Phase 3 | Where Time Will Take Us

     The jingling of metal and the soft squeak of leather filled my ears, accompanied by hoofbeats, and I felt a swell of pride for the first time since I’d brought home this red beast. The sandy dirt smell of the arena filled my nose, and I let myself take a moment to glance behind at her, her tail flowing with the rhythm of each step she took . It’d been months of groundwork and slowly working off the excess weight, and luckily she adapted relatively quickly to her dietary changes, even if she wasn’t keen on them at first.

     Her most recent vet visit had confirmed she was at a healthy weight, and with her muscling more properly built alongside a lack of inflammation, she was cleared to ride.

     That was weeks ago, though. The worry about a perfect first ride had gotten to me, and I’d put it off… perhaps a little longer than I really needed to. Firewatch let out a snort beneath me, and I let her slow back into a trot, then a walk, ultimately letting her go where she wanted around the arena.

     Her movement was so fluid, and she was much smoother to ride than I’d anticipated. I still wished I knew more about her riding history, but whoever let her go was the one really missing out. Sure, painful joints and new diet changes would make anyone a bit crabby. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I thought about the day she’d arrived, nearly crashing through me as she bolted off of the trailer, full of piss and vinegar. I reached down, patting and rubbing against her neck. Her ears flicked back towards me only for a moment before turning forwards again as we approached the gate that went outside. 

     She stopped by the gate, nudging it gently with her nose before looking back at me for a moment, pushing my foot nestled in the stirrup. 

     “Fine, fine, we’ll go outside,” I muttered with a grin, turning her to line up with the latch to the gate. She stood still as I leaned over, unlatching the gate, the only movement being a flick of her ears as the latch clinked against the metal of the gate. With a soft nudge, she moved away from the gate as I pulled it open behind us before turning towards the opening. 

     The sound of hoofsteps behind us made me pause as we took our first few steps, and I turned to glance behind me - and of course, so did Firewatch. Her whinny confirmed what I saw before I could even fully process it. Leah and Celina were entering the arena from the barn, waving eagerly. 

     “Going out for a trail ride?” Leah called as she nudged Celina into a trot. I gave a drawn-out nod, turning Firewatch to face them.

     “She seems pretty eager to get out there finally,” I replied with a small laugh, patting at her neck once more. She stretched her head out forward, sniffing at her friend before tossing her head into a nod. 

     “Looks like she might want some company,” I laughed, glancing outside before back at Leah. “Want to come with?”

     She gave a nod, smiling at the two mares.

     “I think Celina would love that. She’s been getting impatient waiting for y’all to join us out there.”

     I let them take the lead, still a little unfamiliar with the trails around the property myself, and Firewatch tugged against me just a little, eager to walk side by side with Celina. 

     She was much calmer under the saddle than I’d anticipated. I knew she’d been ridden plenty before at least, but her behavior made me far too nervous to find out if it’d had an impact on her rideability. As we stepped outside, the evening sunlight hit me like a brick wall. The indoor arena had plenty of windows, but it was still much darker inside. The warmth washed across my skin, sending goosebumps up my arms as I adjusted to the temperature shift. It really was beautiful out here, and it was about time I did some exploring beyond the barn. 

     “How’s your first ride been?” Leah asked, abruptly bringing my attention back to the ride rather than the scenery. I hadn’t even realized Firewatch had brought us side-by-side, and luckily the path we’d taken into the trees was wide enough for it. 

     “So far so good,” I nodded, giving her a small smile. “Honestly she’s done so much better than I’d anticipated, I think she missed being ridden.” I’d wondered a lot lately about how long she’d been suffering with her weight putting so much excess pressure on her joints. Moving around had to have already been a pain, even moreso with tack and a rider added into the mix. 

     A shrill snort brought my gaze back to the two mares, and I finally got a good look at Celina. Her greying coat was shiny, she’d filled out, her scars were hardly noticeable. Her tail was fuller, she seemed calmer. She stretched towards Firewatch, giving her a playful nip before tossing her head back, whinnying to herself. 

     “She looks like she’s feeling a lot better,” I stated with a nod towards the grey mare. Leah smiled and nodded herself, running her hand along Celina’s neck. 

     “I think she definitely is,” she began, turning her attention back to the trail ahead. “Firewatch really brought her out of her shell enough to calm down and relax with the world. They make a good pair.”

     Firewatch tossed her head up and down, seeming to nod in approval - seemingly, of course. Horses don’t understand English.

     Above, a flock of birds flew ahead, barely noticeable between the patches in the treetops above us. Sunlight filtered through them, beaming off of the two mares, their red tones glinting back brightly. I smiled to myself as I admired the two of them - they’d really come such a long way since their arrivals. Name really had been right about pairing them up - they’d bonded better than we’d both expected and brought out the best in one another during their recoveries. 

     I scanned along the treeline, watching the leaves rustle in the wind, listening to the silence mingling with hoofbeats. 

     “Have you thought much about her future? Anything fun you’d like to try - if she stays sound enough?” Leah’s voice broke the silence, her eyes locked on me once more. I paused for a moment, as the thought hadn’t really crossed my mind. My focus shifted back to Firewatch, feeling the rhythm of her hoofsteps beneath me.

     “Honestly, I’m not really sure…” My voice trailed off as I thought a little more. She seemed to like being on the trails, but her movement is so fluid…

     “Trails for now, maybe? I’ll just have to find out what she enjoys most.” I settled on that as a good enough answer, in mine and Firewatch’s best interests.

     She nodded in response, taking a moment to think over the question herself.

     “I think Celina and I will probably do the same. She’s still so young, y’know?” She replied, leaning forward to pat up her neck. “That sound good to you, Celina?” The grey mare let out a short whinny in response, tossing her head.

     “Well, I’m excited to see where time takes us all, then.”