Working with Mustangs ~*~ Tobago's Tale~*~

[remihai]

I had just bought my first mustang, Tobago, who I must retrain into a better show champion. I drove up to my home, and had just gotten out of my truck when Toba started kicking & neighing loudly. My other horses responded by running along the fence & neighing back.

[remihai]

I had walked carefully into the trailer beside Toba, when he started freaking out. I stepped back as he wrenched his neck in various angles. I started to sing a few proverbs i knewto him in the form of songs to him to try to help him calm down.


Ngil nin el nel

Naun el kree ú a mae
ú el me Síli mae
nin fi li na lo me le ne Menel aduial
dúr i fuin i vah mae
Ngil nin el nel
du Gli li mae
Ngil fi el me i
dúr fu Nae mae

An i lu na cu
An i naun lui
A na naun annen
annen ne perónen A

When the cold of winter comes
starless nights will cover day
in the veiling of the sun
we will walk in bitter rain,

But in dreams
I can here your name,
and in dreams
we will meet again,

When the seas and mountains fall
and we come to end of days
in the dark I here a call
calling me there,
I will go there,
and back again.

Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien
Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta
Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come
In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world
~*~


He stopped and looked at me for a moment, then his muscles relaxed and he allowed me to hug his neck & stoke him, but when I tried to back him out he started neighing his protest. I jerked down on the lead rope once and told him gently but firmly to knock it off.
He let me slowly back him out and led him to his pen, a large circular arena that had food, water, shelter and space to run. I led him in & then i turned around to shut the gate, he crow hopped when it slide shut. I drew him near to me and as soon as i got the lead rope off, he was gone. Bucking and jumping around like a bronc'.

Is minic a rinne bromach gioblach capall cumasach
{An awkward colt often becomes a beautiful horse}
I whispered to myself & went off to bed

[remihai]

The next morning i awoke to the frantic neighing of my geldings. I looked out of the window, expecting to see them fighting again, like the usually do. But, instead i found Toba, chasing them around & biting & bucking at them. I ran so fast down the stairs in my tank top & blue atheletic pants that i didn't even touch the stairs or the floor. I skidded around the corner & I was off again, clearing the geldings fence landing & when i had reached Toba, I jumped onto his back, grabbed a handful of his long mane, and pulled backwards, hard. He snorted and started bucking. I dug my heels into his side and held on with my one hand, as would a bronc rider do. That enraged him more. He started running & galloping & trying to get me off. I kept digging my bare heels into his flanks & his ribs. After I don't know how long, he just stopped and stood stock-still, panting. I kept my legs tight around his flank, but i loosened them a little. I kept a hold on his mane, in case he ran, I could swing onto his back again, and got off, slowly. He turned his head, slowly and swung his head around, lowered it in front of me, and started rubbing his head against me with such passion, going up and down along my waist & my sides, that i fell down, but he just kept rubbing his head against my body.
"alright! alright! I forgive you, just don't do it again, kay?" He stopped & when i stood up, he nipped my butt & trotted slowly off, as if saying "come get me!" I laughed & walked after him.
He stopped & when i got close enough, he knelt down, and didn't get up until i had gotten on his back, he got up slowly, and when i had gotten myself settled, he waited for a gentle squeeze from my legs, and then he started walking forward slowly. I leaned back & he stopped. I touched my leg to his left side & he swung his rump around so we were facing the fence. A quiet breeze started up, mingling my knee length, copper colored hair with his long mane. I closed my eyes & lifted my face to the dawn, then for a second we were one.

[remihai]

I saw and felt things as he did. I felt the grass beneath my hooves, the wind rippling across my skin, my tail and mane blowing in the wind, the smell of my other geldings, the smell of grass, of pine trees, of trees, of water, and....of freedom. We thought and felt the same. We closed our eyes and when I had opened mine, I saw that my Hair had hilites of Sorrel in it, and that my skin had somewhat tanned a little darker. I looked at the fence, then at Toba, who was looking at me, nuzzled my leg, and turned his head toward the fence. I nodded, held on to his mane, gently squeezed my legs against his flank and let him fly.

[remihai]

He reared & broke into a flying canter. He sped up as we neared the fence then, we were floating in mid-air,.... suspended for a fraction of a second, then we hit the ground running. I didn't stop him, I let him run. We ran until we were a good 4 miles from my home. I looked around and saw that we had come to an open field with lots of flowers and plants of different kinds. I sat on Toba's back and let him graze. "Wow, this is beautiful, Toba..." I noticed that a few fallen trees were set up in such a way that we could jump them. "Hey, Toba," He looked at me. "Do you want to jump a few jumps?" He tossed his head up & down as if saying 'yeah' I laughed and a small breeze started up again. I urged him into a slow trot and we increased our speed as we did the course over and over. When we stopped, I walked him over to a little stream and let him drink. A deer had come to check out the new arrivals in his territory and snorted, challenging Toba to a race.

[remihai]

Toba looked at the stag, lowered his head and stomped the ground with his forehoof. I had gotten on him and was just settling on his back, when He whirled around & ran. I had barely a fraction of a second to react but I was laying flat against his back while he was racing the stag. They ran for about 2 more miles before the stag stopped and turned around and walked off, clearly defeated. Toba pranced around for a little bit and then stopped and layed down, clearly forgetting that i was still on his back. "Hey, Hey! Toba!!!" I laughed and jumped off. landing past his head. He looked at me with playful eyes. So he had known I was there! "Oh! you big...dirtbag!" I laughed at this and the fact that he had started rolling in the dirt. When he had stopped, I went over and put his head on my lap and stroked it.

[remihai]

He sighed and closed his eyes and layed there while I stroked his head softly.

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4 hrs later

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I awoke to Toba nudging me in my side. When I had opened my eyes, he was looking at me and whinnying softly. "Mmm...I'm up, I'm up..." I got up and we headed for home. When we had gotten there, I realized that it was almost 10:00, I had forgotten to feed my horses!!!

"Ah! Toba! I forgot to feed everyone!!!" I jumped off his back and ran for the barn, barefooted and my hair flying. Toba followed and helped me put feed into everyone's stalls and water in their water troughs and he followed me around while i let in my other horses.

Then i fed Toba after i had fed everyone else and gave him a bit of extra alfalfa for being so good today. When I had started to walk away, he neighed really loudly and kicked his door.
I sighed and walked back over to his stall, he was looking at me and a thought crossed my mind. 'He wants,..to follow me...he doesn't want to leave me..alone..' *sigh* "Toba, you want to come with me?" He tossed his head up and down "Alright then,..." I unlocked the gate and he followed me into my house and made himself at home on my futon that i sleep on, on the floor. " Toba!!!" I laughed " That's my bed you big oaf!" He looked at me, with a look that said 'So? it's comfy and it's mine now'

"Oh! Fine, Move over....." He didn't move so i nudged him over a bit and said "Tomorrow, I will get you your own bed." He snorted in reply, as to say 'Yeah, right....You're the one whose gonna get a new one, Chic.' "Whatever...you just wait 'til tommorrow.... you'll see."

[remihai]

When i Woke up the next morning, Toba was already up & was grazing outside. "mmm" I got up, took a shower, and put on my atheletic pants, some flip flops, and a tank top, put my hair in a ponytail, and went outside to feed my horses. Toba followed my & as was his custom these days, helped me feed the horses. When i was done, i rode him bare back to the mattress store & bought another, larger futon so Toba could sleep on it.
When i rode toba back, a thought crossed my mind. 'Maybe, he'll allow Carole to ride him?' I decided to call Carole that day. We rode up to the house, I got off, and Toba Helped take the futon into my room. *He picked one end up in his mouth, and carried it to the bedroom. Lol he's a funny horse.*