still smile about it

Getting the tack on was surprisingly easy, not because Amber was calm, but because she seemed genuinely excited about it. She kept trying to grab the saddle pad with her teeth, like she wanted to help. The bridle went on without without an  issue, though she did try to play with the bit for a moment before settling down

The ride was... an adventure. Amber didn't walk anywhere,  she bounced, pranced, and occasionally threw in these little bucks that felt more playful than rebellious. She wanted to investigate everything: that interesting rock, those birds in the trees, the way shadows moved across the path

Halfway through, she spotted a butterfly and came to an abslute  halt, nearly unseating her rider. She watched it with the intense concentration like a cat , he ad turning to follow its flight path. When it landed on a nearby flower, she took one cautious step closer, then another, like she was planning to catch it. The butterfly flew away, and Amber looked genuinely disappointed,  they couldn't help but giggle and patted her

They found a nice clearing and decided to dismount, thinking a little ground time might be peaceful. Wrong! The moment their feet hit the dirt, Amber started exploring with the enthusiasm of a kid in a toy store. She investigated every tree, every rock, every patch of interesting grass. At one point, she found a stick and picked  it up, carfusrying  it around like a prize

"What are you going to do with that?" they asked
Amber dropped the stick at their feet, then stepped back and stared at them. "I'm not throwing it,  you're not a dog"
She pawed at the stick, then looked at them again. Yeah the  message was clear

Against their better judgment, they picked up the stick and tossed it a few feet away. Amber immediately trotted over to it, picked it up, and brought it back. She was absolutely delighted with this new game
They played stick-fetch with a horse for ten minutes before finally calling it enough, but  it was fun

The ride back was calmer thankfully, Amber had definetly  worked off some of her most energy. Though she was still very happy on taking the scenetic path, detouring and investigate anything that caught her eyes, but at least she wasn't bouncing quite as much

Back at the barn, she practically danced into her stall. While they removed her tack, she kept turning around to watch, occasionally nibbling at their sleeve or trying to untie their bootlaces
Sighing  they pulled out the final treat, another apple slice,  she didn't take it gently like the other horses had. Instead, she grabbed it happily and immediately started searching their pockets for more
"Sorry Amber that's it, that's all I had.. " Amber gave them a look that clearly said she didn't believe them, but in fact they did not have more

As they headed toward the barn exit, she hung her head over the stall door and whinnied again, but not as a goodbye, more like wish to keep playing

They looked back at her before they fully left the door, seeing  her mane still messy from all the head-tossing and those pretty mischievous eyes, they couldn't help but laugh how unpredictably silly she is
"Alright see you later, troublemaker," or at least they hope to see her again