Fairy - Inspection

The crunch of gravel underneath the truck’s tires came to a stop as Kass pulled into the driveway of a large equine facility. The young trainer sighed with her eyelids shut tight, reclining into her seat for a moment. No matter how many times she had gone through the inspection process with her teddy cobs, she reckoned that she would always feel this familiar nervousness nestle into the pit of her stomach right before.

The brisk autumn air hit her face as Kass opened the door then jumped out of her truck. The clear sky and bright sun were promising a pleasant day despite the slight chill. She walked up to the trailer hitched behind her vehicle, climbing onto the stone guard above the wheels to peek inside. A pale pony stood there, contentedly munching on hay out of a net.

‘’Hey girl, had a nice trip?’’ the redhead asked as she reached inside, pulling out a strand of hay caught into the mare’s forelock. The grey pony reached up, blowing softly on her owner’s hand before grabbing the bit of hay with her lips and nodding her head up and down happily. Kass jumped down the railing,  smiling at the mare’s antics. She grabbed a lead rope and opened the gates of the trailer before heading inside. She walked out with the tall pony in tow, tying her to the side of the trailer to quickly refresh her groom before heading towards the arena where inspections took place.

As she brushed and combed, Kass could not help but reminisce on Fairy’s journey. The young trainer had purchased the foal in-utero, smitten by the parents’ good looks and disposition. Her father - son to one of her own studs - was a gorgeous grey stallion and incredible mover.  Whilst her mother, descendant of the well-known Bazelgeuse, was nearly as white as snow and versatile as can be. The filly had arrived at Maple Creek at 7 months old. Her habit of trailing after people like a puppy as well as gently pushing her bum into people’s space to ask for scratches had rapidly won her the affection of everyone at the ranch. To this day, the young pony had been very eager to please and easy to teach. Now, over 4 years later, Kass looked back at everything that the lovely grey mare had accomplished with pride.

Once satisfied with how spotless Fairy’s near-white coat looked, Kass led her towards the outdoor arena of the facility. Inspections were usually held outside here, unless the weather was not permitting or too windy. The redhead was glad to be familiar with the place by now, remembering how much more anxious being unsure of where to go had made her the first time. An official met her near a large tent, just outside of the arena. This was where the veterinarian would inspect the ponies, before they moved into the ring for the judges to see.

‘’Hello’’, the official greeted Kass before glancing at the pony at her side. ‘’Who have we here?’’

‘’Hi, I’m Kassandra Peregrine and this is Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.’’

The older woman cracked a smile, looking down at her clipboard then scribbling something. ‘’Well, that’s certainly one I haven’t heard before! You can stand right over there, the vet will call you in soon.’’

*

Kass walked out of the tent with Fairy in tow, headed towards the gate of the arena to await their turn. The veterinary exam had taken about an hour, where the doctor had looked the little mare over thoroughly. He had palpated and flexed her legs and feet; checked her eyes and teeth; listened to her gut, heart and lungs; and so forth. The veterinarian had also looked at her papers, making sure her vaccinations, vermifuges and coggins were up to date before finally giving her a provisory clean bill of health. The only thing left to verify would be movement and signs of lameness, which would be done by a second veterinarian who also doubled as a judge during the evaluation in the ring.

Fairy was left to take a few mouthfuls of grass outside of the arena while they waited for the previous inspection to wrap up. As the preceding owner walked out leading a cute chestnut pony, Kass’ stress went up a notch. Her throat tightened a little when she heard her name be called by one of the judges soon after.

‘’C’mon girl, your time to shine’’ she whispered to her grey mare with a pat on the neck before guiding her inside to meet the judges. The trio were standing together at the center of the ring and greeted Kass as she approached.

‘’Please have her stand right here,’’ one of them requested. Once Fairy was standing nice and open, the judges slowly made their way around her, running their hands along her legs and back. They appraised her conformation quietly, aside from the occasional hum or the scratching of a pen on a clipboard.

‘’Very well. Can you please lead her along the fence at the walk?’’ a different judge asked . Kass did as instructed, Fairy stepping easily beside her. Once they had walked around the arena once, the judges asked the redhead to walk towards the middle of the arena and past them, then continue in the opposite direction. The young trainer found that her nervosity usually ebbed away a little once they were actively in the thick of it, doing something. With Fairy at her side, so steady and willing to please, it was hard not to believe everything would be just fine.

Satisfied by what they had seen at the walk, the judges had Kass lead her pony into a trot. The grey mare transitioned beautifully. She was a sight to behold - lifting her legs high with every step and her long, dark tail trailing behind her like the train of a dress. The judges had them jog both ways then veer towards and past them once again to assess the straightness of Fairy’s steps from both front and back. The only test left after that was to have the pony canter through a jump chute. Having practised this at length at home, Fairy did as was asked of her without a hitch. Her canter was smooth and playful, and she cleared the couple of jumps with ease. The pride of seeing a horse she had raised from just a weanling to such a spectacular young horse filled Kass with joy.

‘’Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say she’s a beautiful little mare,’’ one of the judges said, approaching Kass while she clipped the lead back on Fairy’s halter once the pony was done with the jumps. ‘’You can expect to receive her inspection certificate in the mail within a couple of weeks.’’