Chocolate Strawberries - Claim Attempt II

The young girl spent a few more quiet moments with me, simply running her hand softly along my neck and cheek. Eventually, she dried her wet eyes with her sleeve and left my side to retrieve a clean blanket. She draped it over my back, securing it with the clasps, before bringing me back to my stall. From there, I watched her curiously as she took a few more of my friends out from their own boxes one by one to be brushed in the alley then bundled up just as I had been. This whole ordeal was quite strange; usually, whenever we needed better shelter for the night, we would all have been turned back outside by this time of the morning.

Eventually, as she was still pampering another pony, the barn’s door pushed open and a taller man entered.

‘’Morning, Penny. Are the ponies for the event ready to go soon?’’ he asked, wiping his dusty gloved hands on the side of his thighs.

‘’Morning, dad. Lovebird’s almost done, but the others are waiting in their stalls.’’

‘’Good, I’ll start loading them up’’, the older human answered.

He walked up to my box then, grabbing the lead rope from the hook fixed to its door. He slid it open, clipping the rope to my halter before turning to lead me out. He pushed the barn door open and we walked outside. Both of our steps made the snow creak beneath our feet, our breath creating steam that rose in the crisp air like smoke. There was an excited spring in my step as I let the man guide me, convinced I was being led back to the paddock. The area right outside of the barn had been mostly cleared, but I could not wait to prance around in all of the freshly fallen snow! I whinnied happily, but the sound died down in my throat as we veered in the opposite direction to the field. That’s when I noticed the parked trailer, and the sadness of the little girl finally made sense. Some of us were leaving…

The man walked me up the ramp, securing me at the back of the trailer with a hay net.

‘’I’m sure you’ll make someone very happy,’’ he said with a pat to my neck, before stepping out to retrieve another of my friends.