After unpacking, the Loonatics met in the lobby in the main floor. Mr. Boswell also joined them, offering a tour of the stable. He led them into the barn. As they walked in, they were met by the sweet aroma of hay and oats. Inside the barn were rows and rows of large box stalls. All of the horses poked their heads over their stall walls and nickered to them.
"Feel free to look around. You may each pick a horse to ride and take care of if you wish. We also have many other activities like sports, crafts, and things like that." Mr. Boswell instructed.
Cassidy, Rev, and Lexi, being the most enthusiastic out of the group, were the first ones to start inspecting the residents of the stalls.
Ace casually leaned against a stall wall. Suddenly, a large, velvety grey nose began to sniff his shirt curiously. Ace jumped sideways slightly, and Lexi laughed. "You scared of a little pony, cowboy?"
Mr. Boswell chuckled and scratched the grey horse's ears. "This is Penny. She's a real sweetheart."
Rev peeked over the edge of the wall. "I think she's been eating too much grass." He commented, pointing to the mare's overly large, round belly.
"Oh, no. She needs all the food she can get. She's in foal."
Everyone except Tech and Cassidy stared at him blankly.
"She's expecting." Tech explained.
"Oh..."
Ace rubbed the mare's neck. She was pretty, but it was the horse next to her that caught Ace's eye. In the stall next to her was a tall, muscular stallion. His steel grey coat shone like a brand new nickle. "Thunder." He read the name plate on the door. "That seems to suit you."
"Who's the father?" Tech asked, still talking about Penny.
"One of our greatest stallions, Thunder." Mr. Boswell pointed to the horse that was sniffing Ace.
Meanwhile, the others had split up. Cassidy walked down a ailse of stalls, peeking to see who was in each one. There were horses of all colours, shapes and sizes, from a group of tiny Shetland ponies, to a huge Clydesdale. Most of the horses were stocky Quarter Horses, so-called from their ability to outrun a Thoroughbred, another kind of race horse, in a quarter-mile run.
Cassidy stopped in suprise when she spotted what she thought was the most beautiful horse in the stable. The horse had a honey-coloured coat with white splotches all over. Her wavy, light cream mane seemed to float as she walked towards Cassidy. In the middle of her forehead was another white spot, this one in the shape of a ghost. She looked at the name plate. "Phantom" It read.
She studied the horse up and down, trying to guess her breed. It was hard. she had thin, slender legs and a rough figure. A cross-breed, perhaps? But, there was something, something inside her, that was telling her this would be the right horse. She scratched Phantom's forehead. "Hi, Phantom."
(end Chapter 2)