Adoption Day Pt.1

Lemonade whinnied and pranced excitedly around the other horses, causing the bells tied in her mane to chime. In just a few moments the horses would once again be driven to the stables for the winter, and she was excited to once more meet the person who’d claimed her just days prior. She could already hear the sounds of her breeder and family on their ponies trotting up to the herd, ready to work. The air was fresh and slightly frosty, and the carpet of leaves from last season crunched under hundreds of hooves. 

     Lemonade nickered to the familiar faces as they appeared over the hill - her breeder in the lead, his eldest son and daughter in the middle, and wife in the back - and approached them spiritedly. Lemonade, although raised in the wild all her life, was among the gentlest and friendliest ponies owned by that family, and they were sad to see her go. She was a perfect example of the breed standards and their own breeding goals: excellent confirmation, a temperament just right for anyone, and a willingness to learn and work. Lemonade was a pony you didn’t have to take pains to build her trust in you, and who would reward you with the most flawless partnership once she did.

     The family spread out into a circle around the horses - the breeder now at the bank and his wife at front, his two children ready to steer back any stragglers along the way. They urged their horses into a steady, working trot to get some energy moving through their herd, and fell back into a relaxed jog as the herd got going. Lemonade, of course, was near the front, bursting with excitement and anticipation for what would happen once they reached the stables. Would her bells stay on? she wondered. Would she finally get to see more of the world, or would she stay back in the comfort and safety of the hills she was so familiar with for one more year? 

     As she let her thoughts envelop her, the group slowly made their way closer to home. Their land was particularly rugged in parts - the terrain served to strengthen the horses far better than anything gentler ever could - and it took them hours to make the trek all the way back down to the yard. By the time they finally arrived at the beautiful, rustic stables, the sun had long since disappeared over the horizon, and a frigid chill had started sinking into everyone’s bodies. Well, at least the humans’. The family guided the horses into the smaller pasture for the night, and with haste made their way back to the house after bidding the horses good night. There was already hay and heated water ready for the horses, along with access to a gorgeous, sprawling barn with fresh, soft bedding waiting for them; most of the horses of course, chose to stay out in the freezing weather, their thick, woolly coats protecting them from feeling even a whiff of the chill.

     Lemonade however, didn’t get woolies as heavily or as frequently as many of the others, and therefore was one of the horses that chose to go into the barn. She was tired after such a long excursion, and she welcomed the soft straw bedding with a newfound wave of sleepiness. Her prior excitement for meeting her people tomorrow was still lingering in her body - her bells had ended up staying on - and she couldn’t help but want to stay awake and watch the first rays of sun signal the dawn of the fateful day. But as she lay down, she was once more overcome by drowsiness, and the young mare lowered her head and closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift off and let her anticipation seep into her dreams. . .

. . . Lemonade awoke with a start to the sound of bells jingling and hooves thudding around her in a sprightly manner. She lifted her head, blinking off the last few remnants of sleep, and realized today was the day! It was finally time for her to meet again the person who had claimed her just days before! She sprung up from her resting spot and grabbed a mouthful of hay from a pile next to her, before happily trotting out of the barn. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the sunlight, but once they did, she was greeted with the sights of festivity all around her. The dark night before had hidden all the lovely decor the family had worked so hard to put up, but now in the bright morning sun she could clearly see just how much care and thought had gone into getting the place ready for the buyers to pick up their horses. Red and white satin ribbons with delicate bows dressed the barns to match the ones in the horses’ manes, bells hung from the doors and gates, and fairy lights lit up every corner imaginable. The snow from the night before only added to the breathtaking scenery; it was truly a perfect day to take home a new family member. 

     Lemonade enthusiastically walked up to the edge of the pasture closest to the hub of activity and people, hoping to spot the one who’d be taking her home. She remembered her scent: a woody, wolfish air had lingered about her the day she tied the ribbon into Lemonade’s mane, and Lemonade thought she caught a whiff of that scent again, although it was hard to tell with the crowd. She looked for her breeder this time, and she spotted him with a young woman, similar to what Lemonade remembered of her buyer. Perhaps it was the same person. . .? But as they stopped talking and the woman walked away, she realized with slight disappointment, she was not headed towards the pasture. Lemonade paced for a couple seconds at the fence, hoping to catch sight of someone else heading her way, or catch that familiar scent again. But alas, most of the crowd was still partaking in the breakfast and festivities, and with a sigh, Lemonade realized she would just have to wait.