“Daelahk, pick up your feet, boy!” A young boy chimed. Said horse, much too tall for the small eight year old, blustered patiently but stood strong even with a flurry of kicks from a booted heel. The kicks against his wide sides were but wing beats from a moth to the horse, the boy fluttering about in the saddle and trying to get Daelahk into a trot.
Broad as he was, too much grain through the winter, Daelahk paid little mind to the boy atop him. Snorting when the boy groaned, loudly, in frustration, the horse turned his head to glance back at him, as if asking what did you need from me again? “Mooom!” The boy cried out, turning himself half around in his seat to find the woman who was supposed to be helping him get this fat horse ready for summer poles.
“Make him work, Joshua.” She said half heartedly, her attention on the mare she was saddling before her. “You’re in charge up there, if he won’t move you make him.”
“I’m trying!” He cried again, huffing as he kicked Daelahk again to try and move forward. But Daelahk still didn’t move, groaned as he stretched a leg and rubbed an itch on his nose. “Daelahk, just move.” Joshua begged, and, hearing the desperation it seemed, Daelahk glanced back again as if to laugh before snorting and finally, finally, doing as asked.
Joshua yelped as he began not with a walk, but the choppy trot he was known for. It wasn’t smooth, it wasn’t pretty to look at it, but it was all Daelahk. And, after taking a few moments to get into the same rhythm as his horse Joshua grumbled as he turned the stallion about and headed for the ground poles. “About time, you lazy butt.” Joshua muttered, but soon all ire was forgotten as Daelahk cleared all the obstacles but in front of him.
Today was the day!
The first day of summer events, and Joshua was nervous, as if he hadn’t done this before. Of course, the young boy of eight hadn’t done this exactly. Having earned the required thirty dollars for entry, so much work put into cleaning stalls and other chores, he didn’t want to go home empty handed. Last year wasn’t a paid entry, it was a free run and it had been fun!
But this was serious. For an eight year old.
His hands shook as he saddled up his partner, a tall roan he adored and who treated him as though he was in need of guidance. Impulsive as the child was, the patient Daelahk had instilled quite a bit of patience into the boy after their many sessions from late February until now.
Unlike Joshua, Daelahk was the epitome of calm. Unbothered, even by the nervous horses near or the shrieks of happy children. He submitted with ease to the nervous boys ministrations, lipping at whenever he neared his head as if giving encouragement. He didn’t suck air when his saddle was cinched, and he took the bit without a playful fuss as he usually did. Joshua didn’t realize, however, but Daelahk didn’t mind. He had a boy to keep steady, even if it wasn’t recognized in the moment.
And then it was their turn at the poles, Joshua clenching his hands into the stallions’ mane to keep them in place and hide the nervous shaking. He spotted his mom at the guard rail, her own mare watching and waiting for their go at the bareback competition. She smiled and cheered him on, to which Joshua nodded and tried to smile himself.
When the buzzer sounded for his time to start, Daelahk took off at a quick walk, Joshua having not even asked and still distracted by his mom, before he picked up the pace once the boy was paying attention. His trot was choppy and looked all around uncomfortable, but Joshua fell into it as though a glass of water on a hot day, bouncing in rhythm before a lope was picked up. And then they were weaving, faster than Joshua ever remembered the stallion being. Left, right, left, right, left, right… Joshua wasn’t even moving the reins, his hands still tight in Daelahks’ mane!
When they finished the poles, Daelahk turned and broke into a gallop. A gallop with a boy far too small for him, who just crouched over his back and hung on as if that was all he could think to do! And Joshua had only pulled gently on the reins once to get Daelahk to slow, obedient and quick.
Having been the last to race, Joshua could barely hear through the blood pumping in his ears, but he saw his mother waving her arms excitedly. Daelahks head was up and excited, too, and when Joshua could hear again he saw the judge coming with a ribbon. A blue ribbon.
Once it was clipped to Daelahks’ bridle, the judge shook his hand heartily. “Haven’t seen a stallion weave so fast in a long time, Joshua! Great job on getting him ready for it!”
“But.. I didn’t ask him for anything. Except to stop.” Joshua stammered, staring as Daelahk gazed all around them.
The judge smiled, his thick mustache curling as he patted Daelahk on the neck. “Then you have a very good friend, Joshua. Don’t forget that, if he’s willing to do what you need without you asking. Now, your prize pot is waiting up front, go take a walk around the arena with him and pick it up.” He set both horse and boy off around the fence line, smiling as they walked away.
And Joshua couldn’t stop grinning even as his lazy horse walked with the speed of a turtle, unhurried and unbothered by anything around him as usual.
