Hope was lonely.
And bored.
She spent all her time waiting for the friends that fed her to come outside, and then followed them everywhere they went once they did.
One day, the people who take care of Hope decided that it was time for her to have a friend that would live outside with her all the time (and that was a little closer to her size!). So they brought home another miniature horse named Ali.
Ali and Hope are very different. Ali is a young, spirited, outspoken, and loving little horse, and Hope is a motherly, sweet, nervous and beautiful little horse. Despite their differences, as soon as they met it was like they had known each other their whole lives. They started scratching each others backs the way horses who love each other always do.
Pretty soon, Ali and Hope's human friends found out about a goat who didn't have anyone to take care of her anymore. So they brought her to their home, too. Binky has one leg that doesn't work, so she has to kneel to eat. But she has no trouble walking on three legs!
Hope and Ali didn't blink an eye when Binky entered the equation. They let her follow them around like a shadow. Now Hope had not one, but two new friends, and she wasn't lonely or bored at all!
Time passed and the threesome grew closer every day.
One day, the people who take care of Hope, Ali, and Binky accidentally left the gate unlocked when they were feeding them one evening. Well, horses never ignore an open door, so they walked right out of that gate and headed down the trail to the river.
Binky wasn't too sure about this idea. She had heard from the ducks and geese that the river is really strong and fast. They even told her that sometimes there were people at the river who don't like animals very much. But she decided to follow them anyway because Binky doesn't like to be alone.
When they got to the river they saw that it is very beautiful, but that it is strong and fast. They saw some people, too...and they weren't like the people that take care of Hope, Ali, and Binky. They didn't pet them or feed them. They just looked at them funny and pointed and laughed. Hope, Ali, and Binky didn't know what the people thought was so funny about two miniature horses and a goat walking by a river! So they just kept walking.
As the sun began to lower behind the mountains and the air began to get chilly, Hope, Ali, and Binky were starting to become scared. The path was narrow and the big strong river rushed below them. The people who were laughing were gone now. They were all alone.
As they hurried down the path, they realized that they weren't so sure of how to get back to their house. Now they were really wishing they hadn't come to the river alone. So they did what horses usually do when they're spooked--they ran!
Just then, they heard the familiar voice of the woman who takes care of them calling, "Hope! Ali! Binky! Where are you!?" They stopped right in their tracks and Ali let out a loud and high pitched "neigh!"
The very nice woman who takes care of them came running around the corner with two little halters and two leads in her hands. Hope, Ali, and Binky all nodded their heads up and down in delight. She gave each one of them a big hug and put the halters on Hope and Ali. Binky didn't need a halter because she follows her friends everywhere.
They walked back happily with the woman who takes care of them. When they got back to the barn, there was a fresh flake of hay and grain waiting for them. They had never been so happy to see their cozy barn before.
After their adventure, Hope, Ali, and Binky snuggled up next to each other in the safety of their warm barn. They closed their eyes and dreamed sweet dreams of hay and barns, and even walking by the beautiful river--but this time with the people who love them!
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