Post by helen1983 on Oct 22, 2015 12:45:57 GMT
Here's Part 2...the girls move in!
The day of the move dawned; Sally gazed out of the window, pleased that it was dry. She hadn’t relished the prospect of moving disgruntled, soggy ponies along with all of the kit that accompanied them.
Still, she thought, there were only four horses to worry about; her filly foal, Tigerlilly and gelding Paprika; her good friend Claire was bringing her Andalusian stallion Bear, and a new livery would be joining them; a woman called Charlotte and her gelding Taffy. She’d spoken to Charlotte briefly on the phone and she sounded nice enough.
She’d loaded all of her gear in the pick up truck, and she’d tow the trailer for Tigerlilly and Paprika. Claire was arranging her own transport.
Sally loaded the horses in; Paprika first, who walked in impeccably under Tigerlilly’s gaze, then she led the filly foal in, practically skipping up the ramp.
‘Mad foal,’ said Sally affectionately as she tethered both horses safely in the trailer. Paprika whickered softly and lipped at his haynet as Sally pushed the ramp up and locked it in place.
The journey only took ten minutes from Sally’s house which suited her at present; close enough if the horses needed anything until she could afford to build something on the premises.
The car and trailer rumbled into the yard, and Sally could see Bear already settled in, craning his neck to see who the new arrivals were. She was pleased to see that Claire had started sorting things in the yard, and it was beginning to take shape now. She felt a rush of excitement; her yard. She hoped it would be a success.
‘Need a hand?’ Claire emerged from the tack room as Sally jumped out of the car.
‘Please.’ The girls busied themselves with trailer clasps and bolts. ‘Bear settled in okay?’
‘He’s had a bit of a diva strop but he’s fine,’ said Claire, backing down with Sally as they lowered the ramp. ‘We got any mares coming?’
‘Unfortunately for him, only another gelding.’
Claire took Tigerlilly and Sally took Paprika and led them down the yard. Claire had already put haynets and water in their stables and the horses ate hungrily.
‘Let’s get the rest of the stuff out and the tack room sorted,’ said Sally. ‘Then we’ve got the rest of the day to spruce the yard up a bit, the boxes need some paint.’
As they walked back down the yard, they saw another trailer in the car park, accompanied by a loud series of thuds and bangs.
‘That’s just what Bear needs, another bad influence,’ said Claire, mock gloomily.
Sally laughed. ‘Let’s go and give her a hand.’
A girl was pushing a strapping bay gelding down the ramp.
‘Come on, Taff! For Pete’s sake,’ she huffed. The horse reversed, looking thoroughly put out at having to do so, but eventually did as he was asked.
‘Charlotte?’ Sally approached the girl, holding out her hand.
‘Hi! This is Taffy, being his usual awkward self…’
‘He’ll fit in here just fine,’ said Claire, gesturing at Bear, who was surveying the scene with interest. ‘I’m Claire, by the way.’
All the pleasantries done, Sally showed Charlotte to where Taffy’s stable would be and where she could put her tack.
‘Great! I’ve got a radio too, shall I put it in the tack room?’
Claire beamed. ‘Awesome!’
After several hours, several cups of tea and copious numbers of biscuits, the yard was finally presentable, and the girls surveyed their handiwork.
‘Well, thank you both for making that a lot easier,’ said Sally. ‘I’ll have to get started on that paintwork sometime.’
Claire giggled. ‘No rest for the wicked! I think this calls for a celebratory toast.’
‘Erm…we don’t have wine…and we’ve run out of coffee…’ said Charlotte, looking around as if expecting that a huge box of tea bags was going to emerge from a bush, singing and dancing.
‘Ah…well, in the absence of drink...to Sally, and Elm Grove Stables!’
How difficult are these to write?! EG, I am in complete awe of you...tried to do one with tack in the garden and it was ridiculously hard!
The day of the move dawned; Sally gazed out of the window, pleased that it was dry. She hadn’t relished the prospect of moving disgruntled, soggy ponies along with all of the kit that accompanied them.
Still, she thought, there were only four horses to worry about; her filly foal, Tigerlilly and gelding Paprika; her good friend Claire was bringing her Andalusian stallion Bear, and a new livery would be joining them; a woman called Charlotte and her gelding Taffy. She’d spoken to Charlotte briefly on the phone and she sounded nice enough.
She’d loaded all of her gear in the pick up truck, and she’d tow the trailer for Tigerlilly and Paprika. Claire was arranging her own transport.
Sally loaded the horses in; Paprika first, who walked in impeccably under Tigerlilly’s gaze, then she led the filly foal in, practically skipping up the ramp.
‘Mad foal,’ said Sally affectionately as she tethered both horses safely in the trailer. Paprika whickered softly and lipped at his haynet as Sally pushed the ramp up and locked it in place.
The journey only took ten minutes from Sally’s house which suited her at present; close enough if the horses needed anything until she could afford to build something on the premises.
The car and trailer rumbled into the yard, and Sally could see Bear already settled in, craning his neck to see who the new arrivals were. She was pleased to see that Claire had started sorting things in the yard, and it was beginning to take shape now. She felt a rush of excitement; her yard. She hoped it would be a success.
‘Need a hand?’ Claire emerged from the tack room as Sally jumped out of the car.
‘Please.’ The girls busied themselves with trailer clasps and bolts. ‘Bear settled in okay?’
‘He’s had a bit of a diva strop but he’s fine,’ said Claire, backing down with Sally as they lowered the ramp. ‘We got any mares coming?’
‘Unfortunately for him, only another gelding.’
Claire took Tigerlilly and Sally took Paprika and led them down the yard. Claire had already put haynets and water in their stables and the horses ate hungrily.
‘Let’s get the rest of the stuff out and the tack room sorted,’ said Sally. ‘Then we’ve got the rest of the day to spruce the yard up a bit, the boxes need some paint.’
As they walked back down the yard, they saw another trailer in the car park, accompanied by a loud series of thuds and bangs.
‘That’s just what Bear needs, another bad influence,’ said Claire, mock gloomily.
Sally laughed. ‘Let’s go and give her a hand.’
A girl was pushing a strapping bay gelding down the ramp.
‘Come on, Taff! For Pete’s sake,’ she huffed. The horse reversed, looking thoroughly put out at having to do so, but eventually did as he was asked.
‘Charlotte?’ Sally approached the girl, holding out her hand.
‘Hi! This is Taffy, being his usual awkward self…’
‘He’ll fit in here just fine,’ said Claire, gesturing at Bear, who was surveying the scene with interest. ‘I’m Claire, by the way.’
All the pleasantries done, Sally showed Charlotte to where Taffy’s stable would be and where she could put her tack.
‘Great! I’ve got a radio too, shall I put it in the tack room?’
Claire beamed. ‘Awesome!’
After several hours, several cups of tea and copious numbers of biscuits, the yard was finally presentable, and the girls surveyed their handiwork.
‘Well, thank you both for making that a lot easier,’ said Sally. ‘I’ll have to get started on that paintwork sometime.’
Claire giggled. ‘No rest for the wicked! I think this calls for a celebratory toast.’
‘Erm…we don’t have wine…and we’ve run out of coffee…’ said Charlotte, looking around as if expecting that a huge box of tea bags was going to emerge from a bush, singing and dancing.
‘Ah…well, in the absence of drink...to Sally, and Elm Grove Stables!’
How difficult are these to write?! EG, I am in complete awe of you...tried to do one with tack in the garden and it was ridiculously hard!