Most Mischevious of [Horses] [JASON]

[yaruka]

OOC: Here's the training thread I said I'd start up Tiggs

BIC:
In a stockpen apart from the other brumbies stood a young black stallion, shifting his weight from one front hoof to the other, weaving and bobbing his head. The truth was, Wahn was bored. He had an active young mind, and nothing to occupy it. He went from nibbling on the wooden rails, to pacing to pawing to weaving all day long unless there was some other distraction. When the wranglers came to work with the other horses he'd watch, and sometime he'd call to the other captured horses, but for the most part he was forced to occupy himself alone. The sound of a hut door slapping momentarily distracted the black horse from his weaving, and raising his head he gazed over to watch the men move about outside. Ears pricked forwards with good-natured curiosity he watched them, his dark eyes bright with interest.

[Tiggs]

Today was the day he started on the black. Jason had caught him more than a year ago now when the horse was barely out of colt-hood. After keeping him socialised since then, Jason finally had the time to work on him properly. The black stallion was good-natured, as well formed as you could expect a brumby to be and had a personality that Jason could get on with. After leaving the chatting group of men, the wrangler went down to the fence with a coil of rope over his shoulder.

Leaning on the fence, the man called the beast over and tickled his nose with calloused fingers. “Alright then, Blackie, let’s see how we do with something on your back.” Knowing the horse’s nature to play with objects, Jason carried the rope with him rather than hook it over a fencepost and let himself into the pen. He patted the black on the neck, taking hold of the rope halter and clipping a rope to the loop under his chin. “No pushing.” He reminded the black brumby, and led him to the gate.

Once they were in the round pen, he’d remind the stallion of a few manners with some rope work, before the more dangerous – and fun – task of saddling him up and riding him for the first time.

OOC: Sorry it took a while Yaruka! The thread got buried! I'm assuming it's the current season, just to make things easier XD

[yaruka]

OOC: No problem! And likewise!

When Wahn saw the man approaching him he tossed his head excitedly. Knowing it wasn't yet feeding time, the man's approach could only mean something interesting. When the man reached the fence he pushed his nose through the bars towards the man's hands, lipping playfully at the fingers as the human made intelligible noises.
The man moved off towards the gate and Wahn was there before he had even entered. Nudging his shoulder perhaps a little too strongly, Wahn then stood relatively still for the man to attach the lead, though bobbing his head playfully as he felt the unfamiliar tickle of the man's hands under his chin.
The man walked off an instead of resisting the rope the black horse followed eagerly, ears pricked curiously as he walked. He wiggled his lips until he managed to work the rope into his mouth, then sucked on the coarse material contentedly.

[Tiggs]

Jason was pleased with the black’s obedience, but as he went to open the gate, he felt the head of the stallion move. The man looked back, and frowned. “Hey!” He sighed and fought with the brumby to regain the rope. As the black thought this was a fun game, Jason eventually had to push his thumb into the corner of the black’s mouth and release the rope with the age-old trick.

The man folded up the rope, holding as much as he could under the animals chin so he couldn’t get hold of it again. He grumbled something under his breath about the rope being soggy, but he could not help a slight smile. The mischievous nature of the black was hard to resist, and Jason enjoyed the spirited personality.

After patting his hat more tightly onto his head, he looked into the large brown eye of the beast. “Okay, let’s try this again.” He eyed the black suspiciously as he reached for the gate, expecting something cheeky.

[yaruka]

Wahn was disappointed to lose the rope for a toy, but soon got over it, not one to dwell in the past. But the wrangler was right to expect something cheeky. Wahn looked innocently back into the eye of the man until he turned away. Then he slyly reached forwards and gleefully snatched the hat the man had just readjusted off of his head. Rather pleased with himself, the young black stallion stuck his neck in the air, holding the hat just out of reach and flicking it up and down, upper lip curled back as if smiling at his own joke.

[Tiggs]

“Argh! Horse!” Jason snatched for his hat, but the stallion had it out of his reach before he could catch it. The wrangler hung onto the rope, and tried in vain to pull the horse’s head back down. Jason shook his head and dug in his pocket. If brute force wouldn’t work, perhaps bribery would.

The man brought out a sugar cube, a little crumbled round the edges but perfectly edible. “Hah! Can’t eat this and have the hat! Which is it gunna be, fella? Hat, or food?” Jason tempted the black brumby with the treat held low, ready to take back his hat at the slightest opportunity.

[yaruka]

The sweet smell of the sugar wafted to his nose and Wahn's eye rolled to look down at the man. That treat smelled so good....but he wasn't done playing with the hat. His gaze flickered from the treat to the man's face, to the treat.... he couldn't quite resist the tempatation of free food, so, loosening his lips. he let the hat fall to the ground and stretched his neck forwards, eagerly lipping the lump of sugar off of the man's hand. Wiggling his lips he picked it up, pushing it around his mouth a few times with his tongue before crunching down on it happily, the hat forgotten.

[Tiggs]

“Hah!” Jason grabbed his hat and chucked it like a well-thrown Frisbee out of the pen. While the stallion was preoccupied with the sugar, he led the lip-smacking horse out of the gate and over to the circular pen. Once inside, he fastened a longer rein to the horse’s halter and took a long bullwhip from his belt. After a few warm-up laps, providing the black didn’t get up to any more mischief, Jason would try the saddle on the animal and ride a few bucks out of him.

[yaruka]

Wahn didn't even bat an eye as the hat whizzed over his head. He was too busy licking every last particle of sugar out from his taste. Still licking his lips, he followed the man quietly into the other pen, raising his head to look around as the man attached a longer line to his halter. Finally accepting the sugar was done, he swung his head about for something to grab his attention, large dark eyes still characterised by curiosity rather than fear. There was an intelligent look in his eyes too, one that promised the makings of a fine working horse if only he was trained the right way.

[Tiggs]

Darned horse was always looking for trouble to cause. Before the black brumby could turn the round pen into a circus, Jason used the loose end of the rope lightly on his rump to get him into a trot. The sugar had only given him more energy, and they’d have to burn some of it off. Perhaps once he was on the move, the black would be more cooperative and single-minded. Preferably single-mindedly on the job rather than causing mischief.

Hmm, the horse needed a name. Mischief? No, sounded too much like Jason let him cause trouble. A shortening of it then; Chief? The black looked like he could grow into the big boots Marie was retiring out of if they both put the effort in. It would be a pity if he couldn’t, but then Marie had been a good a loyal horse. The very reason Jason did not want to work her too hard. The black… Chief… Yes, the name was fitting well. It had authoritative, and a hidden origin that only Jason would know. The stockman grinned to himself and pushed the back into a circular canter, swerving him back and setting him round the other way. Good gait, steady, relaxed, good for stamina.

Yes, Chief had promise, a lot of it. Come autumn, they’d be ready for some real work.