Angel Wings Chapter 5: Long Road Ahead
Lauren put the finishing touches to Sonador's stable, then led the chestnut in. She snorted and shook her head vigorously, not liking to be in such a cramped space. Lauren couldn't blame her; she'd obviously been through quite an ordeal. She picked up a dusty brush that was resting on the door, and approached Sonador softly. The mare eyed her warily, nostrils flared and ears pricked up. She sniffed at the brush but seemed to decided it wasn't a threat and turned her attention away from it. Gina came in carrying a half full bucket of soaked hay.
'Don't want to feed her too much to start with. It's a slow process, and you have to be careful,' she nodded towards Sonador, who cautiously bumped her nose against the bucket. She nosed the hay suspiciously, then started to wolf it down.
'They did say she was backed, right?' Mac poked his nose over the door. 'She doesn't look as if she is.'
'Well, apparently she is...' Lauren wrinkled her nose. That was something they'd have to find out. But not before a vet had come to see her, and she'd gained a lot better condition- and they had to be sure she was going to survive first. She swallowed down a lump in her throat; she didn't want to think of that.
'Shes generally okay,' the vet ran his hands along Sonador's bony rump. 'She needs feeding up, and a good deal of grooming. You'll need to spend a lot of time with her in order to gain her trust.' He looked pointedly at Lauren, who nodded firmly. 'She should be good to ride in I'd say... Three to four weeks? She's actually not too thin. It's just her internal health I'm worried about. But the blood results will be back to is in a few days or so.'
Lauren grinned; they'd almost gotten the all clear! So hopefully within a month she could be riding Sonador... She could hardly imagine spending time with a horse again, let alone riding one! She patted her horse's neck, forgetting it wasn't DiCaprio. The chestnut spooked at her touch, and almost ran into the vet. Lauren sighed; there was a long road ahead.