JackFrost
Well-Known Member
Snowball is a particularly handsome cob of 15.2. He's been in his present home with JackFrost for 5 years. He's very happy there and hopes this will be his forever home.
He's a responsible sort who takes care of his rider, but lately something has been on his mind.
So when one day he has the chance to visit his SQP, Dr Whitecoat, Snowball takes the opportunity to discuss his concerns.
If the CCTV had been on, this is what it would have recorded:
Dr Whitecoat: Ah, Snowball, always lovely to see you! How have you been?
Snowball: Me, great thanks, but there's something I'd like to ask you.
Dr W: Go ahead.
Snowball: Umm, you know my human, JackFrost, well they aren't getting any younger. I've been friends with lots of humans, but this one, they are my heart human.
And they have lovely colour hair. So I'd like to breed from them.
Dr W looked somewhat surprised.
Snowball continued: But I just want to ask you, are they a male or a female?
Dr W: Yes, I know JackFrost, definitely female. But the thing is, Snowball, you've left it a bit late. She may be beyond her best breeding years.
Snowball (after a long pause): But I've seen this really lovely sire, he's an international athlete and he advertises AI. When JackFrost was young she once won a running race, and I've always thought she has great potential. She does go lame from time to time, but she'd be a wonderful mother and with the right sire she could produce another one just like her that could get to the Olympics.
Dr W didn't seem impressed.
Dr W: So what's her temperament like?
Snowball: She's stubborn, and she does get stressy, and OMG she's opinionated. But she hasn't got a bad bone in her body.
Dr W: Do you know her breeding?
Snowball: We think she's mostly welsh.
Dr W muttered something that sounded like 'That explains a lot'.
Dr W: Are you sure of her parentage?
Snowball: Oh, yes. She looks like her father. Especially her legs, which is a shame really because her mother had beautiful legs.
Dr W put down his pen and looked intently at Snowball.
Dr W: I'm not sure that breeding from her is really going to be in her best interests. And have you thought about how much it's all going to cost? The young ones don't stay small for long and it really is a lot of work bringing up a youngster.
Snowball: Oh I'm up for that! I'll train it then as soon as it's old enough it can go off to work.
Dr W was now looking rather serious.
Dr W: Snowball, you do have to be realistic. Not all of the young ones take to a working life. I'm seeing a lot in my practice that can't cope, either mentally or physically, and there aren't always enough suitable jobs out there for them. You could find yourself having to care for it as one of your own for years to come.
Snowball stared out of the window to the green fields beyond, and asked himself if he really did want to give up his life of happy idleness. The idea had seemed so appealing, but maybe he should listen to Dr W's voice of reason.
He paused to collect his thoughts.
Snowball: ... So what do I do with her then? She isn't up for galloping around any more. Some days all she does is worry about falling off, though I really do my best to keep her on board.
Dr W glanced at the clock. Snowball was getting that 'time's up' feeling from his SQP, and there was a whole waiting room of clients sitting bored, anxious and impatient just metres away the other side of the door. Snowball hoped Dr W didn't think he was a time waster.
Dr W: Look, Snowball, you and JackFrost seem happy with each other. Have you asked yourself why she is so special to you?
Snowball gazed out again through the window as he remembered what he and JackFrost shared together. It was freedom.
Snowball: Well, we get on together, we're friends. We walk together through days, through years, through seasons.
In spring we go in the forest and we watch new life appear.
In summer we awake in sunrises and disappear into sunsets.
In autumn we rustle and swish through harvests of orange leaves.
And in winter, JackFrost comes every morning, in the darkness and in the rain, sliding on ice and trudging through snow, so I can eat when there is no grass and wear my warm coat when the north wind blows.
Dr W smiled: And isn't that enough?
Snowball touched his nose gently to Dr W's face, then turned on his haunches to leave. His SQP always made him feel better even when he wasn't ill.
'See you next time, Snowball!' Dr W called after him cheerily, adding, 'And don't forget to pick up your wormer at reception !'
But Snowball had already left the building.
As Dr W turned to the notes for his next patient, his attention was caught by a flash of white that shot past his window. He looked out to see a fine grey cob cantering joyfully home.
