Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 299: Going off the beaten track
When we left Bucheon, the sun had already slid down the sky and was almost overlapping with the ridges of the mountains.

Back at Mitsuishi's Mejiro Ranch, it had become completely dark.

Although there should still be some time before sunset, it usually gets dark quite early in the mountains.

As soon as I got into the taxi, the gray winter sky came into view.

The wind that swept across the road shook the power lines, making a sharp sound, and its breath quickly turned into white mist.

I couldn't help but shiver.

They fled back to the ranch building, only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

"Oh, the president is back!"

"Today's dinner is macaroni and pasta."

The spacious room, which resembled a banquet hall, suddenly became lively.

I put my few pieces of luggage in the corner of the room, and when I reached back to brace myself, my hand slipped slightly when it touched the tatami mat.

Before they could even catch their breath, everyone started asking about the progress of the expedition.

"To be honest, it didn't go very smoothly."

Although there was a fairly ample preparation time, things still became rushed when the time came.

In addition, Atalanta already had a rather troublesome temper, and she had spent most of her energy on conditioning her body in the past few days.

Thanks to the help of trainers Motonori Majima and Jiya Majima in Saga, Atalanta was barely able to recover to a state where she could start training.

"The expedition was indeed not as simple as it seemed—"

"Master Mashima was far too careless!"

"No matter what, as long as the men and horses are safe, that's all that matters."

Because the discussion was confined to the ranch area, everyone chimed in with similar remarks.

The outlook for Hong Kong bottles cannot be described as optimistic.

However, there was no awareness that "going overseas means you have to win."

If the voice of hope is too heavy, it might become a burden.

From the very beginning, everyone's expectation for Atalanta was simply that she "run healthily."

I took the carbonated drink from the refrigerator from Zep and used my slightly frozen fingertips to untie the tab.

A different kind of pleasure than in summer slid down my throat.

In this season, the refrigerator has become the place to keep things warm.

"How's it going at the ranch?"

He placed the beverage, which had a thin layer of frost on it, on the low table and casually asked this question.

"The year-end weigh-in for all employees was completed during the day."

As he said this, Kikuchi's tone sounded somewhat strange.

The expressions on the faces of the other members also became somewhat subtle.

"Including Sister Duobo, everyone gained weight on this occasion."

Although I wasn't surprised by the result, I couldn't help but sigh when I learned the truth.

"Grandmas and grandpas don't move around much, so it's normal for them to gain weight—"

Zep quietly raised his hand and said with a guilty look on his face.

"That's right, that's right, all the one-year-old horses are still in the growth stage!"

Asayama nodded, and then added the following.

"The same goes for Anna; she's trying to become a mare."

In short, that's the gist of it.

At first, I decided not to refute or argue.

however--

During a post-dinner stable inspection, a round, tank-like outline was discovered.

Is this thing really a horse?

Even before the season could be called the coldest, Teruhime's body was already covered with an exaggeratedly thick layer of winter fur.

Asayama, who was inspecting the stables, gave a somewhat embarrassed reason: "visual problems with the winter coat."

"It actually only weighs 439 kilograms." This is the foal that's poised for victory!

After the patrol, the staff in charge of the ranch maintenance department were no longer very enthusiastic about the inspection.

Both my body and mind have accumulated a lot of fatigue.

Especially after a stable inspection.

That night, I could barely keep my eyes open once I lay down on the bed.

At least that guy, Terumaru, needs to start seriously losing weight—

Just before I reached the point of falling asleep, this thought flashed through my mind.

This happened shortly after I woke up on the second day after I returned to Hokkaido.

"In short, that kid, Teruhime, needs to start losing weight."

The sleepy-eyed group gathered together and made this announcement.

Since the beginning of winter, snowfall has gradually accumulated to a certain extent.

Even areas that were originally uneven for horses became traversable.

"Absolutely not."

This is the reply we received from the person actually in charge of training.

The eloquent tone he displayed before breakfast vanished instantly.

Arriving at the ranch later, Kanna Ogawa offered a helpless explanation—

"One-year-old horses are in a critical period of bone development, and given the already strained bodies, the gentlest possible approach must be taken."

I do know that much.

The goal is to be "strong" rather than "thin".

Reducing body fat percentage is more important than simply losing weight.

“This child’s hooves are barely strong enough for even 24-hour herding, so further training is out of the question for at least the short term.”

Walking briskly to the stable, Kanna Ogawa pointed at the deer-haired pony's legs and shook her head.

Having just returned to the stables after a night of grazing, the oblivious Teruhime was still slowly chewing on the feed in his trough.

Kanna Ogawa leaned over and took a look.

Kitano was somewhat aware that there were no high-sugar foods like grains, carrots, or apples in the food bowl.

"Even the hay used as bedding, this child can eat with great relish."

I couldn't help but say that.

The girl frowned slightly, seemingly troubled.

"How about trying Slow Food Network?"

After offering her advice with a blink, she sighed uncertainly.

"Why are they all such strange guys—"

I had no choice but to pretend I didn't hear those murmurs.

However, I still bought Slow Food website as Ms. Ogawa suggested.

Because it's in Hokkaido, where the horse industry is concentrated, you can easily find this kind of thing even in the town's convenience stores.

By the way, I also upgraded the stables for another big eater to the Slow Food network configuration.

As for Huiwan's weight loss plan, the only option was to adopt a method of "waiting for the right time to start 24-hour grazing".

Because of the extra work of shoveling snow in winter, my back was so sore after finishing my morning work that I could hardly straighten up.

While stretching and massaging my back in front of the grazing area, I saw a vehicle approaching with the sound of its engine gradually increasing.

------------

"【Final results of the Arima Memorial fan poll announced】"

1 eye white Atalanta
16 generals of the laurel tree
22-Meteor Sakuya
"

——JRAnews
"Horse breeding is like two sides of a coin: one side is rigorous science, and the other is irrational luck."

—From *Id○l Horse*—*Taking an Unconventional Approach: Yuki Kitano's Path as a Horse Breeder*

(End of this chapter)