reneescarted | GYWO Yahtzee 2023 2/4

Title: Chestnut
Fandom or Original Universe: original
Rating: General
Word count: 300
Summary: In the equestrian world, it's said that chestnut mares are especially mean and moody. Told from the perspective of one such horse.
Warnings/triggers: rough treatment of animal, although not abuse
Writing Prompt: mean

"Careful with her, that's a mean one," the stablehand warned the young rider who was to ride her today. She knew that once she had a proper name, something to call her by, but now people were just referring to her as "the mean one". She did pin her ears whenever someone approached, tended to bite people when they were tacking her up, and both the vet and farrier received kicks on at least 3 different occasions. And all that before anyone got on her back and experienced that she was a nightmare to ride, prone to bucking, bolting and throwing people off.

But what else would they expect from a chestnut mare? Immediately upon seeing her, people expected the worst of her - they handled her roughly just to show her who's boss, and were quick to smack her even if she didn't mean anything bad. Maybe the humans considered her mean, but the truth was, she considered them even meaner.

As the years passed and her conflicts with the humans multiplied, her empty reputation became a reality. If they were harsh, she was harsh right back at them. She learnt that the hands of humans meant pets and treats and kindness to every other horse except for her. For her, it meant the opposite, peppered with curses and nicknames no sane horse would wear proudly. Their handling was rougher from the saddle, until her mouth and her sides and her back hurt, some days the pain overruling her resolve, making her bolt to get the human off her to earn at least a few painless minutes. No one cared to find out that she was in pain.

Maybe, had she been born another color, her life would be different. People would be kinder - and so would she.