[finoodle]

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Owner: Nellas
Name:
Height: 21 hh
Gender: Stallion
Coat Color: Seal Bay Peacock Appaloosa
Eye Color: Lilac Lavender
Season: APCT Custom Import

Please post your writing and any art entries for the APCT event on this page.
The new deadline for the minimum 400 words is as follows!:
September 6th 6:59 AM (Chicken Smoothie time)
September 5th 11:59 PM (PST)

[Nellas]

Excerpts from the journal of Pavo's trainer!

Really, it was no question as to which draft I’d choose. His peacock appaloosa spots, showing his dark base coat starkly through a gentle frost of white, entranced me immediately. His long horns, scuffed with use, the archaic runes running down the length of one hind leg - where had he come from? His purple eyes, inquisitive, gave me a searching look as well - I could only imagine what was running through this giant of a draft’s mind as he laid eyes on me for the first time. Nightdark ears flickered back and forth, seeking further details from his surroundings. Despite the chaos of the presence of so many arctics and humans in one place, his presence was self-assured despite the uneasiness of unfamiliarity; how tiny we all must seem to him.

Whatever his life had been like before today, I resolved to treat him well, and give him a new life that he could feel both enlivened and at peace in.

I decided to name him Pavo - after the genus name of peafowl, as a nod to his coat. A rather small name for an enormous beast, but I have a feeling it will stick.

Having never encountered humans up close before until his capture, I resolved to give the stallion several days to begin to adjust to his paddock and the routine of the barn before I even attempted to work with him.

I’m making a habit of sitting nearby, reading a book out loud, or crocheting, or whatever. I hope he will start to get used to my presence, and not to see me as a threat. When I bring food and refresh his water, I’ve been trying to do it slowly and deliberately - hoping he will connect that I am the one doing it for him.

Usually, he keeps his distance. But today was the first time I was refreshing his water, that he took a step or two towards me, ears pricked - curious. Seeing his looming bulk coming towards me was a bit intimidating, I won’t lie - but we both stayed calm enough. I suppose we’re both getting used to each other.

He’s been pacing in his enclosure a lot these first weeks. I worry about him - his life must have been so different, out in the wild, covering miles each day and spending his energy paying attention to and taking care of his herd.

But with the wild arctic populations recovering, it’s important to not let them grow overpopulated - I keep reminding myself of this.

Here… He doesn’t have to look for predators, or manage bickering herdmates. I will be asking him to focus just on himself, his own progress in training, and in developing a relationship with me. I will be doing my best to provide as much varied enrichment as possible for him throughout it all. I hope it will be enough for him.

I can’t believe it - he took a treat from me today! I’ve tried a few different things to tempt him into approaching me, and of all things, it was a mint! Does it remind him of the sweet-smelling wintergreen plants of his home? I can only wonder. But… I think we’ve found the thing that will help me begin earning his trust in earnest.

Now that we broke that first barrier… it’s as if, slowly but surely, a new world is opening up for this draft. He seems to understand, now, that positive things can come from me - and that I’m willing to give them. I’ve touched him a few times now, quick, light touches that have him stilling and looking over at me, as if in confusion - followed quickly by another mint.

Although a few I know have tried to dissuade me, it’s my dream to train him for the triathlon - an admittedly grueling combination of jumping, swimming, and mountain climbing. I have no doubt he can do it - perhaps such an arduous task will mimic the trials and challenges he had to encounter near-daily in his previous life. The trick will just be to help him understand what I want him to do, and to allow me to guide him.

A few wild drafts wandered by the barn today. This has seemed to cause Pavo some distress, as he called out to them, and is still calling now, after they’ve gone. I’ve seen these drafts around before - a long-tailed, antlered, fleabitten gray stallion that rivals Pavo in size, and a slightly smaller, rather flashy tobiano mare. They approached within about a hundred feet of Pavo’s enclosure, calling out to him. I doubt Pavo knew them, because my barn is nowhere near his own wild herd of origin, but he seemed to want to connect. I’m not sure if this is a positive thing for his training - will the possibility of connection with other drafts distract him, or enrich his mind? I suppose only time will tell.

It’s been some time, but over the past few weeks now, he’s been getting more affectionate with me, and seems to be leaning into the training even more. I hope he is feeling satisfaction by expending his energy this way - utilizing his sizable muscles and taking advantage of the considerable stamina this species is known for. This is my first time training an arctic, and I’m beginning to feel quite spoiled. Now that we have an understanding between us, a willingness to work together as a team - he’s improving quite quickly. He’s not fast, persay, although maybe some of the speed I desire will come with time - but he’s steady, and increasingly patient and curious - as if he’s understanding that we’re figuring this out together, as a team.

We had a few setbacks when I started working with him to accept me as a rider. Despite my much smaller size, he seemed to grow alarmed when I tried to get onto his back. This alarm frightened me, as if he’s not careful, a toss of his head could easily injure me with that horn length he has. So I’ve been going very, very slow with this. This part of the training, and all parts of the training, have gone at his pace, and his pace only.

We’ve started doing trial runs, now. Although I don’t have access to the actual triathlon grounds, I’ve attempted to provide the same challenges with what I have - creating a variety of jumps, and practicing guiding him around them in different orders; swimming in the local lake, although whether he accepts me on his back or not depends on the day; and exploring the different hills that sweep and roll around the barn.

He seems to like the natural-looking jumps the best - the ones I've made with logs, or piles of soil. But with some coaxing, he will jump over fencelike or plastic jumps as well.

Although he seemed not to know quite what to do at first when I guided him into the water, I think he's actually really grown to enjoy swimming. In the wild, he likely only swam to cross rivers and such, which no doubt could have been very dangerous, or under pressure of predation or storm. But in the nearby lake, he can just swim for fun, and for training. I wonder if being immersed feels particularly soothing to him, and helps take the weight off his enormous frame.

The hill-climbing seems to be his favorite, though. Again, he's not very fast, but he's quite deliberate with his actions, picking his way through uneven ground, stones, and more, and appears to be quite satisfied after. I know the slope of the triathlon mountain climb will be even steeper, but we're working on maintaining and improving his endurance to account for this.

Those other drafts have showed up a few more times, now. It seems Pavo has gotten more used to them, and isn’t so antsy anymore. They are willing to approach his enclosure, now, and occasionally spend time here, grazing nearby. I’ve tried to offer them treats as well, but when they see me, they give me curious looks, but melt away into the trees.

When they first showed up, I worried they’d be a distraction, or serve to remind Pavo of his wild life, or tempt him to try to escape. I feel more at ease now, though, seeing their presence help increase Pavo’s relaxation. I suppose after a lifetime surrounded by others, it feels good to still have a few arctic draft friends available.

The nights have been getting a bit cooler - reminding me that the summer is drawing to an end. Pavo and I’s training sessions have been becoming much more streamlined, and I’m so proud of his progress, but will it be enough to be able to complete the triathlon together?

The day of the Arctic Plains Continental Tournament is here, and my heart is absolutely pounding. A few of my friends have teased me, for being so wrapped up in Pavo’s training these past few months. But this is my first time competing in the Arctic Plains Continental Tournament, and I’ve tried to give it my all. Pavo has been so good to me, and I’ve been absolutely devoted to him. Once he learned we were meant to be friends, I felt like I’ve learned just as much from him as he has from me.

I’ve groomed Pavo to perfection (his favorite part, as ever, are the belly scratches). The ladder I step onto to be able to reach his back has grown dusty and paint-scratched with use. I love seeing the scuffs as a reminder of how much time we’ve spent together. The tack I had special-made for his enormous size has broken in beautifully: black leather, with purple accents and brass metal buckles and such - to match his own appearance and allow his beautiful peacock spots to stand out.

The triathlon isn’t until later, and I’ve been having so much fun watching the first few rounds of events! It amazes me that each of the drafts I’ve seen have had such similar, and yet such different, stories compared to Pavo’s. Each draft taken from the wild and trained in only a matter of months for this incredible event; but each one having their own origin story, personality, and goals. It’s incredible to see what this amazing species can do, and I feel so grateful to get to be a part of it!

On that note… it’s time for Pavo and I to start warming up with the other triathlon participants!

Whew! Now that we are back, Pavo is groomed, fed, and resting, and I’ve had something to eat myself… I can finally come back here and write: The triathlon was incredible!

My heart was bursting with pride for my friend from the moment we began the first section. He knocked his hooves once or twice on those first jumps, but I’m proud of him for getting through it on unfamiliar grounds! The swimming section went fairly smoothly - with his bulk, he’s not extremely fast, and smaller arctics easily outpaced him, but he seemed to be having fun at his own pace! The mountain climb at the end was his strongest aspect, I would say. Warmed up from the jumping and swimming, he plowed up that mountain, able to truly showcase the stamina and determination he’s built upon over these past few months. By the end, he had mud halfway up his legs, and I was absolutely exhausted myself, but as we got to the top and looked out at the view… He eventually turned his head back to me, giving me a significant look as if to say So, what’s next?

Hopefully a lifetime of happy memories ahead, Pavo!

And who knows which of the events we will try next year?