The Colt That Could

Echoes and Race Prep

AP nodded with a smile, heading over to the stall and leading the stallion out. He pulled himself into the saddle before accepting the helmet offered to him by West's groom, Tucker. He pulled on the helmet before riding out of the barn beside West. A few photographers had stopped by to capture a few photos before Mischief's debut, and the delight on their faces upon seeing AP McCoy with West was clearly visible. The snapped a few photos of the pair as they trotted out towards the gallops. They spoke of what to call the photo. 'McCoy has taken West under his wing before her debut' was one title that instantly became popular among the small group.

AP merely chuckled upon hearing them. "They're going to love you, Y'know. They really are" he chuckled once more, watching as the photographers jumped onto the back of the truck to follow them alongside the gallops.

West smiled. "They can love me all they like. It's Mischief though who deserves the love. This guy came from hell and I brought him up to the top. I had another horse like him. Disintegration's brother. I saved them both from slaughter and the night I got them both, Echoes got really sick. He started struggling to breathe, and after a while, he started laying down a lot. He rolled a few times and we later found out he had a severe case of colic. His legs were under-developed and he was too young to survive any sort of treatment. We tried though, we never wanted to give up on him. We pushed on with his treatment. I stayed awake with him for hours right up until I started passing out in his stall from lack of sleep. After a few weeks of treatment, he started making small bits of progress. But that's when more started to show. We found lumps. We tried treatment, but it became too much for him. We made the decision to put him to sleep to stop his pain and suffering. We have his headcollar mounted above Disintegration's stall. And Echoes himself is buried in the paddock where we turned him out a few times. His papers are in the folder in the office and they haven't been out of that folder since we lost him. His and Mischief's stories are very similar. Mischief was a little sick when we got him, but he healed up just fine. We're going to be racing for Echoes. Disintegration isn't a racer, so it just leaves Mischief to race for his brother. But it's enough. This is just a lesson to say that we can't save every horse. We can try, but not every horse will survive. But at least we tried with Echoes. We gave him the love he deserved whilst he was here with us, and when I saw the thankful look in his eyes. That thankful look that we'd saved him. I'll never forget that look. The eyes truly are windows to the soul, and with Echoes. His soul showed torture, pain and suffering. The day we brought him home was the first time I'd ever seen that thankful look in his eyes. When I hugged him, I felt him rest his head against me, I felt him relax. Maybe he was saying thank you. Maybe he was trying to show the love that I was showing him. He had such a huge heart. He could've been an amazing horse. But those who had him before didn't see that in him. They didn't see the horse he could've been, so they sent him to die. I'd never send a horse to die. None of my horses will ever be sent there. Ever. Even as they retire, they'll remain here where they will be loved, cared for and pampered until it is their time to join the paddocks in the sky. A horse asks one thing of us AP. And that one thing is that we trust and love them. They ask more than that though. They ask that we love, trust, care for and never let them go. A horse will trust its owner, if its owner trusts the horse. They say horses lend us the wings we lack. I gave Echoes wings because Earth became too much. I gave my boy wings because he became my angel the moment he started showing signs of getting more sick rather than better. My boy is an angel now, and he's galloping in the sky with his family and friends" said West, tearing up as she remembered Echoes. Echoes was just 2 years old when he was put to sleep. But at the time, it was the best thing for him. Keeping him alive would've been cruel and heartless. It wouldn't have been right.

AP listened to every word, hearing West's passion for horses in every word that she spoke. He liked how she spoke of her horses, and that she acknowledged everything that she had to. "Sorry for your loss, West. Echoes is in a better place. And his brother must miss him dearly" he said, patting Disintegration's neck gently as they approached the stalls. "If you wanna go in a stall, feel free" said West with a kind smile, taking Mischief into a stall, and pulling it closed behind her.

AP nodded, taking Disintegration into a stall beside Mischief and pulling it closed behind him. "Automated stalls. Timer will count down from 5 then open. Mischief will fly out of these things. Disintegration has some speed on him, but you'll see what I mean when I say Mischief has some speed on him" smirked West, tightening her reins slightly as she prepared. AP did the same, and 5 seconds later. The stalls flew open, and Mischief shot out of them like a bullet, leaving a small dust cloud behind him.

AP could do nothing but stare at Mischief and West as he galloped after them, watching the amazing stride of Mischief, and the perfect position of West in the saddle. Already he could see that these two were going to be a force to be afraid of. The stallion definitely had some speed on him, and West definitely had control of him without a whip. She used her legs, but only when absolutely necessary. It was clear to AP how hard she had worked with Mischief to get him to this stage. He looked like he trusted her completely, and she trusted him. It was clear by how they worked and looked together. They were in sync. West moved with Mischief, and he moved with her. If she gave a slight tug on the reins, he responded instantly. If he gave a tug of his own, West responded to him. They were the perfect pair, and it was clear by how they worked.

The photographers were constantly snapping photos of the group. Making sure to get loads of pictures that had just West and Mischief, as well as a load that had both horses and jockeys. AP was behind West and Mischief, but Disintegration was still a powerful and fast horse. He just couldn't match the power and speed of Mischief.

Towards the end of the gallops, West asked Mischief to slow gradually, which he did with ease. Slowing to a canter, then a trot before he eventually slowed to a walk once more. Shaking his mane slightly as he looked back to see AP and Disintegration slow to a walk a few feet away. "You weren't kidding when you said he was fast" laughed AP, slightly out of breath. "He's definitely got some speed on him"

West smiled, getting her breath back. "Told you he did" she smiled, shaking AP's hand. "Looks like the guys want a photo" she said, motioning to the photographers. She turned Mischief to stand beside AP and Disintegration, posing for the photos that were being taken one after the other.

"Mischief is a fast horse West. What made you want to race him?" asked one of the photographers. "Mischief's speed has nothing to do with why I want to race him. I want to race him because I believe that he has potential, and to show that slaughter horses can become something with the right training. You keep an eye on me and Mischief on that track. There's more where this came from. Remember this is just the gallops. Wait till you see us on the track. We'll show you what we can really do. And it will all be without the needless aid of a whip" smirked West, patting Mischief's neck before hugging him.

These two weeks couldn't pass fast enough.

[Author's Note: This part wasn't too fun to write. But hey. Sometimes you gotta add some emotional parts, right? Disnintegration and Echoes were indeed brothers, and Echoes was in a worse condition that Disintegration, as you probably gathered from the part]