~Echo~
Gender: Male Gelding
Name: Echo
Age: 5 years (Ruffly)
Likes: Birds, Trees and Rivers.
Hates: Dogs, Cars and loud noise.
Dislikes: Human Men and Horses.
"If Echo is not sleeping or eating he is wondering around the forest; Its this love of nature that drew us together originally."-Ginger
Rider: Ginger
Gender: Female
Age: 27
"I am a young biologist who is currently employed by the local Division of Wildlife.
My job is to count, document and keep an eye on sensitive environments,
like the Redwood Forests."
-Echo Lake-
I was first told about the Neravontii when they where introduced to earth. But my work with them started about 6 years ago, when they became a problem to the local area. Since they are an invasive species most of them had been exterminated or moved off the Redwood land. I was employed to keep an eye on the last remaining herds of Neravontii; My task was to see what effects the Neravontii have on the Redwood Forest.
Neravontii are a semi social animals that hang around in loose family herds. The herds, like horse, are held together by a lead stallion. However unlike horses the lead Mare seems to have say on who is allowed to be around her and her daughters. There are ruffly 5 small to medium groups of Neravontii in the Redwood Forest, I spend my time following and documenting each.
It was sometime in my first year of work that I fell in love with a lead Mare that I was listed as Mare number 312, I came to call her Amber because of her rich golden color. She seemed to be a very knowledgeable leader and lead the largest group of Neravontii near the small down of Cyder and Echo Lake. With in the first few weeks of my documentation of this herd the lead male was shoot by a local farmer. He claimed the Neravontii had been stealing hay from his farm animals. Since they are an invasive species there are no laws protecting them, in fact most farmers seem to encourage the idea of shooting on sight. Two weeks after his death Amber gave birth to a snow white male, I had the privilege of watching him grow. I soon hand found feeling for this male who I began to call Echo, after the local lake. Slowly his skin began to show spots of grey and blue stripes showed up about two weeks later.
Echo was under a month old when the local farmers began to rally. The group of Neravontii, lead by Amber, had been seen stealing hay and chasing off farm animals. The local town was looking to the division for a solution, I had the unpleasant task of being part of a committee that would decide the fate of this group. I didn't want to see this group of Neravontii exterminated, so I had to propose a heart breaking solution. In the past people who are having problems with wolf packs will often kill one or both of the leaders to change the packs behavior. So it was decided, Amber would be killed and men on horseback would use guns with blanks and explosives to break the herd apart and drive them farther from the town. But Amber had a new born, he was far to young to be on his own. At the time people had begun to tame and work with these animals. So not wanting to see Echo parish along with his mother I offered to take him.
-The Round Up-
It was a brisk spring morning, I helped lead a group of people to the Neravontii group. A snipper singled out Amber and just like that she was gone. The noise startled the heard who began to run in all directions. The group of men proceeded to fire blanks that chase the group deeper into the forest. Echo was tranquilized not far from his mothers body. I followed a small group of men to where he lay but could not help but stop near Amber. I knelt down and touched the beautiful mare for the first and last time, her body was still warm but I took comfort in knowing her death was fast. Echo wiggled near by, trying his best to fight the anesthetic. It wasn't long before he fell asleep. As per protocol the Neravontii Capturing Facility and Adoption Agency collected him, there he had his physical done, vacations and of course was gelded to prevent any future Neravontii. I needed to continue documenting the behavior of the herd after the "round up" so I was unable to adopt Echo right away. Instead the Agency bottle feed and weaned the young male and continued to work with him for his first year of life.
-Home-
When I saw Echo next he was a young teen, almost full grown at a little over a year old. He had tamed down very well and seemed to enjoy the company of his handlers. They brought him to me on a lead rope, and I proceeded to take him for a walk. I have to admit I was very nervous about the whole ordeal. Neravontii can be dangerous if startled and I was concerned that he may remember me from the day his mother died. If Echo did remember he didn't seem to show it, he was calm and walked quietly next to me. We stopped on warn down trail in a small group of trees near the Agency. Flitting his ears he seemed a little confused but content about our sudden pause. I looked and him and reached out ever so slowly to touch his skin, it was smooth and warm just like his mothers. "What are we going to do?" I said this to him half jokingly and half seriously. What was I going to do with him? I had saved his life without fully thinking about what would come next. I lived in a small apartment in Cyder, the very town who had killing his mother. How would they take to me owing a Neravontii? Where would I keep him? What would he do if I where to leave him alone? Or even worse what would he do if I took him with me to on field work? My mind was swirling with the thoughts when Echo's head brushed my arm. I turned to look at him as he rubbed his face all over me almost pushing me over. I wrestled with him for a moment before he playfully pushed me away. He was like a young horse, extremely playful yet he seemed smarter then your average horse, he could play ruff with out going to far. I decided then and there that I was going to make this work.
I called ahead and was able to work out a deal with a local stable to rent a stall. They didn't want a Neravontii to live there at first but with help from the Agency we were able to work something out. I was able to sell the idea of having a Neravontii to the town and my job by saying that Neravontii are extremely durable and able to cary more and travel farther then horse on less food. I wasn't lying about his value to me, he would be a great pack animal and perhaps even allow me to get closer to the wild Neravontii groups. They may be more accepting of having him around then just me alone.
-Only Silk-
Echo took longer then I would have thought to be saddle trained. He didn't like the way the saddle pad felt on his skin and since he had human like hands he could take anything off that displeased him. It took me months before I finally found the right fabric for him. Silk, everything had to be silk. It took even longer to get the saddle on, while he didn't spook at the thought of having something on his back he did not like the saddle girth, he hated the constant hug the saddle gave him.So instead I had to become wicked good at bear-back ridding and fast. Like with a horse I taught him cues and directions from the ground prior to ever getting on his back and while bear-back ridding was fine for our local trails I refused to got to work without a saddle. To many strange things and long hours to not have a saddle and saddle bags. I ran out of time and had to leave him behind, I was only gone for a week but when I returned he seemed angry with me. It was this anger that pushed me harder to train him, I was leaving in another week and this time would be gone for a month. I could not leave him for that long. He must have been able to feel my anxiety at leaving him because almost over night his mind changed and suddenly he was wearing a saddle. It was great news and with his aide I was sure we would see things I had never even dreamed of.
by MustangKnight » Wed Oct 30, 2013 2:02 am 
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