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Description
Event: BMET Inspection [link]
Horse: FLS Tafette Akira
Handler: Aithne Collins

Story
BMET – officially the biggest competition Firelight had attended for months. Aithne's nervousness was through the roof as they unloaded the horses at the showground after their flight in by helicopter. They had decided to only bring Fru and Taffy in the end, as Prissy's had a bad injury on her neck and Fool was lame. The two Spirit Horses were incredibly lively, Fru riling up Taffy as she plunged around and kicked up the snow on the ground. The stallion whinnied shrilly and gave Aithne a run for her money as he tried to barge around. He hadn't been to a show since the CCI event a few months ago, and it was certainly showing. She hushed him and calmed him down, dragging him over to the guest stables to tie him up. He had become increasingly lively lately, like he had a new lease of life for some reason. It had been known to happen in Spirit Horses – because an eternity was a long time to behave yourself. He went to untie himself from the wall of the stall, but Aithne was one step ahead of him and had tied it a different way, he looked at her and seemed to give up. Outside, Fru was being her usual self and rearing up repeatedly, the flight seeming to have shook her up. Zoe put up with it all with a slightly exasperated look on her face. Everyone was staring at them, a few whispering to each other about the mare. She was becoming more well known on the circuit, mainly for her awful attitude. The woman eventually managed to keep her on the ground long enough to get her into the stables and tie her up. As usual her behaviour ceased as soon as she was tied up again, and the crowd slowly dissipated. Zoe took a few deep breaths and glanced over at Aithne who was quietly grooming Taffy. Aithne smiled and tossed a brush to the other woman.
“I guess that's what we get for training Spirit Horses,” she chuckled, lifting up Taffy's immense amount of mane to brush underneath. Zoe laughed and nodded as she brushed down Fru's coat briskly.
“Yeah, we do punish ourselves,” she grinned and glanced over at Aithne, glad to have her best friend back at last. She hadn't been well since she gave birth, and Mythica's death had just made things even worse. For months she had been quiet and pale, barely eating and simply going about her usual jobs in silence. At last she was showing again, which was a relief for Amber. The young Australian had been getting exasperated with Fool's behaviour in the ring, and was glad for Aithne to take some of the load once again. She still came to help and watch, however, and had already darted off to register and collect numbers.

As Aithne was just putting a rug on Taffy to keep him warm until the inspections, Adam strolled into the stables with a small bundle of coat and fake fur in his arms. Aidan gripped his shirt with little gloved hands as he gazed around in disbelief at all the horses. Luckily he had a thing for horses, often reaching out to them and grabbing any bit of them that stuck out. Taffy had been on the receiving end of the child's abuse many times, and had been surprisingly tolerant. Aithne grinned and took Aidan in her arms, zipping his little coat up a little more. Taffy raised his big grey head to sniff the boy, but immediately regretted it as he grabbed a nostril and wouldn't let go. “Oh, Aidan,” the woman chuckled, prising his fingers off gently. Taffy squealed softly and lifted his head well out of the child's reach. Aithne had to admire the Harno's self-restraint to burn the offensive mite to bits. Aithne looked at Adam and smiled, moving to hug him and take a bit of his warmth.
“You ready for this?” He asked softly, reaching out to pat Taffy as the horse reached his nose out to him, being careful to avoid the grabby hands. Aithne nodded and grinned.
“Yeah, I think I am,” she said with a deep breath, handing Aidan back over to his dad as she went to get Taffy's bridle from the small pile of tack Adam and Amber had unloaded. “I mean, hey, what could go wrong?” She called to him, chuckling slightly. Adam shook his head and bounced Aidan slightly as he started to grumble. The child liked to keep moving, and didn't like to stay in one place for too long. Aithne returned with the bridle and fussed over Aidan's hood on her way past.
“I'm going to take him for a walk to see the horses,” Adam said as Aithne went about putting the bridle on the stallion. She nodded and smiled over her shoulder at him.
“Sure. I've got the inspection soon, so I'll see you after that.” Adam nodded and set off. They had brought a pram to wheel Aidan around in, but the ground was a bit too bad for that, so Adam was reduced to carrying him everywhere. Aidan didn't seem to mind as he appeared to hate the pram and everything about it.

The ring made Aithne even more nervous as she entered behind Ambassador. Taffy raised his head high and snorted at the stallion in front, displaying stallion behaviour once again. For so many years he hadn't cared, but now it was like he had just discovered his stallionhood again. Aithne thought it might have something to do with him having a different rider for so long, or the upheaval in their lives with a new baby. He was somehow unsettled, but all she could do was hope he behaved. They lined up for the inspection, and he arched his neck, nostrils flaring at another stallion beside him. Aithne had never seen him look so magnificent, but it did worry her slightly. How would be behave during their performance? She hoped he'd be fine undersaddle, as he had been at Firelight. She knew Adam worried about the stallion's new behaviour, she had seen the way he watched them practice, how he never let his gaze leave them when she was working with him. She was starting to wonder whether his worries were perfectly valid.

They were called forward to be checked by the vet, and Taffy behaved himself as he was checked all over. He was a bit aloof as he trotted up for the vet, but otherwise no serious problems. So far so good, but the performance was the real test.

© *mapal

Ref: [link]

Description
Event: BMET Inspection [link]
Horse: FLS Tafette Akira
Handler: Aithne Collins

Story
BMET – officially the biggest competition Firelight had attended for months. Aithne's nervousness was through the roof as they unloaded the horses at the showground after their flight in by helicopter. They had decided to only bring Fru and Taffy in the end, as Prissy's had a bad injury on her neck and Fool was lame. The two Spirit Horses were incredibly lively, Fru riling up Taffy as she plunged around and kicked up the snow on the ground. The stallion whinnied shrilly and gave Aithne a run for her money as he tried to barge around. He hadn't been to a show since the CCI event a few months ago, and it was certainly showing. She hushed him and calmed him down, dragging him over to the guest stables to tie him up. He had become increasingly lively lately, like he had a new lease of life for some reason. It had been known to happen in Spirit Horses – because an eternity was a long time to behave yourself. He went to untie himself from the wall of the stall, but Aithne was one step ahead of him and had tied it a different way, he looked at her and seemed to give up. Outside, Fru was being her usual self and rearing up repeatedly, the flight seeming to have shook her up. Zoe put up with it all with a slightly exasperated look on her face. Everyone was staring at them, a few whispering to each other about the mare. She was becoming more well known on the circuit, mainly for her awful attitude. The woman eventually managed to keep her on the ground long enough to get her into the stables and tie her up. As usual her behaviour ceased as soon as she was tied up again, and the crowd slowly dissipated. Zoe took a few deep breaths and glanced over at Aithne who was quietly grooming Taffy. Aithne smiled and tossed a brush to the other woman.
“I guess that's what we get for training Spirit Horses,” she chuckled, lifting up Taffy's immense amount of mane to brush underneath. Zoe laughed and nodded as she brushed down Fru's coat briskly.
“Yeah, we do punish ourselves,” she grinned and glanced over at Aithne, glad to have her best friend back at last. She hadn't been well since she gave birth, and Mythica's death had just made things even worse. For months she had been quiet and pale, barely eating and simply going about her usual jobs in silence. At last she was showing again, which was a relief for Amber. The young Australian had been getting exasperated with Fool's behaviour in the ring, and was glad for Aithne to take some of the load once again. She still came to help and watch, however, and had already darted off to register and collect numbers.

As Aithne was just putting a rug on Taffy to keep him warm until the inspections, Adam strolled into the stables with a small bundle of coat and fake fur in his arms. Aidan gripped his shirt with little gloved hands as he gazed around in disbelief at all the horses. Luckily he had a thing for horses, often reaching out to them and grabbing any bit of them that stuck out. Taffy had been on the receiving end of the child's abuse many times, and had been surprisingly tolerant. Aithne grinned and took Aidan in her arms, zipping his little coat up a little more. Taffy raised his big grey head to sniff the boy, but immediately regretted it as he grabbed a nostril and wouldn't let go. “Oh, Aidan,” the woman chuckled, prising his fingers off gently. Taffy squealed softly and lifted his head well out of the child's reach. Aithne had to admire the Harno's self-restraint to burn the offensive mite to bits. Aithne looked at Adam and smiled, moving to hug him and take a bit of his warmth.
“You ready for this?” He asked softly, reaching out to pat Taffy as the horse reached his nose out to him, being careful to avoid the grabby hands. Aithne nodded and grinned.
“Yeah, I think I am,” she said with a deep breath, handing Aidan back over to his dad as she went to get Taffy's bridle from the small pile of tack Adam and Amber had unloaded. “I mean, hey, what could go wrong?” She called to him, chuckling slightly. Adam shook his head and bounced Aidan slightly as he started to grumble. The child liked to keep moving, and didn't like to stay in one place for too long. Aithne returned with the bridle and fussed over Aidan's hood on her way past.
“I'm going to take him for a walk to see the horses,” Adam said as Aithne went about putting the bridle on the stallion. She nodded and smiled over her shoulder at him.
“Sure. I've got the inspection soon, so I'll see you after that.” Adam nodded and set off. They had brought a pram to wheel Aidan around in, but the ground was a bit too bad for that, so Adam was reduced to carrying him everywhere. Aidan didn't seem to mind as he appeared to hate the pram and everything about it.

The ring made Aithne even more nervous as she entered behind Ambassador. Taffy raised his head high and snorted at the stallion in front, displaying stallion behaviour once again. For so many years he hadn't cared, but now it was like he had just discovered his stallionhood again. Aithne thought it might have something to do with him having a different rider for so long, or the upheaval in their lives with a new baby. He was somehow unsettled, but all she could do was hope he behaved. They lined up for the inspection, and he arched his neck, nostrils flaring at another stallion beside him. Aithne had never seen him look so magnificent, but it did worry her slightly. How would be behave during their performance? She hoped he'd be fine undersaddle, as he had been at Firelight. She knew Adam worried about the stallion's new behaviour, she had seen the way he watched them practice, how he never let his gaze leave them when she was working with him. She was starting to wonder whether his worries were perfectly valid.

They were called forward to be checked by the vet, and Taffy behaved himself as he was checked all over. He was a bit aloof as he trotted up for the vet, but otherwise no serious problems. So far so good, but the performance was the real test.

© *mapal

Ref: [link]