6. The Feeding Frenzy

The Feeding Frenzy

It was yet another cold day at Equinox Acres. It had been snowing and the fields were full of the stuff. Abigail glanced out of the staffroom window and could just make out Tamarind's dark grey form amongst the snowdrifts. She looked at her watch. It was getting late and he had been trotting up and down the fence for nearly ten minutes now. It was time to bring him in...

Clearly, Lusitanos weren’t made for colder climates!

As she opened the gate she noticed a large green bucket lying in the snow. It looked like someone had left it there by accident so she decided to take it with her back to the yard. She needed to feed Tam anyway so she might as well bring it with her en route to the feed room...

"Taaaaam...Tamarind! Come on boy, teatime!"

No sooner than she'd mentioned food, a large grey lump streaked past her and thrust its nose into the bucket.

"Oh for heaven's sake Tam, it's EMPTY!"

Tamarind snorted. What was the point of bringing him an empty bucket…there must be something edible somewhere...

"Anything I can help you with?"

Abigail turned round to see David trudging through the snow towards them.

“I was coming to see Tam but as you seem to be taking him away I’ll come with you instead!”

Abigail smiled and David pulled the bucket away from Tam’s questing nose.

“Tell you what Dave, could you take him to the stables and clean him up a bit? I need to sort out the feeds and it’s getting late…”

David smiled and nodded.

“No problem.” He rubbed Tam’s nose affectionately and walked off towards the yard with the stallion following him like a puppy. “Come on monster…just don’t you dare mess up the suit again…do you know how much it costs to clean?...”

Chuckling, Abigail picked up the bucket and headed off to the feed room. It was warmer on the yard as the afternoon sun had melted most of the snow and the movement of horses and riders had turned the remainder into slush which, even now, was being swept out of the yard by some of the helpers.

She walked up to the feed room, pulled a ‘Munchit’ off the door (David had left it out for her earlier to give to Tam) and put it on the counter along with the bucket.

She rubbed her hands together to warm them up and looked around the room. Where to begin?

“Aha!” She always consulted the feeding posters before she did anything else. They provided invaluable information on what to feed horses of different weights and types and in different sorts of work.

“Right!” Satisfied that everything was in order she washed out the green bucket which she had now established was just a random yard bucket that anyone could use, and added some coarse mix.

After that, she added some freshly picked forage that included some rather tasty and nutritious herbs from her own garden. Abigail was a big believer in natural remedies and always found that a handful of fragrant herbs usually did the trick.

What was next? She looked around the room, confusion etched on her face.

David had been tidying again.

She could never find anything once he’d been let loose in a room! Sighing, she rummaged around until she found what she was looking for – sugarbeet. It had been left to soak earlier in the day but she reckoned it could do with a few minutes more.

As she waited for it to soak she decided to add the supplements. Tam didn’t usually need a great deal of supplements but it was cold and he tended to lose condition over the winter months.

After a bit of consideration she measured out a small quantity of Electro-Salts and added them to the mixture. Next came the seaweed. According to the label ‘Seaweed is one of the best sources of trace elements available including a whole range of vitamins, up to 20 minerals and all ten essential amino acids. When fed, an improvement in coat colour and hoof condition is often seen.’ “Well, that sounds perfect!” Abigail remarked and added a heaped scoopful to the bucket.

The sugarbeet was finally ready, so she added some of that to the mixture as well. It smelled rather nice and Abigail couldn’t help thinking that it reminded her of her own cooking…well…in appearance perhaps.

“What am I forgetting?” Abigail frowned. She knew she’d left something out…but what? Sighting a bottle of something on the shelf, she took it down and examined it. ‘Herbal Breathing’

She frowned again. Tam had been coughing a little bit but she’d put it down to the hay that someone had forgotten to soak. She took one last look at it before replacing it back on the shelf.

If it got any worse, she’d ask the vet before she gave him anything in case it was serious. The feed was just about finished, all it needed now was a small amount of pony nuts and a couple of carrots and…

“David? Is that you?”

A voice spoke from behind the door and David’s head poked round the frame. “I’m not staying long, I just wanted to give you Tam’s bucket back. It looks like one of the liveries found it and used it for their horse as their own one had gone missing.” Abigail smiled. “And was that bucket a green one by any chance?” David nodded.
“It was actually, I take it you’ll swap them over then?”
Abigail nodded back.
“I was just finishing up anyway.”
She took the purple bucket from David and tipped the newly made feed into it before handing David back the green one. “I won’t be long, I just need to add another couple of bits and pieces then I’ll go and feed Tam.”

As David left with the bucket, Abigail searched for the bag of pony nuts that she knew were lurking in a corner somewhere. “Aha!” Well hidden under a box of apples, she eventually discovered the bag and added a liberal helping to the bucket.

She knew she was missing something else and added a little extra seaweed as some of it had fallen out in the transfer process. Tam loved the taste anyway so he’d definitley appreciate an extra helping.

She glanced out of the window. It was starting to get quite dark now and she could almost hear Tam’s frantic squeals as he told the entire world that he was hungry.

“Right, It's finally finished!”
Her job completed, Abigail picked up the now full bucket and the Munchit from earlier, walked out of the feedroom and bolted and locked the door.

As she approached Tam’s stable she could hear him kicking the door and whinnying loudly. “Oh for heaven’s sake Tam, it’s coming! You’re not going to die of starvation in the minute and a half it takes me to get to you!”

Tam’s reply consisted of a short, shrill whinny and a highly insulted snort.

Abigail just managed to open the door in time for Tam to stick his nose in the bucket without breaking the door down first. “Honestly Tam, you really are a greedy so and so aren’t you?” The Lusitano removed his head from the bucket and looked at her. Greedy?

Him?

Never.

5. The Great Christmas Present Hunt

The Great Christmas Present Hunt

It was Christmas morning and Tamarind was hyper. He had just been given his Christmas present and he LOVED it!

It was only a red sash...but it had a bell. He stopped by a puddle and admired his reflection.

He had been prancing around the field like an idiot since he got it and only stopped doing so when David took him into the school. Frowning in mock annoyance, he took it off him and put it around his own neck.

"Now Tam, what have I told you about showing off? I can understand if there happened to be a pretty mare in the vicinity but since there isn't you're just being a twit." Tam snorted and pawed at the ground impatiently which made David laugh. "Oh go on then." He put it back around Tam's neck and he whinnied happily. "But no messing about mind. This is only for today." Tam bobbed his head and the bell jingled. David rolled his eyes. Drama-stud. "Having any problems?"

David spun round. It was Abigail and her Jack Russel, Chip. David smiled. "Nope, none whatsoever. Merry Christmas!"

They hugged and Chip jumped up and yapped at Tam who looked positively puzzled. "Right." he said. "Now, I don't have your present on me..but...I can help you find it."

Tamarind caught his eye and jingled the bell again. "Well, with a certain stallion's help of course." He quickly bridled Tam and handed Abigail his reins and smiled. "I've set up a treasure hunt. All you have to do is follow the arrows."

Abigail smiled guiltily. "Oh David, you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble! I feel awful now!" She rubbed Tam's nose and laughed. "I'm not half looking forward to it though!" David chuckled and gave her a leg-up. "Ok, off you go. Tam knows where he's going." He gestured to his left and whispered. "Over there's a good place to start." He ruffled Chip's fur and set off out of the arena. "Good luck Abi! Come on Chip, let's go and watch."

Abigail and Tam trotted around the school to warm up before they did anything else as it was quite chilly outside.

After a couple of minutes, Abigail suddenly spotted the first arrow.

"This Way -------> " it read. Chuckling at David's strange sense of humour, she set off in the direction of the arrow until she found another...

and another...

and another! David and Chip looked down from their high vantage point on an old water tower and waited. She had almost found her present.

She may have been getting closer to it, but Abigail didn't know that! Ten minutes she had been searching and she still couldn't find anything.

Finally she got off Tam and started looking for it on foot. Tam started grazing and zoned out on the proceedings. Eventually she spotted the last arrow but it confused her.

It seemed to be pointing to an old shallow well. Surely that couldn't be right? Finally deciding that she must have missed an arrow along the way, she made to get back on.

"Oi! Look in the well!" a voice roared from above her. Tam got a fright, backed up a stride and then resumed grazing whilst Abigail squeaked. "David?! Is that you?"

David laughed. "Yeah, but that's not important. Look, do you want your present or not?"

Abigail smiled and waved vaguely at the sky. "Yes, yes I do. It better be good, that's all I'm saying!" She clambered up the rocks, peered cautiously over the edge and gasped.

"Eeeeeee! RABBITS!" I've always wanted some pet rabbits! However did you know David?"

David, who had climbed back down to ground level, smiled mysteriously. "I have my sources..."

"Eeeeeeee!" Abigail couldn't contain herself any more and afer hugging David senseless leapt into the air and cheered. Tam took a random spook at one of the rabbits and reared. David luckily, was holding his reins and was able to stop him. Chip wasn't bothered and after sniffing one of the bunnies, wagged his tail. "This is the best present EVER! Thank you SO much David!" After much celebration, they took Bubble and Squeak (the newly named bunnies) along with Tam and Chip, back to the yard where they all had some Christmas dinner and opened some more presents. It was a good day.

4. Rocky's Result

Rocky's Result

David yawned. It was early. Too early.
He wasn't a morning person at all and it took a great deal of effort and preperation to get him up at such an inhuman time of day.
Sighing, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the cab of the horsebox. Luckily for him Abigail was driving. Had it been him, he'd have probably crashed the box!
He stifled another yawn and opened the back door of the box, lowered the ramp and led a small chestnut sabino pony out into the light. Rocky, for that was the pony's name, tiptoed his way down the ramp and flicked his tail when he reached the bottom.

David ruffled his mane and led him out to the preparation ring. The ring was full so he about turned and 'parked' Rocky next to the horsebox in the car park. It had a significantly nicer view than the ring anyway, it was on a hill and the view of the sea was beautiful!

Abigail, who, up until now had been making herself a cup of tea, tutted when she saw the two of them going nowhere and went off to give them a hand. She picked up a haynet from the cab and tucked it under one arm.

"David, are you actually going to take Rocky's rug off or are you just going to stand around there like a spare part?"

David glared at her.

Abigail laughed and took off the rug.

She took it back to the box and returned with a couple of brushes, handing one to David who started to give Rocky a through grooming. He was all dusty from the box but after five minutes, his coat gleamed like burnished copper.

While he was doing that, Abigail made another trip back to the box and fetched a bucket of water for Rocky.

"What time is our class again?" asked David. Abigail glanced at her watch. "Oh not long now I should think, another hour maybe?" She tried to remember the time but couldn't so she went hunting for the show schedule in the front of the cab.

There was a great deal of cufuffle coming from the cab, and a great deal of cursing (none of which I will repeat here) until all fell silent and a small voice could be heard saying "Oh."

David knew that tone...he sighed.
"When is it then?"

"mumblemumblelatermumblemumble"

David glared again.

"8.00"

"But it's just gone eight now! We're going to be so late!" He fumbled around for Rocky's leadrope and was about to head off to the arena when Abigail stopped him. "It's not on now David"
David frowned, confused, until it finally dawned on him.

"Eight PM."

"Yeah."

David handed over Rocky's leadrope and disappeared into the horsebox, muttering something along the lines of 'it's going to be a long day'
A moment later he reappeared clutching two items which he promptly held up.

Crisps or Chocolate?

Some hours later...

As evening fell, David led Rocky into the arena. He joined the other competitors in the Mountain and Moorland class and watched as the handlers took it in turns to lead their ponies round the ring.

David clutched the end of the leadrope anxiously and nervously awaited the judges' decision.

"And the winner of the Mountain & Moorland In Hand class is.....EAE Rock 'n' Roll"

Abigail shrieked with delight from the crowd and David, still too stunned to take it in, led Rocky into the middle to greet the judge. She congratulated him, patted Rocky and shook David by the hand.

The judge presented him with a silver trophy, Rocky with a large blue rosette and Abigail recieved a beautiful silver plate. Together they posed for photographs from the local press.

Abigail was extatic and before she had even left the ring, she had phoned most of the staff at the yard to boast about Rocky's result.

On his way towards the box, David rugged Rocky up and put on a brand new set of travel bandages that he'd bought especially for him.

As the crowds disappeared and Abigail had retreated into the cab, David pulled an apple out of his pocket and gave it to Rocky.

He rubbed his nose affectionately and led the little welshie back up the ramp.

"Good boy."