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Description

Ghost stared across the small meadow at the young stallion, admiring the colors of his coat and his unique markings. She'd seen some strange horses since working at OG and, occasionally, BAeC but she hadn't seen one with colors quite so mesmerizing. Despite herself, and knowing that it was Catherines job to train the horses that came in from out-stable, she decided she had to work with the nordanner stallion. Snatching up a rope halter, blanket and her personal roping saddle she marched out to the field to do exactly that. The horse watched her, ears twitching with curiosity while she approached. Whatever it is she wanted to do he was too curious about what she was carrying to take off. He reached out a velvet soft nose as she reached them, lipping the purple suede seat and the chestnut leather of the saddle before snorting, dismissing it and turning his head back to the important matters in life- grass.

Ghost smiled, set her saddle down and urged his head up to halter him. "There you go, pretty boy. Back to grazing now." He flicked his tail at her, snorting, and dove his head back down into the thick, green grass in front of him. Contentedly grazing as she smoothed out his coat and threw a blanket over his back.

Whoa now! He balked, jerking his head up and side stepping out from under the blanket. What the hell was that supposed to be? He pinned his ears and turned his head around to glare at her, investigating the offensive object. Ghost laughed, shaking her pale hair out of the way. "It's a blanket, smaller than what you wore in the winter, but a blanket none the less." she told him. He gave the object a suspicious side-long look before going back to grazing. She waited until he relaxed, watching butterflies flitter around them for a moment before tossing the blanket back onto his back. This time, to his credit, he didn't spook but he did flinch. His muscles twitched and he jerked slightly to the side before letting her soft hands scratch his neck and soothe him once more.

"That was the easy part pretty boy." Ghost told him, lifting the saddle with the soft creak of leather. He didn't lift his head but his ears did twitch to listen. She marched around to his other side and, before he could consider stepping away, threw the saddle onto his back, catching the swinging girth as it swept under him and tightened it enough that it wouldn't slide if he moved. He bolted away from her, kicking, startled. She gripped the lead rope, sweeping it behind her to lean back against it and waited. Every time he moved he lurched into a fit, trying to understand and get rid of the heavy leather object on his back. Off, off, off, off, OFF! He squealed, rearing and shaking his head. "Easy does it pretty boy." Ghost clucks to him softly, pulling him in step by step along the lead rope.

Had she had the timing right she'd have been on his back when he exploded- such the daredevil she was. Catherine would kill her if this set his training back any. He snorted at her, keeping his head up and out of reach when she finally drew him in. Sweaty and unhappy he stamped impatiently at her, ears pinned. "I'm just going to..... tighten this up here." she reached down and pulled. The cinch tightened and the buckle snapped into place catching the saddle in position. He squealed at her, legs splayed and frozen. What was going on???

A few quick reaches and clips and the fat, leather breast-collar was clipped into place. A small distraction and a leap and-

and Orphan was bolting, head low and heels high in the air, across the meadow. Adamantly kicking to remove the new weight on his back. Ghost laughed, merrily. It had been a very, very long time since she'd jumped on an untrained horse though she was always leaping onto animals that took off- racing horses didn't sit still any better than Orphan had. She clamped her legs down around him and relaxed, letting him twist and kick to his hearts content.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he began to relax. His quicks grew smaller and weaker and his stride slower. He snorted, shaking his mane and stopped in the center of the field to look over his shoulder at Ghost, still perched calmly on his back. "Is that a stalemate then, love?" she reached down and scratched his shoulder. He nickered at her, stamping and swishing his tail. "Good, i had hoped you'd see it my way." she clucked, jiggled the leadrope and pushed him into a walk, then a trot, around the meadow.

Humming softly under her breath she rode him around for five minutes before leaning back and pulling up. He stopped, confused and watched her swing down and remove the saddle. "Boy you're a fun one, Orphan." she slapped his neck affectionately. "I'm sneaking you away tomorrow for sure." She chuckled and loosened the saddle to pull it off. As soon as the weight lifted up he shook himself out and released a big puff of air. Ghost laughed, setting the saddle down. "Is that so?" she chuckled lifting the blanket as he dropped his head back to the grass, whatever memories he had of their ride already being pushed aside for the more important challenge of filling his growling belly.

Ghost slid the halter off, scooped up her tack and walked away with a shake of her head. That was going to be a fine horse, one day. Hell she might even just challenge the pretty boy in a race with one of her own runners. If he was fast- no; she couldn't do that. She sighed, sliding her saddle back on its stand and hanging the halter up to go back outside just in time to spot Orphan throwing himself onto the ground to roll, vigorously, and noisily, in a small flat patch of dirt. A red dusty cloud rose up around him and he sneezed, three times, before laying on his side, eyes closed, to enjoy the moment. Ghost leaned on the small barn and watched him smiling. Finally the nordanner stallion pulled himself to his feet, thick, red-dirt coated his body and obscured his beautiful markings. "Oy! Looks like someone needs a bath!" Orphan jerked his head up, nostrils flaring at the sound of her voice. She would have sworn he'd understood her because before she could even move he'd bolted to huddle against the fence on the other side of the pasture. Bathes.

( wc - 1138 + 2 points; full body + bg - 2 points; training + 1 point; animated +2 points; total 7 points )

Description

Ghost stared across the small meadow at the young stallion, admiring the colors of his coat and his unique markings. She'd seen some strange horses since working at OG and, occasionally, BAeC but she hadn't seen one with colors quite so mesmerizing. Despite herself, and knowing that it was Catherines job to train the horses that came in from out-stable, she decided she had to work with the nordanner stallion. Snatching up a rope halter, blanket and her personal roping saddle she marched out to the field to do exactly that. The horse watched her, ears twitching with curiosity while she approached. Whatever it is she wanted to do he was too curious about what she was carrying to take off. He reached out a velvet soft nose as she reached them, lipping the purple suede seat and the chestnut leather of the saddle before snorting, dismissing it and turning his head back to the important matters in life- grass.

Ghost smiled, set her saddle down and urged his head up to halter him. "There you go, pretty boy. Back to grazing now." He flicked his tail at her, snorting, and dove his head back down into the thick, green grass in front of him. Contentedly grazing as she smoothed out his coat and threw a blanket over his back.

Whoa now! He balked, jerking his head up and side stepping out from under the blanket. What the hell was that supposed to be? He pinned his ears and turned his head around to glare at her, investigating the offensive object. Ghost laughed, shaking her pale hair out of the way. "It's a blanket, smaller than what you wore in the winter, but a blanket none the less." she told him. He gave the object a suspicious side-long look before going back to grazing. She waited until he relaxed, watching butterflies flitter around them for a moment before tossing the blanket back onto his back. This time, to his credit, he didn't spook but he did flinch. His muscles twitched and he jerked slightly to the side before letting her soft hands scratch his neck and soothe him once more.

"That was the easy part pretty boy." Ghost told him, lifting the saddle with the soft creak of leather. He didn't lift his head but his ears did twitch to listen. She marched around to his other side and, before he could consider stepping away, threw the saddle onto his back, catching the swinging girth as it swept under him and tightened it enough that it wouldn't slide if he moved. He bolted away from her, kicking, startled. She gripped the lead rope, sweeping it behind her to lean back against it and waited. Every time he moved he lurched into a fit, trying to understand and get rid of the heavy leather object on his back. Off, off, off, off, OFF! He squealed, rearing and shaking his head. "Easy does it pretty boy." Ghost clucks to him softly, pulling him in step by step along the lead rope.

Had she had the timing right she'd have been on his back when he exploded- such the daredevil she was. Catherine would kill her if this set his training back any. He snorted at her, keeping his head up and out of reach when she finally drew him in. Sweaty and unhappy he stamped impatiently at her, ears pinned. "I'm just going to..... tighten this up here." she reached down and pulled. The cinch tightened and the buckle snapped into place catching the saddle in position. He squealed at her, legs splayed and frozen. What was going on???

A few quick reaches and clips and the fat, leather breast-collar was clipped into place. A small distraction and a leap and-

and Orphan was bolting, head low and heels high in the air, across the meadow. Adamantly kicking to remove the new weight on his back. Ghost laughed, merrily. It had been a very, very long time since she'd jumped on an untrained horse though she was always leaping onto animals that took off- racing horses didn't sit still any better than Orphan had. She clamped her legs down around him and relaxed, letting him twist and kick to his hearts content.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he began to relax. His quicks grew smaller and weaker and his stride slower. He snorted, shaking his mane and stopped in the center of the field to look over his shoulder at Ghost, still perched calmly on his back. "Is that a stalemate then, love?" she reached down and scratched his shoulder. He nickered at her, stamping and swishing his tail. "Good, i had hoped you'd see it my way." she clucked, jiggled the leadrope and pushed him into a walk, then a trot, around the meadow.

Humming softly under her breath she rode him around for five minutes before leaning back and pulling up. He stopped, confused and watched her swing down and remove the saddle. "Boy you're a fun one, Orphan." she slapped his neck affectionately. "I'm sneaking you away tomorrow for sure." She chuckled and loosened the saddle to pull it off. As soon as the weight lifted up he shook himself out and released a big puff of air. Ghost laughed, setting the saddle down. "Is that so?" she chuckled lifting the blanket as he dropped his head back to the grass, whatever memories he had of their ride already being pushed aside for the more important challenge of filling his growling belly.

Ghost slid the halter off, scooped up her tack and walked away with a shake of her head. That was going to be a fine horse, one day. Hell she might even just challenge the pretty boy in a race with one of her own runners. If he was fast- no; she couldn't do that. She sighed, sliding her saddle back on its stand and hanging the halter up to go back outside just in time to spot Orphan throwing himself onto the ground to roll, vigorously, and noisily, in a small flat patch of dirt. A red dusty cloud rose up around him and he sneezed, three times, before laying on his side, eyes closed, to enjoy the moment. Ghost leaned on the small barn and watched him smiling. Finally the nordanner stallion pulled himself to his feet, thick, red-dirt coated his body and obscured his beautiful markings. "Oy! Looks like someone needs a bath!" Orphan jerked his head up, nostrils flaring at the sound of her voice. She would have sworn he'd understood her because before she could even move he'd bolted to huddle against the fence on the other side of the pasture. Bathes.

( wc - 1138 + 2 points; full body + bg - 2 points; training + 1 point; animated +2 points; total 7 points )