labelwench

Nothing without purpose....

The horses that are being bred in the Yukon at present, have a purpose in mind. Kinnick and Madelaine, procreation duties now attended, were ready to resume their training for future missions.

They had been selected for their hardiness, with exceptionally strong hooves, requiring little maintenance and not in need of shoeing. They were weather resistant, taking heat, cold and dampness in stride, utilizing natural shelter, never in need of blanketing. Their dentition was well formed and even in wear, and their appetites were broadly tolerant of much of the local forage, reducing the cost of their upkeep. That they were pleasing to the eye and of delightful temperment, was just the frosting on the cake.

Deciding this day that Kinnick should be worked, the woman placed the halter on the stallion, eliciting a braying response, Kinnick having come to associated the halter with his duties as a stallion of late. The mare, was annoyed by such conduct, and pinned her ears while backing up toward them, her tail slashing the air, from side to side, clearly stating, “Not interested. Really, really, not interested.” The woman bade the mare away, no easy matter with a randy colt on the line.

Once outside the shared pen, Kinnick showed more interest in the green grass, so she allowed him a few mouthfuls before they moved on. Once tied at the hitching rail, the colt began to fidget, making grooming a chore. Trimming his bridle path with a small pair of scissors occupied the better part of 20 minutes, when it should only have taken about 3, but patience is often required in training animals.

Kinnick was evidencing separation anxiety, and called repeatedly to his mare, most annoying to the woman’s ears. The colt eliminated, his droppings loosely formed, but not foul-smelling, evidence of mental distress, not ill health.
She saddled the colt, and his foundation of training was manifest, in that he stood motionless and quiet, as conditioned through his early work. She left him to stand tied, and to rest herself from the heat before proceeding to the next phase of their work.

Returning after half an hour, she took the colt to the round pen, and within the safety of six foot walls, she moved Kinnick through the routines of walk, trot and canter until he was soft and compliant to her requests of speed and direction. When he was blowing soft wuffles of comprehension and licking his lips, they were ready to ride on the trails. They headed off into the boreal forest at a walk, the mercury hovering at 27C.

Kinnick was possessed of a comfortable trot and a delightful canter, his walk being the gait most in need of improvement, as he tended to dawdle. Today, the woman was surprised to find that the colt was moving with considerably more alacrity at the walk, despite the heat of the day, and she pondered at this change. She concluded that this was Madelaine’s doing. In her persistent hazing of the colt, she had encouraged the stallion to improve his walk, as a means of conserving energy, in complying with the mare’s frequent demands to relocate. Horses establish dominance by means of making those below them in the hierarchy yield position.

They walked through the woods comfortably, until they had a strange encounter with a spruce grouse. These birds would occasionally fly up, startling a horse with their noisy flutter. This bird was on the ground, and instead of flying away, it came scuttling toward them, uttering a threatening sound, more growl than cluck. The colt looked askance at this demented display and she felt the energy of concern rise in his body. He was requesting her input on the appropriate means of dealing with this unknown behaviour. She reassured him through voice and rein contact, as the spruce hen came within two meters and paralleled their path for 30 meters more, before turning back. She likely had a nest nearby, and the woman marvelled at the courage of motherhood, to bravely face an animal of nearly 1000lbs in defence of her young.

The rest of their journey was without incident, and the old cowboy’s words came to her mind. “If you want a sensible horse, then ride him sensibly.” Kinnick was showing signs of becoming a sensible horse.