A Strange New Home

What happens when changing barns ... from the pony’s point of view.

The lights flickered on in the barn that morning, and I heard the familiar shuffling of all the other ponies in the barn. Jack, the pony next to me who the girls in the barn refer to as “impatient,” begins his daily ritual of trying to kick down his stall door until our grain is served. I feel my own excitement start to build as I hear the grain being dropped into buckets down the aisle and let out a high-pitched whinny. I can’t help myself—breakfast is one of my favorite times of the day!

Finally … FINALLY … the girls reach my stall.

Is it just me or have you guys gotten slower?

I nudge one of the girls as she pours my grain into my bucket, and she pushes me away.

Rude!

I dig into my bucket with excitement. I really like this barn. The breakfast is great! Then, I head outside to play with Jack … although I must admit he’s not much fun. Then, this little girl who always wears her hair like I wear my tail at the events where I get ribbons comes to brush me and ride me and feed me treats. Then it’s dinner time!

Every day is pretty much perfect, and I’m a pretty happy pony. I’m so glad I never have to leave this place.

SOMETHING’S DIFFERENT

After a fun morning of playing “follow the leader” with Jack—he’s always the leader—I can’t wait for the little girl with the fancy hair to arrive. Just then, I see her little head peeking into my stall.

I couldn’t wait to see you!

I press my nose up to the front of the stall to try and get closer to her. You look kind of different today. Her face and her eyes are redder than normal. She pushes open my stall door, but instead of putting my halter on like normal, she puts her tiny arms around my neck and squeezes me. I love when she does this, so I try to stand perfectly still so she doesn’t stop.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” the little girl says into my neck. I’m not quite sure what she means by this, so I just keep trying to stand perfectly still.

“You’re the best pony in the whole world,” she whispers, and again I just try to stand like a statue. The little girl stays with me for a little while longer and then leaves for the day without ever taking me out of my stall. That was weird.

I can’t think about it too much longer though, because the girls have started to feed dinner. The only thing I love more than breakfast is dinner!

MOVING DAY

The next morning the lights flicker on again, and I whinny with excitement for another amazing day ahead. The girls move slowly as can be down the aisle as usual, and I am practically spinning with anticipation by the time they get to me. They pour grain into my bucket, and right before I dig in, I notice the goo mixed in.

“A little ulcer medicine before your trip today, Tucker,” says one of the girls.

What trip?! I hate this stuff.

I turn up my nose but reluctantly decide I’m too hungry not to eat it. One of the girls pulls Jack out of his stall, but not me, and I really think they’re starting to lose their minds around here.

Hey! You forgot me!

I whinny after them. Instead of turning around for me though, another girl comes into my stall and takes me to the area where they always brush me and put my saddle on. She starts grooming me and puts the fluffy pads around my legs, and I realize I am getting on the trailer. Where’s the little girl?

I swing my head around and start to dance. She’s usually always here before I get on the trailer! As they lead me out and load me onto the trailer, I’m starting to really worry. Not only is the little girl not here, but none of her friends are here, and even worse, I’m the only pony on the trailer! Things are not good at all, and I have no choice but to anxiously paw the ground as they close up the trailer doors.

After what seems like forever, the trailer slows down and pulls up a long drive. I could not be more worried by the situation. I put my head up as high as possible and prick my ears trying to see or hear anything that’s going on outside. I finally feel the moving stop. The doors open, and I see a group of new girls waiting at the bottom. They don’t look like the girls at my home. I know I told them they were feeding us slower lately, but I actually did like them a lot!

“Hi Tucker.” One of the new girls walks up to me.

Who told you my name?

I prance off the trailer with her. “Welcome to your new home,” the new girl tells me.

What?!

I leap in the air. The new girl doesn’t yell at me when I do this. I do know it’s naughty, but I don’t want a new home! I liked my old home. I liked the breakfast there and playing with Jack and my little girl and the dinner there, and my old home was white, and this home is red, and it’s bright, and … I am so scared!

I continue to jig after her down a long walkway with strange ponies until she stops at a stall and leads me in. The stall has fluffy shavings, hay and water like my old stall, but Jack