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majestly — Mesmerised (still version)

Published: 2014-06-03 22:03:17 +0000 UTC; Views: 1011; Favourites: 14; Downloads: 1
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Description Animated version can be found here ! (:
Callie and Archie doing halter training for equiBREAK I'm really happy with how cute they look here, hehe :3 The following writing is more storytelling than a third person piece of writing, but it introduces the foals better. I'll do more action and less narration in the next one. x)

They were just yearlings when she got them; two scrufty foals with nobbly knees and huge ears, straggly baby fluff clinging to their fine built bodies, bright eyes and large white markings looking too big for their faces. They hung around for the first few months, wary of the new people and of the variety of trekking ponies constantly bustling about around them.
Bree spent as much time as she could with them. In the beginning she'd just sit on the fence and watch them as they watched her, occasionally reaching out if they came to sniff her. They became braver and more curious, learning that the human was nice and approachable, and then they'd lay in the grass with her and let her fingers pluck at the long fur on their bellies.
They didn't even have names back then - it was "The dun one's growing," and "The black one's cut her nose." When they began playing and working together it became apparant that the colt was quick on the uptake, learning fast at each task and focusing easily, and he would always prance about and show off when getting something right. 'Archimedes' came from his intelligence. (Unfortunately he later grew out of the trait.) Capercaillie was named for no reason other than her coal black coat that often shone tinted with blue, and bright white mane, after the similarly coloured bird. One of the grooms who'd seen the animal before suggested it jokingly, and it stuck. Her silver mane faded with the years but during the odd season her body would take on a silvery sheen.
When they were comfortable with her, Bree took their stiff foal headcollars off and replaced them with a nicer pair, crimson with gold buckles which would later become her show colours. She'd often run her hands up their cheeks, tickle at their poll and scratch their ears. After a while they didn't even twitch at it, and she could unfasten the halters and reposition them just fine, her arms reaching over their necks and under their chins without them complaining.
They'd been herded out of the trailer on their arrival, she'd been told, and so being tugged along by a rope was a novelty. Archie had immediately tasted the length of it, tossing his head and jumping when the end hit his face, whilst Callie stood at the far length and had to be coerced with peppermint treats before she followed the pressure. She seemed to understand lessons and commands quicker than her fieldmate but was more reluctant and wary to comply, her breed's renowned stubbornness coming into play.
When the noon hack of holiday goers and their escort left the yard, Bree lead her two youngsters onto the hard stone courtyard and to the fence used for tying and tacking up. At first she let them check out their surroundings, watching them snuffle at the whisps of hay on the ground and rub their noses on the posts, but then draped their ropes over the fence. Their heads came up at the sudden lack of range but it wasn't long before they wandered a step too far again. Bree threaded the ropes through one of the metal rings next, holding the ends in place so they'd be tethered to the spot. The babies shuffled and then stilled, earning a reward, and the ropes were shortened more.
It only took a week of this gentle approach of training before they would settle quickly in place and let Bree run a brush down their necks and carefully pick up each hoof. Archie would always get bored first and Callie would consistently check the strength of the knot, but they were soon acceptably halter trained and would stand (however impatiently) through a whole grooming session without a single rear or yank at the rope.

Ref used: www.flickr.com/photos/dan65/26… for the ponies and various photographs on dA as help for the desert/canyon background.
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Comments: 3

Zoubstance [2014-06-04 13:35:03 +0000 UTC]

Aww, look at the cuties! Can I just say I love how their eyes came out here? So much expression <3  These two fluffbutts are too cute for words.
And the background is gorgeous! I like the way you make clouds :3

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majestly In reply to Zoubstance [2014-06-04 13:42:17 +0000 UTC]

hehe thankies I looove drawing ponies and youngsters, but there wouldn't be much chance to enter shows if I kept them as yearlings forever! xDD (I really love clouds I have no idea why but I always spend a good 2 hours making the sky perfect aha) C: <3

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Zoubstance In reply to majestly [2014-06-04 19:25:16 +0000 UTC]

No probleeem!
I have.. never actually drawn foal/super young horses, now that I think about it? I should probably do something about that ^^  They do look PRECIOUS as youngsters, don't they? <33
(Aaahh, and it shows! Those clouds are super pretty >u< )

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