Chibi Legeica
As soon as his chest had acquired the proper strength to pull loads, Clyde was put to work as a hauler. He never had to deal with cruel or stupid people as some unfortunate horses do. He was fed only the best oats and provided a cool, refreshing drink of water whenever he required one. His handlers took him to shows in seven different counties, showing off the impressive length of his stride and the stamina he exhibited no matter what loads they placed on the wooden cart.
When there was a prize to be won, he won it every time. Every wall of his stall was heavy with ribbons. (The trophies had their own display cabinet inside the house.) The children of his owner would come and kiss his nose before they went to bed at night. The girls liked to braid wildflowers into his mane and the boy told him every night that he would never be sold.
Imagine his surprise when he was one day loaded onto a trailer and taken halfway across the land on the back of a noisy monster! His people seemed very happy and they gave him a lovely warm mash every time they stopped. He couldn't know, of course, that there was a special medicine inside to keep him calm as the miles ticked up on the odometer.
When they came to their destination, he laid back his ears and hesitated to step forward. There were people everywhere, people he had never seen before. They spoke in loud voices that hurt his ears and some wore funny costumes that made them look like animals and even like trees! The whole scene was so bizarre but the good man who cared for him held the rope and didn't seem the least bit afraid. Clyde decided to cooperate, as long as nothing too scary came at him.
He was led to a road that looked like it was covered in snow, despite the fact that it was mid-summer. Five other gorgeous Clydesdales stood in full tack, exchanging gossip in soft whickers and snorts. Clyde had never seen horses that looked like him before. He didn't protest as he was placed in line at the head of the team. He tolerated the moving boxes on wheels and the human that kept yelling "Cut! Another take!". He was enjoying himself immensely and when the noisy human was finally satisfied, the whole team was given thick, juicy carrots to munch. Every time Clyde's commercial aired, his proud owner would brag about his performance to whatever other humans happened to be in the room.
Clyde's time in California gave him a newfound curiosity for the wider world. He still loved his old stable with its wide pastures and gently rolling fields and he still put his all into the shows where he was asked to do the same old tricks. He was just not content to let that be his whole world when there was so much world out there he had never explored. He worked the latch on the outer pasture gate with his lip until - surprise! - the whole gate swung open. He trotted briskly down the country lane, swishing his tale and taking the time to sample any dandelion or thistle patch that caught his fancy. The first time he did this trick, he made it all the way down to Ms. McKee's house. She'd been a trick rider in her youth, many years ago. She offered Clyde a sugar cube as a bribe not to eat her prize roses. She also called up the lane so that Clyde's owners would come and take him home before some passing car could give him a fright and get him hurt.
Clyde had quite a wonderful time finding new sights. No matter what sort of latch his owner installed, he would always outsmart it in a day or two. He had a lovely mud bath down at the creek (and was quite astonished when his owner joined in the fun.) One time he managed to find his way into a cow pasture. He didn't much care for the smelly cows themselves but decided they were tolerable when he found some sweet clover there that they showed no interest in taking for themselves.
Through it all, his owner was patient. The man never raised his voice - or his hand - against Clyde. It was not the horse's fault that he was unusually smart. To save himself from further afternoons of toil and trouble, the man put his woodworking skills to good use. He built an ingenious box that would provide all sorts of tasty treats if Clyde lipped or stepped on the right lever. The tricky horse delighted in the challenge of his puzzle box and soon forgot all about the gate.
The seasons passed and Clyde's happiness never lessened. The children were getting older. Only the youngest girl came out to see him every day now, but she always brought him a kiss and a slice of apple. Clyde missed the excitement of the cart shows though he was not sorry to be relieved of the burden of the cart which seemed to grow heavier with the passing years. He was content to graze the pasture and spend lazy afternoons lying in the sun.
One day, a new smell came to him on the breeze. The she-horse was quite a lady, broad of shoulder and sure of foot. Her name was Honey and she had a blaze on her forehead that the stars would envy. She was very polite and shy at first but as Clyde spoke to her of treats and humans dressed as chickens and the wonderful wallowing spot down at the creek, she warmed to him and even stood with her flank pressed against his to graze.
Dakota was the first of their many glorious foals, a young horse with the strength to pull and the intelligence to follow in her father's footsteps. She figured out the gate for the first time before she'd even earned the rank of yearling.
A daddy's girl, through and through.
credits ;;
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chi and User not found: sentinel
Story by 
Pureflower
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profile art by Ankoku
