The sound of a rumbling car and horse trailer grew louder as Svea got up from her garden chair. She squinted and stretched her arms before heading to the stables. When the car stopped and Eun-byul got out, Svea heard a horse stomp and neigh nervously.
"I'm afraid she's been stressed the whole way here," Eun-byul said with a shaky voice. "Maybe this was a bad idea."
"Don't worry about that!" Svea reassured her. "Not all horses enjoy riding in trailers. She'll feel better as soon as we unload her. Let's put her in the pasture right away so she can calm down."
Eun-byul entered the trailer and placed the lead rope over her new horse's neck. After coming back out, she opened the ramp door. Immediately, the mare jumped out, and both girls rushed forward to catch the horse and the rope. Eun-byul grabbed the halter and began to pet the Spice Snowcap mare on her neck as she huffed and snorted violently. Gradually calming her breath, the mare started scraping her hoof and stepping nervously on the ground. Looking uneasily at Svea, Eun-byul continued to pet her horse and began walking her toward the pasture they had prepared.
Once in the pasture, they removed the trailer boots and quickly checked for injuries before taking off the halter. With a loud snort, the mare turned and sprinted to the far end of the large grassy pasture, where she stopped, neighed, and then looked back toward the gate.
"Okay, that's pretty normal!" Svea said to calm her friend. "Remember, she's been through a lot and will take some time to adjust here. By the way, what are you calling her?"
"Uh, her name is 'Mimosa Pudica,' like the flower," Eun-byul replied, not taking her eyes off the Loshenka. "I'm calling her 'Mimmi.'"
"That's a cute name!" Svea smiled and gently rubbed Eun-byul’s shoulder. "What’s her backstory?"
"Apparently, she was used for breeding but never got the chance to be handled or socialise much. They said she's cautious and tough to manage, she also acts obsessively and anxiously around foals, trying to take them away from their mothers. She gets really upset if she hears or sees a foal she can't reach."
"Then we’ll have to keep her away from the pregnant mares," Svea said thoughtfully. "It could end badly if they were together."
"Yeah, I’ve booked the vet for tomorrow, and I'm hoping she can meet either Dove or some of the geldings through the fence."
The girls looked over at Mimmi, who was still trotting back and forth along the fence line, occasionally neighing in hopes of calling someone over. Eun-byul approached carefully, speaking calmly to her new mare. Eventually, Mimmi began to slow down, allowing Eun-byul to pet her face and neck. Stroking Mimmi's silky coat, Eun-byul sighed and glanced over at Svea, who smiled empathetically.
