Post by SigOUrNeY on Jul 4, 2008 12:28:55 GMT -5
’I noticed,” He chuckled, handing her the white chocolate mocha she had ordered from Starbucks. The other stablehand had made the trip to town just for her and her neediness – thankfully, he didn’t have to do this all the time…but he owed her one.
”You ready to work the youngsters?” He prodded teasingly, before taking a sip of his bottled water. Unlike Lani, he could function without caffeine.
”Yah right,” Lani moaned, pressing a hand against her lower back. ”Epona just about broke my back yesterday when she got jumped by that brainless squirrel. I haven’t had any time for poor Splash lately. My baby thinks I’ve forgotten her,” The young blonde pouted.
Even though Chris smiled at her humor, he understood her meaning exactly. Ever since they had gotten in the Hawkstone horses, and the new foal crop they had been running short on help lately. Even with Mr. Duce’s niece and nephew helping out, things were still tight, and there was little time for the pleasure riding they had once been able to enjoy. Including the young foals, they now had twenty four horses where there had once been twelve.
”Well, it’s time to suck it up. The little guys aren’t going to wait,” Chris said with a smile, and lay a friendly arm around Lani’s shoulders when she groaned tiredly. ”If I promise that you’ll get some time with Splash by this afternoon, will you get through the day?” He encouraged.
”I might,” Lani joked, and prodded his ribs with her elbow. ”Let’s get to work then.”
Celtic Cat & Speeding Ticket
Even Warfare, who had been born weeks after the others, was weaned, and so now all of the young foals were together in one large pasture, frolicking in ignorant bliss. Every one of them had already become accustomed to human touch and being led with a halter and lead rope, and so now the real work could begin. The first victims of the day were Dino and Kitty, since they were the easiest to catch from the pasture. The two thoroughbreds galloped up to Lani and Chris as soon as they entered through the gate, and were led quietly into the barn where they were backed into the cross ties. Neither of them seemed to protest, even though Dino amused himself by nibbling on the rope that was attached to the left side of the halter. Chris and Lani soon set to work on brushing them down. Kitty lowered his head in mild sleepiness, and fluttered her eyelids until they shut in contentment as Lani went over her sable frame with a rubber curry comb. Dino found it difficult to stand still, meanwhile, and Chris had to calm him down on more than one occasion as he worked out the dirt and mud from the colt’s coppery coat. Once both of the foals were squeaky clean and tangles brushed out from their tails, Chris and Lani led them into an arena where they had set up a desensitization course. They would go through it slowly, little by little, and day by day until they could send the horses through it on their own. It would take time and patience, and while the two stablehands would have to make time, they both had plenty of patience.
Both of the yearlings sniffed everything curiously, and only Dino spooked once when the giant beach ball moved. Chris chuckled and patted the lively colt before introducing him to the Archway. The Archway was exactly that – an arch. But hanging down from it were long neon strips that rustled whenever the wind blew through them. At first Kitty concluded that the entire thing was going to eat her, and she tried to high-tail it back to the barn. But with persistent encouragement from Lani, the daughter of Just For Kicks mustered up the courage to sniff it, bump it, and bolted through it as though it had lit her tail on fire. Lani praised her filly energetically, and watched as Dino trotted underneath the arch and through the neon as though it was the most fun he’d ever had in his life.
”He’s just a big show-off, pretty girl,” Lani said to Kitty, scratching the young thoroughbred’s withers. ”We can do better than that.”
Well, it was the same ordeal the second time for Kitty, but once they went through it again and again, the bay filly began to get more confident, until she walked through it like it was boring.
”Good girl!” Lani enthused, and planted a kiss on Kitty’s nose to emphasize her praise. Kitty seamed very pleased.
Dino was already bored with the Archway the second time through, and the third time he walked right through without Chris at his side. Lani shook her head as she smiled, and Chris rewarded his colt with a rub on the forehead. Dino was chuffed.
After the Archway, the yearlings were introduced to the blue tarp. Even Dino seemed suspicious of it and the strange noise it made. But after letting the horses sniff at it, they weren’t as nervous when the tarp was rubbed over their backs and legs. Kitty thought of it as a massage, and leaned into it when Lani was rubbing along her withers.
”These two are awesome, Chris.”
”Tell me about it,” The cowboy replied, slipping off his white Stetson to fan his face.
They decided to continue working tomorrow, since they didn’t want to overwhelm the two youngsters, and so took them back inside for a quick sponge bath. Once both were cooled off, Chris and Lani put them into their new individual stalls for lunch.
Narcissus
Since this filly was just so special, she had the privilege of getting both Chris and Lani’s full attention. When they brought out the bucket full of oats, the black filly pretended she didn’t here him and kept to her corner. Tye and Rizz didn’t make the job any easier by trying to dunk their heads into the bucket of goodies.
In the end, it was Lani who caught her. The young blonde walked up to the young sporthorse until she was about twenty feet away, and then she just lay down on her back with the halter sleeping next to her. Secret pricked her ears at this, and unable to resist the urge to see what devious plot Lani had in mind, the leggy filly sauntered straight up to her. Lani stroked the yearling’s silky cheek for a few moments, talking quietly to her, before reaching up and slipping the halter over her ears.
At first Secret didn’t know whether to be surprised or disgusted, but after giving the poor air molecules behind her a good kick, she reluctantly followed Lani to the barn. Once Secret was in the cross ties, she was rewarded with a sampling of grain and a good brushing. Well…maybe life wasn’t so tough after all.
Once Secret was introduced to the Archway, however, she balked completely, and seemed to be sorting her options out in her mind. She couldn’t decide between being either deathly terrified of it, or going along with the humans’ silly games. In the end, Secret thankfully went along with the latter, and Lani walked her through the colorful obstacle without any trouble whatsoever. They even got the filly to go through it on her own…as long as there was a carrot on the other side waiting for her.
But the tarp was a whole different ordeal. Secret got it into her head that the blue thing was going to eat her alive, and she backed up to sharply that she nearly pulled Lani off her feet. After patient persistence, Secret finally reached out to sniff it, and then began gnawing at it with her teeth to decide whether or not it was good to eat. At she snorted in disgust, she decided not. Lani slowly began to stroke Secret’s shoulder, scratching at her withers and back. Then, she raised up a corner of the tarp to stroke her with it. Secret shied the first time, and the second, but the third she lowered her head and watched the tarp suspiciously. She flinched when it touched her, but soon gave in to the stroking, and allowed the tarp to be rubbed all over her body. Secret eventually became bored with it, and drooped her head as though she was going to fall asleep.
Deciding that was enough with the blue tarp for today, Chris and Lani agreed that they better stop while they were ahead, and so led Secret back to the pasture where she happily accepted a baby carrot, and then ran off with it in her mouth to show it off and taunt the other horses.
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