Chapter 2: Allow me to reintroduce myself...

It took me a good 6 weeks to adjust to my new routine at Home. My very first real home. It became apparent that I was a very special creature to my Mum; I was her very first own horse. She had been around horses her whole life but I was the first horse she could call her own. She was so proud of every little thing I did, it felt good to be appreciated and I tried really hard to impress her on a daily basis.

To begin with, I was fielded with Babylon Babe and Princess, my Best Field Companions. They accepted me into their herd quite happily. This pleased me as I was a bit of a lone ranger before. Every morning, Mum would turn up to give me a morning feed and then we would all get turned out together. Then every evening, I would be brought in from the field with the others and worked before being put to bed in a lovely, fresh stable with a big bowl of dinner.

I remember the first night I had carrots in my bowl, these bright orange things. They looked most peculiar and I shied away from my bowl snorting and stamping my front hoof on the ground. My Mum just laughed at me and asked if I had ever seen carrots before. She scooped one out of my bowl and held it out to me, quietly reassuring me that they were orange but tasty. I nervously approached her hand and took a nibble at it, it wasn't too bad. I nodded my head in approval and continued to chomp on the carrot in her hand before returning to my dinner bowl.

Five nights a week I was lunged, the 6th night I was freeschooled and the 7th night was pamper and rest day. This lunging malarkey was new to me, I didn't really understand it. I hated the contact to begin with but I gradually became accustomed to it and realised that this was a good exercise to let me stretch out. However, freeschooling was my favourite!! I would run around the school really stretching out and bronching and prancing as much as possible. It was my fun time; Mum called it "Morgan's Mad Moments". I did this routine for a solid month. Then one day, Mum tacked me up and hopped on board. We just walked around for ten minutes to start with to see how it went. Then we gradually worked up to trot and canter. I was getting used to these schooling sessions.

During week 4, it was apparent that my stay was to become more permanent; Mum called the vet out. I had what she called a vetting. She was at work that day but her Mum came to help the vet and I was not best pleased. I was brought in from the field away from my friends and made to do all these stupid movements and trotted around. Well, I put on quite a show. Prancing and snorting and generally misbehaving. The vet gave me the all clear but was concerned that my Mum wouldn't be able to handle my "attitude"; I didn't know what she was on about, my Mum thinks I'm an angel *snickering*.

My Mum wanted to know about the sores that were all over my coat that, although were healing,  were still patchy and some were still there. The vet confirmed it was rain scald and that my Mum should keep doing what she was doing and it would heal and my coat would improve. I was putting on weight and my summer coat started to come through; I was really coming into my own and my Mum and her friends would always say how beautiful I was looking. My summer coat goes dapply, it really is quite pretty if I may say so myself.

As the weeks went by, I settled into my new routine. I worked really heard to impress my Mum although that didn't take much effort; she was totally smitten and bought me on week 6 of the 3 month trial. She said there was no way I was going back and the knowledge that I was to stay at Home with her made me the happiest mare alive. I really had landed on my hooves...

Pamper Time

 

 New improved look

 

 Prancing

 

Chapter One: A Place Called Home

I remember the very first day I met my Mum. She came with her own Mum to come and view me with the prospect of taking me on a 3 month trial with a view to buying me if we were well suited. Little did we know that this was the beginning of an amazing partnership.

I was really quite anxious as I had been taken away from my field companions, this was out of the ordinary and I don't like interruptions to my routine. I was pacing the stable and calling to the paddock but none of them responded. Then, along came my Mum with her Mum; I could hear excited chatter and I could tell they were impressed with the set up at the stables I was living at. She had also seen pictures of me... a fancy ex racehorse at just 7 years old standing tall and doing cool things like jumping.

When my Mum saw me, I could see in her face that she was shocked at my appearance. I didn't look how I did in the pictures. They weren't recent pictures. Now, I was underweight and my ribs and pelvis were jutting out; I had lots of little sores all over my coat. She tried to hide her shock with a smile but I could tell she wasn't expecting to see me like this.

They asked if they could see me being worked, so I was freeschooled. My Mum and her Mum stood and watched, I could hear murmurs of approval from her Mum, she liked how I moved. Then, much to my amazement, my Mum asked if she could come into the arena. In she walked, carefully locking the gate behind her; she was talking to me as she slowly walked up to me with her hand held out. I stood bolt upright, eyes wide and I was quivering because I was so anxious as to what was happening.

She was quite happily chatting away to me and giving me a fuss. Her Mum was talking to the handler about what would come with me etc should my Mum choose to take me on the trial. Then my Mum and her Mum were offered to be taken on a bit of a tour and to be shown around the facilities to which they willingly obliged. I didn't want her to leave, she was nice to me and I felt like we already had a bond. I called after her and, to my surprise, she popped her head around the corner. I stood looking at her, unsure what was going to happen next. Then she excitedly said "I'm just going to go and say goodbye before we go back". She practically skipped over to the arena and whispered in my ear:

"The next time I see you, I'll be taking you home."

And sure enough, she was true to her word. Two weeks later, she arrived with a lorry and a new headcollar, lead rope and travel boots to come and take me to this place she called "home". I wasn't ready, in fact I was covered in mud, they had forgotten that she was coming to collect me. I was dragged from the field and I could tell they were embarrassed, they offered to groom me before I was taken away but my Mum just said it was fine and she would sort me out when I got Home.

I was pacing the stable and my Mum's family had come to help take me away. I could tell that the males in the group weren't used to horses and could sense their fear. This made me more anxious. My Mum however, she was taking it all in her stride and chatted away to me the whole time about what was happening and what we were going to do, where we were going bla bla. She didn't hesitate when getting me sorted to box up and then whisked me out of the stable and loaded me onto the lorry.

It wasn't too long a journey to Home. When we arrived, people were sat around waiting to see what was arriving as my Mum didn't ever use a horse lorry. I thought she might be embarrassed because I wasn't in a very presentable state. Alas, ever full of surprises, she came onto the lorry telling me I was such a good girl for being so brave.

She walked off that lorry with me feeling nothing but pride, sheer joy and unconditional love. I knew that I was Home.

 Day One

My Best Friend