Posted by Civilian Ragna Idun McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - I’ll Make ‘Em An Offer They Can’t Refuse

Posted by Civilian Seamus McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - I’ll Make ‘Em An Offer They Can’t Refuse

Posted by Civilian Ragna Idun McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - I’ll Make ‘Em An Offer They Can’t Refuse
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Revna turned threw her leg over Ravan’s neck and then kissed Mike’s cheek. “Be sure to let your knees and ankles bend when you land.” She slid off, following her own instructions and then stepped next to Ravan’s shoulder and put an arm under his neck and hooked it up and around grabbing his mane to keep him still as Mike dismounted. He walked along, head down so Revna’s hand was near his ears, massive hooves taking small steps avoiding her feet. She led him right into the stable and into a stall. The stalls here were massive to match the horses. Standard stalls were 12x12, but these were 18x18, and it was a little cramped for Ravan, and would be even smaller for Stormwhite.

Passing through the main doors their was a large open space that lead to four aisles, with 20 stalls to each aisle. Leiv, led Mike and Revna down the left center aisle. “Our herd is not quite this big right now, but the two right hand aisles are for boarders. People send their horses to be trained or bred with ours. We have separate pastures for them as well. But these beauties are ours.” Above the stall doors several heads appeared. Most curious. The first a black with a white blaze down the nose, a white star on her chest, and white boots looked out, seeing now food coming with the humans, ducked back inside her stall. There were several shades of brown, two dabbled greys, a solid grey, ebonies of all types, and then a grey that was so pale she looked white. And at the very end was Ravan, head sticking out, nickering loudly at them.

Revna

Mike wandered down the stalls, looking in each, reaching out and gently patting a few that were willing, when he stopped at one of the stalls and he looked up slightly. He stood looking at the stall for a long moment, and then without looking away said “Tell me about this one.”

‘This one’ was a fire-red stallion with an almost black mane and a white streak down its nose. It didn’t put it’s head out, but it stood staring at Mike with it’s dark eyes fixed on him. The two looked at each other and didn’t move.

Mike

Leiv didn’t have to walk over he knew all their horses. “This is Aotrom (Scottish for light). He was named mostly for his coat. He is not your typical stallion. He doesn’t bother the other horses, unless they start agitating the mares. He has his lady and doesn’t bother the rest of mares either. He is beautifully gaited and to date I have never seen him spook. We give the littles ‘pony’ rides on him.” Revna walked over and took a peek at him. He and Mike were still having a staring contest. “Really Leiv, that’s impressive. Most stallions have too much energy to trust with small riders” she explained to Mike.

“You can pet him, he’s very friendly. Actually he is very good with newer riders. He doesn’t flinch, he’s steady. He went after a lynx that got in the mare’s pasture and was chasing down a foal. Took a few bad gashes but he’s completely healed now.” While he talked Leiv stepped into the feed room and came back with an apple and sliced it in quarters and offered them to Mike.

Revna

Mike took the apple and approached the stall door. Aotrom walked forward, nostrils smelling the apple, and when Mike raised his hand, Aotrom took the first quarter softly but in a single flick of his lips. The horse lowered its head and leaned forward, Mike did the same, and the two put their foreheads together. Mike patted the stallions neck as the horse pressed him back a step. Then the two parted. Mike fed him the rest of the apple and then looked at Leiv. “Can I play something real quick? I just gotta know something.”

Mike reached in his pocket and pulled out a micro-PaDD. He flipped through a few things, tapped it, and the old punk song ‘Hardcore Hooligan’ by the Business began to play, but not too loudly. Some of the horses backed into their stalls. Ravan’s ears went up and he looked around for the source of the strange sound. Aotrom, though… Aotrom flicked his hed up and down and moved his body in excitement.

He liked it.

Mike chuckled. Looking at Leiv he said “Yep. He’s the one.” and he reached up and patted the neck of the big beast. Looking back at Aotrom, he said “Yeah… we’re gonna get along just fine, aren’t we brother?” and he grinned.

Mike

Revna could only smile at Mike when he started playing music for his horse. Leiv smiled broadly and let out a hardy, old man I know something you don’t, chuckle. “What is it Leiv?” Revna asked. He nodded his head towards the next aisle over and the excited whinning coming from it. “His lady likes it too.” Aotrom, hearing the sound butted Mike with his nose before turning in the stall, reaching his muzzle up to the very edge of the dividing wall and knickered. The tip of grey nose could be seen momentarily as they snuffled each other and then Aotrom returned to Mike, pressing hard against the stall door. He wanted out.

“Well, then come on, son… what are ya waiting for? An invitation?” and he opend the stall door and grabbed the lead as Aotrom came out.

“Who’s over there Leiv?” The old man chuckled and waived her towards the other aisle too tickled to talk. Revna shrugged, laid a hand on Mike’s shoulder, “Be right back,” and Revna disappeared down the aisle and around the corner. A moment later, Revna was laughing, “By the gods! We got it already!” The sound of a stall door being opened and then large hooves pacing down the aisle, Revna came back around the corner leading a 16 hand grey mare. She was the color of moonlit kissed clouds, full of engery, prancing and dancing, ready to run the moment Revna let her go. Revna murmured gently to her rubbing a hand along her neck while having a firm grip on the lead rope. The horse nudged muzzles with Ravan as they passed, and then Revna hooked her up to cross ties in the middle of the aisle.

As they came around the corner Aotrom became very still, his head coming up, and then started insistently nudging Mike. Look Look Look “Mike this beauty if Aotrom’s lady, my horse, Crescent.” Her laughter bubbled up.

Mike laughed. “Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?” and he laughed out loud.

Leiv finally catching his breath stood up, “Would you like to ride them home?”

Revna

“Well, I’d be remiss if I didn’t, right?” he said to Leiv and then he looked at Aotrom. “Now you make me look good, ok? I’m still learning how to ride. You put me in the mud and we are gonna have problems.” and he smiled. He patted the horse’s flank and then said “Ok, Master Leiv… show me how to do everything. I need to learn if I am going to own a horse.” He took off his coat, hanging it over Aotrom’s stall door, and rolled up his sleeves.

Mike

Leiv nodded and disappeared behind a door and came back out carrying what looked like an old rectangular wooden toolbox with a myriad of tools. He pulled one out that was oval in shape with 3 circles of small hard, but not sharp, teeth. “This is a curry comb.” He slipped his hand through the strap and starting at the top of Aotrom’s neck he made circular motions with it, pressing firmly. Aotrom snorted and leaned into the strokes. “Circular motions break up any dirt and loose hair. In addition to keeping him clean it makes sure there are no knots or clumps of dirt and sticks or burs in his coat before you put the tack on.” He finished the neck, then pulled out a large hand held brush with stiff bristles. “Stiff bristled brush gets off everything the curry comb loosened. You can end there, or use the soft bristle after and it will make his coat shine. When you go for his legs always run a hand down from the shoulder or hip to the hoof. He doesn’t spook but it’s good for him to know what you are doing. Make sure you get underneath too. And when you walk behind him, always keep a hand on him. Horses have almost 360 degree vision except for directly in front and directly behind. So a firm touch lets him know where you are when he can’t see you. He’s not likely to buck but other horses will, so it’s a good habit to develop.” He passed Mike the curry comb and let me do the rest. Leiv watched Mike for a moment and nodded, then he sized Mike up and disappeared back into another room.

Revna was singing softly as she worked, and laughing softly when she started working at the withers and Crescent dropped her head and turned it to the side, leaning hard into it, so much so, it looked like she might fall over. “Now you better behave, those two over there are easily distracted and we need them paying attention to each other and not us, got it?” Revna glanced over at Mike working and grinned.

Leiv returned with a large amount of leather tack and set it on a rack and then looked at Mike, “Do you want to ride together or separately, Sir?”

Leiv

Mike continued brushing and said “It’s Mike or Michael, not ‘sir’. And I gotta learn, I guess, so let’s just do it like I learned to play music… get on it and start going.” and he laughed. He followed Leiv’s instructions to a ‘t’, and soon Aotrom’s coat was ready. “All right… show me what’s next.”

Mike