It only took a few minutes for Trevor to make it to the arena from his stall. The large structure and its vaulted ceiling loomed ahead of him, though Trevor was able to pick up the scents and sounds of other horses and livestock well before he got there. As soon as he arrived, he could easily see why: the arena had a tall, barn-like ceiling supported by a couple of pillars on the side, but it didn’t have any walls. Only a withers-high metal fence lined the dirt arena, which was punctuated with a small bleachers section on one side. Trevor doubted they hosted too many human spectators here.
His equine eyes might not have been that good, but Trevor could tell that a couple of horses were already trotting and cantering around the large arena. Some were being ridden, while other were not.
Walking up to the metal fence, next to a llama, a family of cows and a bull, and a small cluster of chickens perched on top of the railing, Trevor pulled his head up and over the fence to watch on with the rest of them, partially hoping Rita didn’t spot him. Even though he hadn’t seen her yet, he’d already picked up on her scent.
Trevor’s ears flicked as a man riding a buckskin quarter horse cantered by, leading a black mare by a rope behind him. The mare was wearing a saddle, but no rider.
“How’s that saddle feeling on your back now, Bethany?” the man called out, looking over his shoulder at the mare.
“It’s getting a bit more comfortable,” Bethany called out through strained English, trying to speak past the bit in her mouth.
“Don’t worry, you’re doing great,” Trevor heard the buckskin gelding call out encouragingly in horse speak. He half wondered if the man or the gelding was the main trainer in this situation. All the same, he still took in a deep breath as the two of them passed by, instinctively adding their scents to his memory.
“You thinking about joining them?” one of the chickens clucked next to Trevor, making him jolt with a start. The robotic, sideways glance coming from the chicken still unnerved him a bit.
“What? Oh, I don’t know. I just came here to see what was going on,” Trevor added sheepishly. He was still searching for Rita amongst all the other horses making laps or training around the arena.
“Yeah, well you should. I hear it’s a lot of fun. Plus, I think the resort pays extra for anyone that’s willing to carry guests around or pull carts.”
“Yeah, well I’m only here for a week, so probably not,” Trevor responded dryly.
“Still something to consider if you end up changing your mind,” the chicken said.
“Thanks, but, no,” Trevor snorted back. “I’m just here to see what being a horse is like, anyway.”
Getting tired of the awkward conversation, and realizing he probably didn’t want Rita to see him and think he was infatuated with her, Trevor pulled himself away from the railing and started to walk off.
But, before he could get two steps in, he heard a familiar voice call his name from behind.