LM Phase 3 | The Little Things

Dawn at Royal Vale was something beautiful. A light pink color in the sky above the trees, gentle sunlight beginning to pour into the stall windows, and the quiet sounds of horses in their stalls. Some slept cozy in their shavings while others were already awake, nibbling on leftover hay or grain from the night before.

The beauty would soon become the usual hustle-and-bustle of any equestrian facility. Despite being a large property, everything ran like a well-oiled machine. Macy made sure of that. Morning and night routines were strictly adhered to, and today was no exception.

Dreamy was one of the horses already up and ready to go. He gently walked around his spacious stall, sniffing at the flat area where he had slept. His ear flicked, his attention turning upward. From his stall, he could see the floor above him. The second floor of RVEC was storage, office space, seating, and a small apartment space. The Webb family had it renovated, as there was no need for that much seating; they already had plenty of storage, and they thought it’d be useful to have someone there at all times. Although Dreamy couldn’t hear her, he could tell Macy was awake, as one of the small interior windows showed light coming through the blinds.

The peace and quiet came to an abrupt halt when some of the more restless horses began sensing Macy’s change in whereabouts. A few stalls down, Lora was stomping her foot, pawing at the ground, and making a lot of noise. Dreamy’s ears fell, proving his annoyance.

Within minutes, the noises of the barn had grown louder. Everyone was awake and anxiously awaiting their food. Stablehands and boarders had arrived for their work, and made their way to and from the grain room with barrels and buckets of food. Before long, Macy was walking down the barn aisle with a wheelbarrow full of buckets of grain, all neatly labeled and organized for a seamless delivery. Dreamy nickered in excitement as she approached his stall.

“Good morning, Mr. Dreamy,” Macy greeted with a smile. She paused for a moment, pulled out a bottle, and carefully measured the contents before mixing them into his grain. “You know the drill, you get a special mix. Grain, extra vitamins, supplements... Thank god you enjoy it.” She opened the hatch on the side of his stall, which opened to his hanging food bucket. Dreamy was very excited and put his head in, causing some of the contents to get all over his face. Macy sighed, shook her head, closed the hatch, and went on her day. Within minutes, Dreamy finished his grain. His owner, Mabel, had perfected his mix over the past year in which she’d had him. He was able to obtain everything he needed to heal and also have a meal that tasted good (although that was partially to mask some of the less palatable medications and supplements he sometimes required).

A while later, Dreamy stood just outside the barn. His stall was not only spacious, but had a door leading to a personal paddock for him with special footing to help increase grip. Most days he would go out to pasture with some of the more gentle horses, but inclement weather would sometimes make it too risky. Slippery grass and mud were the last thing a horse struggling with balance and stability needed. He had been doing significantly better than he was a year or so ago, but caution was always warranted.

“Dreamy boy~,” Macy called, followed by a short whistle. She strode over to his fence, first leaned against it, and then squeezed herself between the fence posts. No need to use the perfectly good gate two feet to her left. “You know the drill, we gotta do your morning check.”

Dreamy did know the drill, and thus was rather uninterested. His hay was exceptionally delicious today, anyway. Macy came to him, giving him a thorough look-over and feeling the problem areas of his hind legs. “No swelling or stiffness, good. We’ll be keeping an eye on you for the next couple of days.” She stepped closer to the front of his body, gently patting and scratching his neck. “It’s gonna be rainy as hell out here. If it’s too much, maybe we can let you and Leif roam around the indoor for a bit to stretch.”

Macy stayed with Dreamy for a bit, soaking up a few peaceful moments with him. Eventually she went on her way, continuing the never-ending work of a barn owner.

–––

Before long, it was early afternoon, and Dreamy and Mabel were in the therapeutic center on the property. Dreamy was used to this building. It was huge for his strength development after dealing with muscle atrophy. Luckily though, today was not for him. Today, his work was for someone else.

Mabel and Dreamy worked in Equine-Assisted Learning, or EAL. It was never a goal Mabel had for Dreamy, but it ultimately worked out perfectly. As a relatively young horse unable to compete or be ridden, but having a sweet personality, he was a wonderful addition to the EAL horses Mabel owned. Technically, he could be ridden. He was approved for it by their vet. However, Mabel declined that for now. Maybe someday she’d tempt it, but for now, this life suited them both.

Mabel clicked the crossties into place on either side of Dreamy’s halter and patted his neck. “You’re such a beautiful boy, you know that?” She ran her hand down his side, noticing how his coat was slowly getting lighter. She knew he had gray in him, so she was happy to enjoy his smoky black coat while she could. Mabel worked her way down, giving him the same check that Macy had earlier.

The girl tucked her vibrant red hair behind her ear, ducking under the crosstie to step in front of Dreamy. “Are you ready to work today?” she said, her tone baby-ish. She smiled as Dreamy’s ears perked up. “You’ve already met this girl before. You’re going to do great.” Her hand reached out to poke the soft spot between his nostrils, to which Dreamy lifted his lip to show his teeth. Mabel laughed. “You’re such a sweetie. I didn’t even teach you that. I have a feeling I know who did, though.”

For the next few minutes, Mabel and Dreamy completed their set of stretches that they do specifically on workdays. Just as the mornings and evenings had strict routines at RVEC, Mabel held herself to the same standard for Dreamy’s day-to-day life. For a horse with EPM, routine was crucial. They had different stretches and exercises they did, depending on the day’s schedule, the weather, and whether Dreamy had a relapse in symptoms, among other factors. Everything was thoroughly listed on his paperwork outside his stall. Today, she did an extra couple of stretches and massages in preparation for the incoming rain.

Eventually, the two familiar faces arrived: Liam and Raquel. Liam was a therapist, and Raquel, his client, was a 16-year-old girl who struggled with an array of mental illnesses and a rough past. Liam had worked with Mabel a few times in the past, as this level of groundwork was very helpful for troubled teens who were struggling to find their footing or their voice.

Liam’s voice broke the quiet of the aisle. “Good afternoon!”

Mabel smiled, waving. “Good afternoon! I’m glad we could fit you guys in this week.”

Liam shook his head. “No, thank you for having us here for a solo visit. I know we normally do group visits, but sometimes it’s still too much, no matter how small the group is.”

Mabel waved her hand. “It was absolutely no problem at all. I understand. It can be overwhelming to share these vulnerable moments with others, and that’s okay. We’re here to help you guys.”

Raquel stood slightly behind Liam. Although she’d been here before, she always appeared so nervous. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her shoulders tense. She lifted her fingers off of her arm in an attempt at a wave, but otherwise kept herself as still as possible. Mabel felt a pang in her chest. She remembered Chey shared this feeling with her once before: a feeling of not wanting to be perceived. Raquel wanted to appear as small as possible, take up little space, and overall hide from any sort of attention.

“Well, we might as well get started,” said Mabel.

Liam nodded, backing away to find a seat in a nearby chair. He placed his hand near Raquel’s shoulders, gently urging her forward. “The floor is yours. As always, I’ll be here observing and asking questions.”

Raquel slowly found her footing and edged towards Dreamy. Dreamy’s full attention was on Raquel; his ears perked up. When the teen held a hand out, the horse met her halfway, pressing his nose into her palm. His gentle energy soothed Raquel. It was amazing how a half-ton creature could bring a sense of inner peace simply by existing. Mabel leaned against the wall by Dreamy’s side, watching the two interact.

“I have a question…” Raquel’s voice peaked. It was more raspy than one might expect for a teenager, but it was surely due to disuse.

Mabel shifted her weight. “Of course! There are no secrets here. Please, ask away.”

Raquel’s gaze moved quickly as she scanned over Dreamy. The spots around his eyes, the gentle swoops of white around his belly. He was a beautiful horse, but she knew that he had his own fair share of issues due to things out of his control. That was one of the reasons she felt she could relate to him so deeply. “I… I know I’ve worked with Dreamy before, but… I never asked what happened to him. How did he get this way? Will he ever fully recover?”

Mabel momentarily made eye contact with Liam, who raised a brow. A contemplative expression crossed her face. Obviously, she knew Dreamy’s story, but it needed to be worded properly. “Well… I’ve only had him for a year, but this issue dates back quite a while. I’ll do my best to answer your question.”

She stood away from the wall, tucking her hands under her yellow sweater and putting them into her jean pockets. “From what I know, Dreamy was a beautiful working horse. He was bred to be used in show jumping, and that’s what his previous owner wanted to do with him. Unfortunately, the previous owner… was a flawed person. Being flawed is okay; no one is perfect. However, he took the pain of his flaws out on his standard of care for his horse. There are several factors that contribute to this, but the gist of it is that Dreamy was housed in an area too small for him that was also unclean. Between the stress and the lack of cleanliness, his immune system was weakened, and he fell ill. The sickness left him with permanent issues, meaning he will never be able to be the jumping horse he was bred to be.”

While Mabel had spoken, Raquel worked her way through the steps of beginning to groom Dreamy. Dreamy had stayed perfectly still, only flicking his tail occasionally.

“That being said,” Mabel continued, “Just because he was bred to be something, doesn’t mean it’s what he was meant to do. Sure, I think Dreamy would have had lots of fun going over jumps. Many of the horses here do. But he is one of the gentlest horses I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He loves people. Most importantly, he’s very, very happy, even with his permanent issues. He can’t turn corners well, he’s more prone to stiffness and mobility issues, but it doesn’t stop him from being happy over the little things.”

“Happy over the little things,” Raquel mumbled to herself. Liam noticed, smirking.

Mabel let the silence hang in the air for a bit. She knew this resonated well with Raquel, and wanted to really hit the nail on the head. “The little things are what matter most in life. We cannot control what life throws at us. We can’t control what others do or say to us. Life can be really hard and overwhelming sometimes… but the little things make it worth it. And don’t ever let anyone take that happiness over small things away from you.”

The three (or four, if you include Dreamy) were quiet for the remainder of the grooming. The remainder of the appointment consisted of exercise-based activities. Mabel would walk Dreamy along, and Raquel would have to match his pace and rhythm. Eventually, the lead rope was given to Raquel, and it was up to her to slowly loosen the lead rope and put more trust into Dreamy.

Time seemed to fly by, and before they knew it, the appointment was over and Mabel was left alone with Dreamy again. She looked over her horse, who looked happy, but tired from working. She became lost in thought, reflecting on her earlier conversation with Raquel. The impact that Dreamy could have on these teenagers was something that almost brought Mabel to tears. This horse was something beautiful and meaningful all along. He just needed love and a chance.