*Ghosts

The dusts swirled and billowed in miniature storms, abrupt and fierce under the heavy hooves of the panicked horses. Greg and Eque watched by the fence quietly, each silently taking mental notes on individual horses conformation, temperament and general soundness as they stomped and jumped amongst the round yard. It was many minutes later that finally the woman spoke, her voice quiet, serious and husky.
"The loud paint stallion" she muttered, "I like him".
Her companion glanced again at the horse she spoke of, frowning, before responding in his low voice; "He'd be trouble, but he could make a decent pony".
Silence fell again before the woman laughed, pointing to an average sized, cherry bay stallion with a fungal infection. "Check out that manky bastard. He'd match our princess Lace like chalk and cheese! Could you immagine if that's the-"
Greg had stopped listening to Eque carrying on and was suddenly transfixed by the stallion, who seemed to be trying to understand what was happening with inquisitive, though fearful and rolling, amber eyes. He was jogging around the pen with the other horses, though he was keeping a slight distance from them and was less panicked. He seemed noble, of all things, to the breaker. The stallion turned his head, staring at the breaker from the side of his vision. He was also familiar, this ugly, diseased animal.
He reminded him of his first horse, Appaloosa, a bay Australian Stock Horse gelding with a scar on his neck. He had always wanted a coloured pony, much to his fathers distaste, and when he was told "I got you an Appaloosa" he had never expected it to be the name of the gelding-

"Greg, are we alive in there?". Eque was waving furiously in front of his distant blue eyes, "Greg, the paint's taken! We have number 59! I think its the, the-"
He looked at the big, messy number 59 on the stallion's withered hind quarters, "the nice little bay pony" he smiled. Eque moaned in frustration, "He's yours, you strange, strange man", and with a shrug, moved off to sign off for the horse. Who knew, perhaps the stallion could bring her friend out of his shell a bit.

This could be interesting.

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Introductory image for the Kaimanawa challenge

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Art and characters (c) Equeline
Design of Kaimanawa by Kaimanawa-Challenge