Home from the Show (Prompt Party)

Cassandra walked into Thorn Rose leading FMA First Class calmly through the chaos that always followed a competition. Horses, stable hands, and riders were all moving about as they settled the returning horses into the stalls, fed them, brushed them, and otherwise saw to the creatures’ care. It was a familiar scene and one she always felt a sense of enjoyment in seeing. 

The classic champagne roan stallion had done well in the competition. He was decidedly more a jumper and cross country horse than a dressage one, but just like people, every horse had their preferences too. He’d made his clear and while they wouldn’t quit working on some of the smaller details that went with dressage, Cassandra was more than willing to maintain a focus on the others. To be honest, jumping and cross country were among her preferences too. 

She turned First Class into his stall only to be met with an annoyed huff from the stallion as he nipped at the hem of her red riding top and pushed her back towards the door. 

“What?” Cassandra stroked his soft, pink nose and then up to the white marking between his eyes. “I didn’t forget the extra treats if that’s what you’re worried about. Let me get your tack off, and then they’re yours.”  

This didn’t seem to placate First Class in the least, the stallion once again pushing the demonkin towards the stall door and stomping their white marked front legs impatiently before dancing a bit in the spacious stall. 

Cassandra regarded First Class for a moment, her golden eyes meeting his hazel green ones. “You’re not ready to sit still yet, are you? All that nervous energy?” 

First Class tossed his head and nudged at Cassandra again, this time with less force but more insistence. 

Cassandra nodded. The competition hadn’t been that far away and the trip home hadn’t been particularly hard, so if he’d rather be turned out then she’d be happy to oblige. Seeing as the weather was unseasonably warm, most of the horses would be turned out after their tack had been removed and they’d been brushed out. 

She went to remove his tack and was rewarded with a quick nip of displeasure. She turned her yellow eyes on him in surprise. “Excuse you. I’m getting ready to turn you out. You’ll be able to run soon enough.” 

First Class snorted and backed away from Cass as much as the confines of the stall would allow, refusing to let her remove his tack. 

“You want to go for a ride?” Cassandra raised an eyebrow. 

First Class nodded, the white diamond on his forehead bobbing. 

“Alright then, but we’re not taking a longer trail.” Cassandra stopped trying to get his tack off and instead led him out towards some of the trails she used for training riders who had the potential to be skilled but were still unbelievably green. 

First Class seemed about to protest, pulling against her lead but yielding quickly enough Cassandra saw no need to comment on it. Instead, she fished out a carrot and offered it to him. She knew he was spoiled, but then again all her horses were spoiled. 

When they were clear of the stable grounds, Cassandra swung up on First Class and turned him down a mile loop trail. It had a few jumps and sharper curves but nothing that would really force the stallion to test his skills. Plus it would be just enough to keep him from getting bored. Or so she hoped.  

She set him off on a fast walk, testing to see if he was really interested in the ride or if he just wanted not be in the stables yet. When she had to work to keep him there and not at a canter, she soon yielded and let him race along the trail. It was wide and wooded, the bare trees creating a spiderweb above them and a twisting mass of shadows below. 

A tree had come down in the road sometime recently as no one from the stable had come out to clear it yet, but the larger tree proved no obstacle for First Class as the roan stallion sailed over it with ease and continued along the trail. 

The second jump was more expected, a smaller hedge across the trail. First Class didn’t even seem to notice it as he jumped the obstacle and took the sharp turn at about the fastest clip one safely could, leaves and mud kicking up under his hooves as he took off along one of the straighter parts of the path. 

Cassandra didn’t try to hold him back. She saw no reason to do so at this point. If this was how he wanted to blow off steam from competing then she was all for it. She didn’t need an excuse for a good ride, just a good trail and a reliable horse. She’d even forgo the good trail option with the right horse. 

A small rivulet of water from the melting snow nearby sent mud flying up along Cassandra riding boots and pants, but she didn’t mind. First Class was sure footed and confident and the mud proved neither an impediment nor a problem for him as they came around the bend that would lead them back to Thorn Rose Stables, his white front legs now spattered with mud. 

He didn’t seem to want to slow as they approached Thorn Rose, the stallion still full of energy from the trip, so Cassandra took him on a wide loop around the stables. The roads were wide and built for wagons and carriages, and were regularly maintained so there wouldn’t be any obstacles to deal with. 

First Class resisted her slowing his pace at first, but by the time she had him at a steady walk he seemed to have finally worked off the last of his extra energy from the show and was content to let her take him inside, remove his tack, and get him cleaned up and fed for the rest of the day. By the time she left, he was enjoying a hearty meal and the warm stables.