Big Wide World (Miranda)

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara stood in the barn at the equine clinc. She had Fée's lead in a quick release knot through a piece of twine that was tied onto a hitching post. The little bay - even at 6 months she wasn't so little any more - stood rock steady as the girl ran a brush over the baby's soft coat. She then placed her hand on the filly's near shoulder and ran her hand down the bay's leg. "Up." She said as she got to the fetlock and before her hand reached the hoof, the foal lifted her foot off the ground. "Good girl." She whispered as she ran a brush over the bottom of the hoof, cleaning it without the worry of using a metal hoofpick.

Once she was happy with the way the filly looked, she unclipped the lead from the halter, knowing that the young Mustang would remain where she was, and then she pulled the rope loose before slipping it back onto the twine on the ring of her halter.

She glanced toward where she knew that Miranda was getting her own filly ready and clicking her tongue and stepping forward with the filly they walked to the barn entrance. The evidence that spring was getting closer and closer was more and more obvious every day. The bright green hue of the grass, the trees were beginning to show the new life that came with the new season, and the warmth that the air held. Sure, there was still the bitter tang of winter handing on to the air, the threat of spring storms, but aside from all of that, there was also the possibility of new beginnings and options that could open.

She shook her head out of her thoughts as she filly bunted her gently in the side and she rubbed Fée's forehead. "Sorry girl, I don't know where my mind went for a moment there." She crouched down and wrapped her arms gently around the Mustang's neck. "Miranda and I are going to take you and your sister for a walk." She told the filly gently. "We're going to go and look at the trails."

That day the small teen was dressed in bark coloured riding tights, a matching brown polo with light blue piping and then a blue (the same colour as the piping) fleece vest over the top. Her feet were covered by a pair of all weather paddock boots that would not only keep her feet dry, but also warm.

[Miranda Florin]

Miranda finished brushing Tanya's grey-black fur and then toyed with the filly's mane for a moment, rubbing her hand along the filly's neck after she had stood still for a little bit. She unclipped Tanya's lead rope and went to untie it. As the mare turned her neck, apparently looking for her sister, Miranda clucked quietly and petted the foal's neck as she looked back at her, clipping the lead rope back onto the twine, an idea she had borrowed from Cara. Taking hold of Tanya's lead, she slowly stepped forward, towards the barn. As the smoky black filly followed her willingly, Miranda walked on, stopping as she drew closer to Cara and Fée and smiling as she saw Cara's moment with the filly.

Letting Tanya explore the immediate area, Miranda smiled at the older girl, "Are you guys ready?" She was excited to take Tanya out into the trails, and considered it to be a wonderful idea, although she knew that she would never have thought of it on her own. As Tanya nickered, Miranda smiled down at the filly, admiring how much the foal had already grown.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara turned with Fée as they heard someone approaching behind them and she smiled when she saw Miranda and Tanya approaching. "Are we ever!" She said.

She patted her pocket, making sure that she had indeed picked up extra twine, the brush she had used on her filly's hooves - as well as a proper hoof pick if need be - and a good handful of alfalfa cubes to use as a treat reward. She had vowed that the filly would never become one of those horses that demanded treats and she had even taught the foal how to ask for a treat if she felt that she had deserved one.

Clicking her tongue, she walked forward with the filly and they headed out of the equine clinic and across the campus toward the trails. She walked in time with the light bay filly, allowing her to look at everything, even if that meant they changed course for a moment while the filly followed a leaf that was being carried by the wind, or went to inspect a bush that was moving. "Easy." She soothed as the filly spooked and flew backwards, hiding behind her adopted mother, as she disturbed a bird who was resting in a leafy bush that the filly was nosing and the bird flew out of the foliage spooking the filly who thought the bush itself was turning into a foal-eating monster. "There's a good girl." Cara praised as the filly crept out from behind her and tentatively stepped forward, reaching her nose out toward the bush without getting too close. "Good girl." Cara then waited until Fée moved before she followed the filly and once again took the control of where they were going and led the way toward the easiest path that led into the trails.

She looked over at Miranda. "So, how many foal-eating monsters do you think we'll find in here?" She asked with a grin, knowing that there was bound to be quite a bit along the trail that was going to spook the foals, but it would also desensitise them for later in life when their real training began. Right now, it was all about the foals having fun.