[UnicornTamer]

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[UnicornTamer]

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Pink flowers blossom on the cherry trees. When the wind blows past, tiny pink petals fly through the air and cover the ground. Peregrine love the petals, but to eat of course! When I come to the paddock one evening to take him and Caranthir on a walk, I practically have to drag Peregrine out, his mouth filled with the sweet cherry tree flower juices. Caranthir is already saddled up and patiently waiting at the hitching post. As Timothy opens the gate that leads onto the path into the woods, I tie Peregrine up and put on Caranthir's bridle. Then I I unclip the lead rope from Peregrine's halter and then I mount into Caranthir's black leather saddle. Peregrine follows us up until the gate. Then he stops. I turn around in the saddle and whistle to him.
"Come on, Perry," I coax. He snorts and backs up. Timothy makes a move toward him, but lift my hand; stop. Peregrine flares his nostrils and lifts his head. "Come on, boy!" He tosses his head and gallops out of the gate, brushing past Caranthir, who tells me he wants to follow. Off we go!

[UnicornTamer]

THE WALK

Pink blossoms rain down on us as we enter the woods. Light streams in through the trees, dappling the forest floor with fairy lights. Peregrine jumps at every noise, his nostrils almost always flared, his ears pricked and very much alert. At first he stays close to Caranthir and I, but then his curiosity gets the better of him and he gallops ahead to sniff at an interesting flower or rock. A squirrel suddenly scampers across his path. Peregrine neighs and rears, whirling around back to Caranthir and I. I think he really enjoys our walk, though. He runs around Caranthir, talking to him in his "let's play" voice. Caranthir isn't in a very good mood, however and nips at Peregrine, who squeals and gallops ahead of us and around a bend, out of sight. And then he is back, his ears forward, his face happy. Peregrine loves the forest.

[UnicornTamer]

GALLOP!

We come to a brook. I jump Caranthir over it, but Peregrine hesitates on the other side. I turn Caranthir around and watch Peregrine.
"Come on, boy!" I urge him. He snorts and flares his nostrils. He bends down and sniffs the water, then looks back up at me. He looks worried. He whinnies in desperation. Caranthir neighs encouragingly back at him. Peregrine half rears and prances on the bank. Then he splashes through the brook as quickly as he can. Peregrine dances around Caranthir. I can feel Caranthir pulling at the reigns. He wants to run. His bad mood is draining away. I decide to let them have this. I don't want to snuff out the fire in Peregrine's eyes. I want to keep some small part of him wild still. I lightly touch my heels into Caranthir's side. That is all the encouragement he needs. He leaps forward with Peregrine on his heels. Soon the mustang is ahead of us. I smile. The fire burns yet.

[UnicornTamer]

THE FIRE LIVES

Peregrine is different than other mustangs, I've noticed. The way he so quickly warmed up to me and Caranthir. His acceptance of his new life. At first, I was afraid I'd tamed all the wildness out of him. But seeing him tearing in front of us on the trail in the woods - I knew it was still there. I'm still just wondering: Why?
Back at the stables, I turn Caranthir and Peregrine loose in the paddock. The big frisian is all "funned out", but Peregrine is still lively. He gallops around the white fencing, tossing his mane, bucking, rearing, nipping at Caranthir, Come on! I watch him as evening settles over us all. Peregrine has had several week's break. I decide it is time for his next lesson: working on the lunge line. But I'll give him and Caranthir this last night.

[UnicornTamer]

PEREGRINE

[UnicornTamer]

THE LUNGE LINE

Peregrine eagerly canters up to me when I enter the paddock holding his halter. He thinks we're going for another walk. Not today. It's time to continue training him. I slip the halter onto his head and lead him into the corral. Peregrine looks puzzled as he follows me in. Timothy is there, waiting for us. He hands me a long whip and the lunge line which I clip onto Peregrine's halter. I let Peregrine sniff the whip. He tries to bite it. I move it away from him.
"Lead him around in a circle," I say. "But only when I say 'walk on'." Timothy nods. I look at Peregrine who is eyeing me. "Walk on." Timothy leads him around me, holding the lead rope. Peregrine swings his head and looks at me in a distressed way. He doesn't like Timothy. He snorts and looks ready to bolt. "Whoa," I say. Timothy stops Peregrine. I walk up to the shivering mustang and run my hand down his neck. Like magic, he quiets. I look at Timothy. "He's good now." I go back to where I stood before. "Walk on." Around and around they go. Peregrine no longer fusses, but he always has one ear cocked at me, always watching.

[UnicornTamer]

MORE CIRCLES

I take Peregrine out to the corral again. Time to see how much he learned from yesterday's lesson. I clip the lunge line on and flick the whip at him, just like the day before. Only this time, Timothy isn't leading him, but watching from a distance. "Walk on," I say. Peregrine hesitates and then walks toward me. I point the whip at him. "No," I say in a firm voice. But Peregrine only grabs the end and tugs at it. "Get him back into the circle," I tell Timothy. He takes Peregrine back, then walks away. "Walk on." Peregrine goes toward me again. I crack the whip sharply behind him. Peregrine leaps into the air and kicks. "Walk on," I repeat. He starts going toward me again, then pauses, watching me. I crack the whip again. He bucks. "Walk on." He walks. He walks around me in a circle. I bring him into the middle. "Good boy."

[UnicornTamer]

[UnicornTamer]

GOOD BOY!

"Whoa!" I am out in the corral again with Peregrine. It is almost dinner time, and both of us are a little cranky. But I keep myself under control as I try to stop him once again. He understands to walk when I say, "Walk on", and to walk in a circle around me. But as I say "Whoa," he keeps going around and around. I bring him into the middle. "Timothy, walk him around again, and stop him when I say 'whoa'." Timothy does. "Whoa," I say. Timothy stops Peregrine, who looks at me in distress. He doesn't like stopping. "Good boy." I go up to him and give him a pat. He pricks his ears. We do this several times. Then Peregrine walks around me all by himself. "Whoa." Peregrine stops! "Good boy!" Now we can eat dinner!