Narakari rider's snuggery

[VampireMessageNinja]

Ooh, that is interesting! Especially the bonus task, hmmm... Wonder what my nara's personal item is!

[Yamaneko]

^.^

As this task might tempt you all to make WIPs I just want to remind you to the bonus task rule:

Bonus tasks: There are two bonus tasks which can be done when you finished your regular task. The share the same deadline as the regular ones. IMPORTANT: The bonus tasks can NOT be finished BEFORE you completed the regular tasks. If you post your bonus task before your regular entry you won’t get any points for it!
For a completed bonus task you get two points.

Therefore do NOT EDIT your post for the regular task after you posted our bonus task.
It is a really good idea to post your bonus task in a separate post.

[Simmarrah]

Hmmm...interesting.

[cautiousculpeo]

Task 3

Twitch frowned and slumped her shoulders. Hook ran circles around the long pen, it's like his energy was unending. Twitch owned two of the finest long distance Narakari, which was not hard as the sport was not as common as some with the breed. As good as her racers were they had never ran circles in a round pen for four days. This wild beast refused to eat or drink he just ran, galloping 70% of the time, only slowing to a trot when he needed a break.
Not only that he was so stubborn and bitter. Stubbornness was a common trait in Narakari, the hellion beasts were prone to anger as well. Hook was a spunky boy, he was the type you wouldn't leave alone with children. The kind you wouldn't want to own period.
"Wonder how the others are doing with there beasts." Lynx placed an arm protectively around his girlfriend. "You haven't slept in two days, you've just stayed near him."
"I just can't stop worrying. He won't stop running, it's like he's going to run himself to death." Twitch groaned. "I tied him to a post to try and get him to rest, he screamed and kicked and actually broke my good training halter right off his face." Twitch punched the fence in frustration.
Lynx rubbed her back, showing his understanding. "You really love this guy don't you?" He leaned over and pressed his lips against her cheek as she nodded. "Well what have you learned about him? Maybe you should write it down."

She pulled out a piece of loose leaf paper, and a blue pen from a drawer. Slouching against the wall staring at it. Twitch started to right, hand scrawling across the paper with ease.
After about ten minutes she stopped and handed the list to Lynx, watching a smile creep onto his face.
The note read.
'-Stubborn as the hell he came from
-Has some love for striking fear in everyone.
-Will kill you if you try to touch him
-Wants to run until his legs fall off
-Hates animals
-Hates children I'm assuming
-Hates me'
"I'm pretty sure he hates me too, I mean I was there when we had to move him from Yama's trailer." Lynx scoffed, standing up and stretching. "You have a message on the answering machine, speaking of Yama that is." He motioned a callused hand towards the phone, it sat on the table strewn over paperwork and a few plates. Ever since Hook had been dropped off, everything was so crazy that dishes were found in some strange places.
Twitch placed the phone to her ear and listened to the message that clearly was about Hook, when it was done she hung up and grabbed her hat off the antler rack hook.
"Lynx we need to get a halter on him."

Hook ran, ears flicked forewords curiously as the two approached. Lynx held a lead rope, Twitch held a braided leather halter. As she got to the fence Hook watched, never breaking stride with his run.
"Alright Hook. You can stop and let me put this on, or I can catch you and put this on." The beast snorted as to respond to her threat. Twitch opened the gate, slipping inside and shutting it before the Narakari could get out.
"It's just you and me. No others to chase you. Just stop!" She placed out her hands and stepped into his path, the white animal screamed and reared, he chopped the air with his feet before settling down slowly. Standing, breathing heavy in front of her.
"That was almost to easy." Twitch groaned, taking a slow step towards the tired equine. Delicately she placed a hand out and rubbed his pink tipped nose, his steel grey horns had beads of sweat around the base. Twitch slipped the halter on much easier then the first time, pulling it snug so there would be no way of getting it snagged. She patted Hook's neck letting him know he could go, but the Narakari stood. For the first time in days he stood still, before pacing to the water bucket and food bag they had left for him.

Twitch updated her list.
'-Stubborn as the hell he came from
-Has some love for striking fear in everyone.
-Will kill you if you try to touch himWill tolerate you touching him
-Wants to run until his legs fall off
-Hates animals
-Hates children I'm assuming
-Hates me tolerates me'

Bonus Task
Since Hook loves running.... Twitch decided to make him wear socks to keep from nicking his feet when he runs.

[Queen Vivane]

Task 3!
So I want everyone to get to know some things about Abraxus!


He's extremely headstrong, gives Isabela a run for her money and she has lots of experience with taming Narakari. He thinks himself gods gift to mares and they tend to think otherwise which has earned him a telling off or two. Abraxus is very proud, which is why Isabela is having such a tough time getting him to work with her instead of against. It's a good thing he's not vain or easily distracted or things might be even harder than they currently are. His talent for jumping is nothing short of impressive for just raw knowledge and boy does he know it, showing off his jumping to anybody who will watch. Quite frankly she's surprised he hasn't hurt himself yet. It's obvious that he doesn't care for children or small yappy dogs, though he has yet to meet a child. He possesses a remarkable stubborn streak.

It's a total coincidence that his skills were revealed to Isabela.

Isabela stood with one foot braced against the side of the barn, watching the purple haired woman as she ran a brush over Truesdale's pale grey coat. The stallion in question was half asleep as he enjoyed both the warm sunlight and the firm motions of the huntress as she brushed him. Truesdale's ears flicked and he threw his head up, staring in the direction of the field where Isabela had been keeping Abraxus when he was outside.

"Oh dear" Terani muttered and vaulted onto Truesdale's back while Isabela whistled high and clear. A commotion started up the barn and a dun blur darted out and skidded to a halt in front of Isabela, throwing a theatrical rear as she did so.

"That's my lady Fury" the elf laughed and hopped up onto the Narakari's back. Neither Equine needed any encouragement to spring into a swift canter, headed toward the sound of faint hoofbeats. They arrived just in time to see the fleabitten stallion leap up and over the five bar gate. Clearing it with room to spare. Isabela groaned and urged her mount forward, tanned fingers tangled in the mares dark mane.

That is how his talent for jumping was discovered.

[Headcollar] It's nothing special just a simple leather headcollar.

Don't have anything for the bonus task yet

[Yamaneko]

Just a few days are left for the current task.

[Simmarrah]

Simmarrah & Nagate

A blood bay Appaloosa stood at the edge of a indoor pen, his black tails pressed against the wall. Simmarrah motioned with her hand, and the young Narakari stallion dipped his head to let her place a rainbow colored silk scarf over his eyes and between the top two gray horns. He slowly blinked his gray eyes to adjust to only seeing shapes and shadows, the second time such a scarf had been placed on his head. Simmarrah was worried; she hadn't expected the judges to include a blindfolded round as part of the test, and had only the short time before their turn to accustom him to one. She blew a big sigh of relief as the stallion accepted the scarf with little fuss and stood there patiently waiting for her command.

"Good job. Now please lunge your stallion in the aforementioned pattern.
A scratchy voice over the loudspeaker startled them both, but only Sam jumped. She giggled as she picked up the rainbow lead/lunge line that attached to her matching Nari's rope knot halter. She sounds so disgruntled. The judge had a huge fit when she found that the Narakari was entering the Test, the first ever, but the rule book said any animal with four hooves could train to be a National Hospital Pony Walker as long as they passed all the requirements.

She started him off in a counter clockwise circle, using her voice to signal his movements. He was kind of hesitant, but began to gain confidence as she steered around some of the obstacles in the course. She picked him up into a trot, and he arched his neck and lifted his knees, twitching his tail. With each change of gait, walk, trot, canter, the young gelding would get a little more excited, his ears flipping back and forth as he listened to her signals.
Please Walk, and return to the first obstacle.

As soon as he heard the word walk over the loudspeaker, Nagate slowed immediately, and followed his human to the first obstacle, a mattress. He didn't really like the sound of the springs as he stepped on it so he kinda scooted across onto the tarp laying behind it. That sound he was more used too; Simmarrah used lots of tarps and plastic bags in her desensitization training. The low hanging pool noodles that brushed his body in the third obstacle didn't bother him, neither did the helium balloons he had to step through. He didn't like the fire line, go figure, and jumped over the whole thing instead of walking through it. He knew he was immune but he hated the feel of it; it reminded him of the worst times.

Sam frowned. She was beginning to think that her young Nagate could see through the cloth. When she had placed it over her own she had been in total darkness, she just hoped the judges wouldn't notice. The fact that he jumped over the flames instead of running through them was a pretty big clue to her, and she had noticed that he was going through the trial with ease. He loved the kiddie pool right after the fire, stopping for a drink and a quick splash. Steps weren't hard to walk up or down, though he refused to turn around on them, and he liked the sound of his hooves on the planks laid with ceramic tiles. They were nearing the end of the trial. He flinched as they shot off a gun, but didn't jump when the fire alarm or the ambulance siren went off. Several children jumped off the railing around the outside of the ring and walked toward the pair. The judge followed with a bucket of soft objects.
"Please remove the blindfold, you both did a very wonderful job.
This is the final test, the children's portion. They will be doing several things to him, including throwing soft toys, and poking at him." She gave Simmarrah a questioning look, and she nodded in return. "Yes, he will be ok with any of that. He loves children." She untied the blind fold and slipped it off his face, tucking it into her belt loop. Nagate blinked slowly to readjust to the light and then whickered as he saw the children.

The judge nodded and motioned for the children to go ahead. Nagate lowered his head to greet the 7 kids that ran to his face, ranging from 5 - 14 in age. At fist the younger ones were hesitant, but the became bolder as they watched the older kids pet his neck and hug his head. Nagate stood very still, aware of the young one that was reaching for his twin tails, gently running her hands along their length, and the others that ducked beneath his stomach and between his legs. A 6 year old shrieked as she grabbed his horns, one of the older kids had managed to climb up onto his back and was laying face down along his spine, gently kicking him in the side. All the while he stood still, except for the occasional lifting of his split hooves when one of the kids asked to examine them, or the twitch of his tail as the kids pulled on it, and of course the bobbing of his head as he greeted each one and gently lipped their hair.

Sam could tell the stallion was enjoying himself. He loved the attention of little kids, and knew instinctively to be gentle on the little ones while not letting teenagers getting away with too much. Once an 18 year old had yanked on his tail hard enough to dislocate it and had gotten a nice little nip for a response, leaving a nice bruise on the teenagers fore arm. When the kid complained to her, Sam told him off for trying to hurt her stallion and his parents agreed, and Nagate had never bitten or nipped anyone else.

Two of the kids asked to be placed on his back; they wanted to ride. She tied the other end of the rope to his halter to create a pair of reigns that she tossed over his head before throwing the kids up on his back. The older one took control of the reigns and what appeared to be his younger brother held on behind him. They took off at a canter around the ring, Nagate picking up a slow easy pace. The rest of them clamored to get on and they all got turns around the ring. The judge sent them back to the edge of the ring when they got off, but kept the final, oldest one, to help chuck stuffed animals at Nagate. He playfully tried to catch the ones that came near his face, but let the rest of them bounce off his body without a twitch. The judge threw the last one, and laughed.
"You have passed! Congrats!
I was quite surprised when you brought your stallion Narakari to us today, but I am quite pleased to tell you what you already know, that he is quite the gentleman."
She gave Nagate a hug around his neck, patting him along his shoulders and sides, then handed Simmarrah a signed certificate stating Nagate Tanikaze the Narakari a service animal. Sam shook her hand. "Thank you so much! I Knew he was a special boy. Now he can cheer up kids and be an ambassador to the Narakari!"

That night she took Nagate on a special trip to the beach, where she let him loose to run. He took off straight for the ocean, then stopped dead in his tracks at the first sight of the waves. Sam laughed as he snorted at them, then cautiously set a hoof in the receding water. He jumped back as the first wave came at him, then plunged his nose into the water, tasting at it. He decided that the water was nasty, even if it was salty, and watched as his human dove into the waves. She started to call to him, "c'mon silly! You like the water!" And he neighed for her to not leave him behind. He began to trot anxiously along the water, then made the decision to go for her. She laughed as he jumped over the waves, or through them and walked out to her distance, where the water didn't break yet. She walked over to him, the water was only stomach high on him, and jumped onto his back. She just laid there as he made his way through the water, only urging him to swim once. The sun was beginning to set when she turned him back to shore, and he broke out of the water in a canter. They galloped in the shallows along the shoreline, Simmarrah staying on his bare back easily. They finished with a roll in the sand, Sam sitting back and laughing as he rolled all the way over several times before standing with her to watch the sunset.

So I'm on vacation in Florida right now, so I drew this in the car on my way down to Clearwater,, so please excuse the quality, I'm not exactly the best at drawing anyways lol.

Nagate Loves his rainbow halter when he's at home
Simmarrah found out very quickly that Nagate loves anything rainbow colored. The first time Zack came to watch her train him, Zack was wearing a rainbow tie dyed shirt and Nagate would not take his eyes off it nor concentrate for the rest of the session until Sam directed her little brother to take the line and tried to lunge him. As soon as he laid hands on the rope, Nagate was the perfect angel for Zack, which was how Sam figured out that he liked kids, and rainbows. So, the first chance she got she blew $50 to get him a matching halter and rope set. For some reason, Nagate behaved better when he was in rainbow.

We use this rope halter when he meets the kids, and any time he is a Narakari ambassador to schools and hospitals

image.jpg (44.79 KiB) Viewed 36 times

Basics about Nagate
Full name:Nagate Tanikaze
Age: We think around 8
Gender: Stallion
Height: 14.3 hh
Coloration: Blood Bay Apaloosa
Personality: Nagate is a proud and intelligent stallion. He loves any attention, especially from kids. However, he doesn't like to work, unless he knows he's being watched by someone else. Nagate enjoys his grain, and he will down a full bucket of oats like water. You can't take him anywhere near a body of water without him wanting to go in and splash and roll. He likes to be with a group, whether it is human or horse or Nari, and gets a huge case of separation anxiety any time he is left behind or on his own. Sam found out early on that Nagate cannot stand to be enclosed: the first time she placed him in a stall she came back to a nearly destroyed barn. For some reason he detests any kind of K-9; he nearly killed Sam's German shepherd when she ventured out into his field one day. And he always works better when he is in rainbow tack, because it's flashy, and he likes to be flashy.
Likes: Children, The beach, Giant horse balls, any kind of water, attention, rainbows and rainbow colored stuff, his morning oat mash, winning, and running.
Detests: Enclosed spaces like stalls or horse trailers, dogs, fire, the heat, being all alone

[Teeze]

Personality
As Teese and her brothers observe Soots more over the weeks they begin to learn many more things about him; deep rooted characteristics, general tendencies, and fun little quirks. It is always fun to sit around the table during supper and talk about things they had noticed that day. Comparing Soots to the other Kari in the herd he seems to be about 6 years old, making him old enough to have some experience with life but young enough to still retain some of his youthful ignorance. Soots never seemed to be too shy however as time goes on it becomes more and more apparent that he isn't shy at all, just careful. He likes to learn about new people, animals, and things before getting close or interacting with them. He could probably be considered a distrusting Narakari but his curiosity is so pronounced in him that he is almost more drawn to new things than a cat is, if that is possible. He seems to like to try to figure out how things work. After he started sleeping in the stable with the others there were a few days when he would unlatch his door and the siblings would find him standing outside Rowen's stall. This problem appears to have been remedied by moving Soots to a stall next to Rowen and replacing his latch with a more complicated lock. And everyone tries to remember to hide the lock from Soots whenever they use it just in case he is able to figure that out too.
Besides being extremely curious and clever Soots is also rather protective of those that he forms a bond with. There have been a couple of times that he confronted the geese and ducks that visit the pond when they were chasing Rowen around. He came close is injuring the birds at least once and he even tries to bite them at times. While birds are one thing, pigs are a completely different matter. He absolutely refuses to go near the side of the pastures where the hogs are kept and if one of the playful piglets starts heading in his direction he will take off running in the opposite direction.
Teeze and Teese have also noticed that he Soots seems very interested decorations. Since the only thing that anyone ever does with them is put them out or put them away, he seems to have trouble figuring out what the purpose of them is and how to use them so he spends a lot of time looking at and playing with the different decorations that the siblings put around the ranch. Because of this Teeze thinks that Soots might just be well suited to working is different types of festivals, the kind that would allow him to wear fancy tack and take part in different activities and games. He needs a lot more training before he gets to that point though.

Now it has come to the point where Nicolai has suggested that they know enough about Soots that it is time that they write everything down. So together the three siblings wrote out a profile for Soots using the same basic format they used for the rest of the herd.

Name: Soots

Sex: Stallion
Age: Maybe 6 years
Coloration: Perlino Brindle Minimal Splash
Genetics: EE/AA/CrCr/nSpl
Hell Mark: "Sooty" looking brindling

Height: 5'0" or 15hh or 151 cm

Interesting Traits: Deathly afraid of pigs, even piglets and he Snores
Demeanor: Curious, Cautious, and Fiercely Protective
Movement: Thoughtful
Likes: Smacking people with his tails and Standing in water, including the water trough and even buckets
Dislikes: Riding in trailers
Loves: Watching bugs

Personality: Soots is a quiet boy. He usually keeps his distance from the action just watching things of interest until he makes up his mind about whether or not it is bad. He is also rather clever and can figure things out quickly compared to most of the other Narakari in the herd. When he's looking at something you can practically see the gears turning in his mind. Once he decides he likes someone (human or animal) he makes a point to be there if that someone needs help. Soots is one of the few Narakari who doesn't mind fireworks and actually seems to enjoy them. He likes decorations and things used for different events and holidays. He also likes to watch everyone preparing for an event and cleaning up afterward... he actually likes to watch people work no matter what they are doing.

Riding Disciplines: Reenactment Events (aka medieval/renaissance festivals, war camps, prairie/frontier/wild west festivals, Christmas/Santa's village etc.)

Soots' Halter:
Although he is rather reserved Soots seems to like flashy things so his halter has a bit of bling.

You can click the image to go to it on my dA where I have a description of it.

[Teeze]

Personal Item
Because Soots like decorations Teese, Teeze, and Nicolai made him a bandana that will work for everyday wear as well as a costume piece for festivals and things. It ties loosely around his neck and can either hang in front of him or lay on his shoulders.

[Simmarrah]

That is really beautiful Teeze.