Lovy's Boops - Scarlett

Chapter 3

Scarlett the Snack Queen Featuring her partner-in-crime, Gabe

At Lovy's Equine Sanctuary, no horse made people laugh quite like Scarlett. A beautiful dun mare with a bold black stripe down her back, a sassy sparkle in her eye, and a legendary toothy smile, Scarlett had one mission in life: get treats… all the treats.

Scarlett wasn’t just fond of people. She adored them. She’d gallop to the fence the moment she saw someone, lean her head over with her lips wiggling like a cartoon, and start her “treat inspection,” which basically meant checking every pocket, bag, and even boots (just in case someone had a surprise snack stashed away).

Her best friend in the whole world was a spunky little boy named Gabe. Gabe was eight years old, had messy brown hair and a mischievous grin, and always wore cowboy boots with little lightning bolts on the sides. Every Saturday, Gabe came to the sanctuary with a backpack full of horse brushes, doodles of him and Scarlett, and, most importantly, Scarlett’s favorite treats: apple nuggets and molasses cookies.

Scarlett would spot that backpack from across the pasture and take off at full speed, practically sliding to a stop in front of Gabe. She’d nuzzle him gently, lip the zipper of the bag, and give her signature grin that said, "Best friend, I know you brought the goods."

The two were inseparable. Gabe brushed Scarlett’s coat until it gleamed, tried to braid her mane (not always successfully), and told her stories about school, bugs, and how he planned to build her a palace one day. Scarlett would listen with one ear turned back and her eyes half closed, perfectly content as long as Gabe was near, and, of course, as long as snacks kept flowing.

But one sunny afternoon, Scarlett decided she didn’t want to wait for snacks anymore.

While Gabe was off helping clean stalls, someone left a full, unopened bag of apple-flavored horse treats on the feed room table. It was supposed to be for the whole barn, but Scarlett had other plans. She sniffed the air, followed the scent like a bloodhound, snuck in when no one was looking… and broke into the bag like a four-legged mastermind.

She didn’t just take a nibble. She ate the entire bag.

By the time Gabe came back, Scarlett was standing in the middle of the barn aisle, looking very pleased with herself. The empty bag lay crumpled beside her, and her belly was round, very round. Gabe gasped, then laughed so hard he fell onto a hay bale.

"Scarlett! You little stinker!" he said between giggles. Scarlett just gave him a slow blink and let out a very loud, very unapologetic toot.

That was just the beginning. For the next three days, Scarlett was a walking whoopee cushion. She tooted when she walked. She tooted when she ate. She even tooted in her sleep, waking herself up with a startled snort. The other horses steered clear, and the humans? They just shook their heads and said, “That’s Scarlett.”

Gabe, of course, thought it was hilarious.

"You’re the Queen of Snacks and the Queen of Toots now!" he said proudly, giving her a big hug (and holding his breath for good measure).

Eventually, Scarlett’s belly returned to normal, and the air around the barn cleared. But from that day forward, the humans made very sure the treat bags stayed out of reach, and Gabe made a new rule: Scarlett only got snacks under strict human supervision.

Still, nothing could stop Scarlett’s charm. She may have been a little too clever for her own good, but with a heart as big as her belly and a best friend like Gabe, she was loved more than ever.

Because at Lovy’s, Scarlett wasn’t just a horse, she was family. A snack-loving, lip-wiggling, toot-happy, endlessly lovable queen.