[UnicornTamer]

THE BRIDLE

Peregrine and I have had a week-long break. I lunge him again. He remembers his lessons! Now it is time to introduce him to the bridle. It will not be fun at first, so I want Peregrine to feel positive about it. I smear a whole mess of molasses on the bit first. Then I come up to the fence of the paddock. Peregrine canters up to me, Caranthir close behind. I hold the bridle out to the mustang. He lays his ears back and whinnies loudly. Then he flares his nostrils. His ears go up. He smells the molasses! Peregrine carefully approaches me again, then snuffles at the bit. He grabs it right out of my hand as I slip the head stall over his ears. He doesn't even notice. Caranthir snorts. This is old stuff for him. I watch Peregrine as he sucks on the bit. He looks over at me, a look of pure pleasure on his face.

[UnicornTamer]

TEN MINUTES

"Peregrine!" I call over the paddock fence. He comes galloping up, ears alert, nose already picking up the molasses smeared on the bit of the bridle I hold. I easily slip it on him as he grabs the bit. I buckle everything on and hold him by the reins. Peregrine contentedly sucks at the bit, but after a while, I can tell he's getting restless. Well, he's just going to have to live with it. He needs to get used to having the bridle on for longer periods of time. It's not going to be fun, though. Peregrine chews on the bit and looks at me with desperate eyes. I laugh. He looks disappointed. Five minutes . . . ten minutes . . . I unlatch the bridle and slip it off of him. He drops the bit like its poison and glares at me. I laugh again. Soon he'll get used to all. Soon.

[UnicornTamer]

THE SADDLE

Finally! Peregrine has gotten used to the bit and bridle. He no longer gets impatient and restless, though he still chews it. Time for the saddle. I put the saddle and girth on the fence of the paddock. Then I put the halter on Peregrine and slowly lead him up to the fence. When he catches sight of the saddle, his ears go up and he flares his nostrils. Uh oh, I think. We're going to have more scent problems. We get closer and closer. Suddenly, Peregrine stops moving and lays his ears back. He pulls his head up, his eyes huge and scared. I rub his neck. "Silly boy. It's not going to hurt you." He lowers his head, but still refuses to move. That's fine. We'll try again tomorrow.

[UnicornTamer]

THE SADDLE - AGAIN

Time for the saddle again. I put the saddle and girth on the fence once more and lead Peregrine out to it. He pricks his ears. I know he recognizes it. He snorts, but this time approaches it. He sniffs it up and down, nostrils flared, ready to jump away if it bites him. It doesn't, of course. The smell of leather is new to Peregrine, and at first I can tell he really does not like it. But after his thorough examination, Peregrine is at last satisfied it won't hurt him. He lowers his head, ears relaxed, and snorts. I rub his neck and smooth down his forelock. "Good boy." He tosses his head and looks down at me. I smile at the fire, but it seems a little dulled. After I introduce the saddle pad to him, I'll let him run free a while, to catch up on his spirit.

[UnicornTamer]

THE SADDLE PAD

Peregrine is in his stable. I lead him out to the paddock. I don't want to confine him to the tiny stall when introducing new things to him, so he can have a lot of room. Then I go to the tack room and take Peregrine's black saddle pad from the stack. I made sure I washed it with a special soap so it won't irritate his sensitive nose. I bring it out to the paddock along with the saddle. I let Peregrine sniff the saddle pad. For a breath-taking moment, I wonder if the special soap still wasn't the right type. But Peregrine shows no signs of fright. I slowly side it onto his back. He doesn't even notice! Then I take the saddle and place it on top of the pad. Peregrine flicks an ear at a mosquito buzzing around his head, but other than that, doesn't even twitch. In fact, he looks rather bored. Score!

[UnicornTamer]

Peregrine

Peregrine, the wanderer.

He wanders on and on.

Going where his hooves will lead him,

Following a song.

The dusk casts shadows all around,

The moon is full and bright.

And Peregrine the wanderer,

Wanders through the night.

[UnicornTamer]

THE GIRTH

Caranthir watches Peregrine, Timothy, and I curiously from his stable. We are once more in the paddock, along with the saddle and saddle pad. Peregrine doesn't even bother sniffing them, a good sign. I place the pad on his back, and then the saddle. He doesn't flinch. He's already examined the girth as well. Timothy holds out a big bucket full of oats to Peregrine. He buries his nose in the bucket. Since he'll be so busy eating the treat, he won't notice when I put the girth on. I buckle it on one side and then slowly, carefully bring it around to the other side. So far, Peregrine hasn't noticed. I ease the other side of the girth into the buckles. Peregrine whips his head around as if to bite but then goes back to the oats. I finish buckling the girth. Peregrine is now all saddled up and he doesn't even notice.

[UnicornTamer]

FREEDOM!

Every day for a week I lunge Peregrine with the saddle and bridle on. Peregrine remembers all his lessons. He behaves very well, but that's not what I'm so worried about. He's been acting rather tame lately, and I'm hoping I didn't snuff out the spirit I so love in wild horses. I decide to test him, just to find out. I let him loose in the big field with Caranthir - and watch. Peregrine mills about a little, then suddenly kicks up his heels and prances around Caranthir, whinnying shrilly. Then he gallops to the far end of the field. I let him and Caranthir stay there a few days. Then it's back to the saddle.

[UnicornTamer]

LEARNING THE ROPES

Peregrine is ready to learn how to respond to the reins. I take him out to the paddock one sunny afternoon and tack him all up. I take off the leather reins and replace them with a long rope to each side of the bit. I stand behind Peregrine and hold onto the ropes. Timothy leads Peregrine forward."Walk on," I say as I follow behind. One of Peregrine's ears are turned toward me. I know he is watching me. He doesn't know what I'm doing and looks a little nervous. "It's all right, boy." I gently move the right rope out. Peregrine hesitantly moves in that direction, but way too much. I straighten him out with the left rope. We do this several times. Sometimes Peregrine doesn't want to follow the ropes. Sometimes he hesitates to long. Another time a rabbit run right in front of his feet and pulls the ropes right out of my hands. He'll soon get the hang of it. Caranthir whinnies from his stable. "Good job!"

[UnicornTamer]

ALMOST . . . !

It has been a long time, but now I can easily drive Peregrine. Now there is one last lesson I must teach him. No, I think. Second to last. Peregrine must get used to my weight on his back. I take him out to the paddock and ask Timothy to hold him. I saddle Peregrine up and slip on the bridle. All the while he watches me from the corner of his eyes. I pat his neck. "It's all right, boy," I whisper. He seems calm enough, though his spirit blazes in his eyes. I put my left foot in the left stirrup and slowly raise myself up. Peregrine's ears twist all the way around but he doesn't move. I lay across the saddle and take my foot out from the stirrup. He still doesn't do a thing. "Lead him forward," I tell Timothy. As we go, Peregrine keeps his ears and his eyes on me. I don't think he's scared, but he is a little wobbly since he isn't used to carrying people on his back. After a we go once around the paddock, I slip down and take a carrot from my pocket. I give it to Peregrine who lips it up quickly. Tomorrow will be the final examination day.