Jane wandered up and down the pony aisles at Harness Horse Fair thoughtfully, pausing occasionally to check out a pony before moving onwards. Her two dogs, Stitch the Greyhound and Blue the Border Collie whined mournfully at her from the car. She could still hear them, but it would have been too dodgy to take them with her, with all this fine horse meat around. She chucked softly to herself, remembering their first encounter with a horse. It was that which had inspired her to buy a pony of her own. She moved swiftly from the mares section into that of the stallions for sale, and it was there that she saw the Shetland pony stallion. Jet black and with a shaggy mane, he had gentle brown eyes and a lovingly groomed coat. She went straight over and approached him cautiously, unsure of his temperment.
“He’s a lovely horse Miss,” called out a young boy that she hadn’t noticed sitting by the pony’s stall. She looked at the boy carefully. “Is he yours?” she asked politely. “Yes Miss, I’m only selling him because I’m going away to boarding school, and poor old Jet would be bored stiff by himself. Also, my dad said he’d buy me a proper horse if I get good grades, so while I’m going to miss him, he’d be better off in a home where he’ll be used.”
“Well he’d certainly be used in my home,” said Jane in reply. (more…)