[Phase 3] Secret future plans

It’s been over a month since Season arrived at our beautiful orchard. The orchard has changed just as much as Season has, both for the better.

Since Season’s arrival we have figured out our plans for the orchard. After the addition of Season, we of course have decided to focus on rebuilding the stables to hold several horses, as we want to house more than only Season. Furthermore, we have sat plans for what plants and crops we wish to plant around the orchard, including apple trees, gooseberries, red and black currant. I am beyond excited to see what bears fruit next year. Until then Season however will be my main focus. Season’s hives have seemed to dull completely. The last week or so I have also started to notice that his gloss has started to return in his coat. He seems warmer, I am sure. The veterinarian says there hasn’t been any significant changes other than the hives disappearing, but I’ve decided to believe more in what my eyes tell me. The more greying sand colour is now more of the soft golden sand colour, furthermore after the many baths I’ve been practising how to achieve as bright a tail as possible. It’s almost white and the hairs have been slowly regrowing back in length. There is still quite a road until it is fully similar in length, but I’ve started to adjust the ends to help it even out more. I have also gotten some envelopes back from friends about the basic things I need to make sure Season is capable of. For example, picking up his feet, which seemed a little scary for me at first, but the reasoning makes sense. I truly just wanted what was best for Season, so I was going to give it my all.

So, I’ve been slowly doing all the little things, like going on walks, making sure he listens to when I go forward, when I stop and so forth. He seems super observative, especially since the hives started disappearing. The veterinarian had hinted at the sudden moves had activated the hives, and I honestly started to believe this was the case, because he seemed like a completely different horse now. I’ve also been brushing him for long hours a day, which I would’ve never been allowed while his body was covered in sores. As they slowly healed, I slowly introduced the brush, but only when Season seems to accept it. I tried my best listening to his body, just like my friend noted. So, I’d put up the brush, if Season touched it, I’d brush him, if he ignored it, I would put it down and do something else with Season. Even if it meant us just sitting on the grass field looking at each other. My lover thought I had gone crazy with how much time and effort I was putting into Season, but it truly has motivated me for the life out here. I still miss the city, family and friends. Season however is a reminder that there can be things out here, and even family and friends can visit. I even think Season will be a big way to get people to visit. Maybe we should even get more pets, just to lure the people out here to visit.

I’ve also slowly started working on lifting his hooves, which has been a lot more difficult than the brushing. I don’t fully understand how the lifting works, but I try. Apparently, it’s all about ensuring that he still has balance, but also puts him off balance so he wants to lift the foot I am asking for. I kind of feel bad every time I do it, but it is for his best, to ensure I can always remove big rocks or other things that could sit in his hooved. But I guess that will stay a work in progress for a while however, but I don’t have to hurry right now, since most of the work on the orchard won’t be until next season.

However, the plan for Season’s future has been decided. We will be keeping him, but on the grounds that we want to make him our way of transport, which means we both want to ride and use him in front of a wagon at some point. We still see the road there as far ahead, but that is mainly because of my knowledge having to grow to fit Season. Season seems eager and even picked his ears up when we arrived with some of the gear we plan to use on him. It wasn’t the prettiest, but if it’ll fit him okay, then it’s fine. But maybe he recognised the tack from earlier in his life? Since he apparently has been introduced to most of it, just not fully thought. Luckily when we get to that point I have been graced with the help of one of our family friends, who has worked with horses regularly. So hopefully that will go smooth in the future, I hope however they will be handling most of it, as Season might be super calm from the ground, but I have no clue what to expect when we try to use him for work. For now, I’ve just been instructed in introducing him to everything, so there will be no surprises when we start, so hopefully the progress I am making will benefit when we get there!

Beside Season I have also been researching books about the horses that resemble him, a breed called Loshenka. I’ve started brewing an idea of finding more of his kind, they look so majestic. I have yet to tell this to my lover however… so we’ll see if this becomes a possibility. But just think about it, small little Seasons running around? Especially as Season’s personality has started to show, he’s quite the shy horse but he obviously loves to be pampered. He might not need the showers anymore, but if he sees a bucket he’ll always go to check if it is a shower happening. It makes me chuckle every time, but I feel so guilty when the bucket is empty. I’ve been contemplating if we should find a big container of some kind, that he can play around in water himself, but something tells me he’d have no interest. He has probably grown too accustomed to me pampering him, but I don’t mind it. It’s so relaxing to stand outside, slowly covering him with water, just enjoying his sounds, smells and everything else around the orchard. I honestly highly recommend it to others.

We even got beehives not long ago. I was a little afraid how that would work together with Season, but they seem to behave okay at the moment. So soon we’ll even be able to have some honey, hopefully! When we get the honey, I hope Season will be allowed to taste, honestly, he could look like honey some days, but maybe that is just me that can see it. But on the note of honey, I have yet to test many treats with him, as the veterinarian has said it could lead to another episode with hives, but hopefully that won’t be the case. So maybe that will be something I will work on as well over the next few weeks, because who doesn’t love a good treat?