---6:15 A.M.---
*BIZZ BIZZ BIZZ BIZZZ BIZZZZZZZ*Calvin groaned as his alarm clock went off for the third time that morning. He slamed his hand down on the off button as he sat up. "Ugh... Alarm clocks... The worst invention man ever created..." He stood up and streched.
Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something? Shrugging off the thought he began his normal routine for the morning. After showering and getting dressed he walked into his kitchen. He stopped and looked around confused.
Somethings missing here, or more so someone... "Nadine?"
Thats strange usually shes here waiting for me... She better not be trying to scare me again! If she does I won't be giving her breakfast! Looking around cautiously Calvin noticed a note taped to his old hat.
Note wrote:Good Morning Cal,
I hope you didn't sleep in too late this morning.
JC and I have gone to pick up our Mustang Makeover horse. He said we should be back around noon, and that he wants you to be prepaired for anything. Apparently some of the horses this year are a lot more difficult than what was expected.
Love,
Nadine
Calvin's palm met his forhead creating a loud smacking noise. "How in heck did I forget today was the day we were getting our Mustang Makeover horse!?" He set the note back down on the table. "I'll have to double-check and make sure everything is in order... But first I should eat breakfast."
--11:45 A.M.--
Calvin wiped the sweat from his brow as he double-checked that the mustangs pasture was secure. He stood up and sighed, "Ok, let's see... I made sure all of our training equipment was in working order, checked the horses pasture for any potential dangers, made sure the pasture fence wasn't broken or extreamly weathered..." He took several minutes going over his mental notes before deeming that they were ready for their mustang.
A large truck pulled around the barn. It was pulling a silver horse trailer that undoubtably held the mustang Calvin was to train. When the truck was parked it was lined up with the pastures gate. Two people got out of the truck to meet Calvin.
The woman trotted over to Calvin and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Her honey-brown hair waved in the slight breeze. "Did you miss me?" He light brown eyes shone with playful mischief.
Calvin laughed, "Of course I did Nadi." His attention turned from Nadine to the man who had gotten out of the drivers side.
The man, who could no one other than JC, grinned toothily as Calvin and Nadine came over to where he was. His golden hair was cropped unusually short giving him an older look. His eyes danced with their usual cunning ambition. "Hello Cal! You've got your work cut out for you. This horse is as stubborn and smart as I am."
Calvin groaned, "Great..."
Laughing Nadine piped in. "We found out the he doesn't like other horses and is very easily agitated."
"Ah, Nadine has also already decided to name him Barricade." JC called to a few of the other stable hands. "Hey, why don't you guys give us a hand for a sec!"
They complied with their bosses request and brought over block gates to herd Barricade into the small pasture that was to be his home for the time being.
Once the trailer door was open Barricade shot out and ran the only way he could. He circled in the pasture snorting loudly as the gate closed behind him. He watched the humans carefully through his matted mane as the mojority of them dispersed. He glared at the three remaining humans with his rich brown eyes.
"A black varnish roan appy, huh. That's not a common sight amongst horses, especially wild ones..." Calvin admired the gelding from the fence. He noted how the horse watched the three of them. "
Barricade. I'm guessing here, but does the name have something to do with how stubborn he is?"
"Indeed it does!" JC chuckled. "The horse is like a brick wall. No matter how close we came or how hard we pushed he just did not want to get into that trailer."
"It took us over an hour to finally get him to move!" Nadine was leaning against the fence right next to Calvin.
Stepping back from the fence JC patted Calvin on the back in a fatherly manner. "Ah. I'm afraid I must be off. Not sure when I'll be back, but I'm sure you can handle everything. If you need anything you know how to get in touch." A deep chuckling rumbled from his chest, "Nadine, make sure you keep Calvin in line. We don't want him getting into trouble this time."
Nadine smiled sweetly and gave JC a hug, "Will do!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing!" JC grinned as he waved goodby, before he hopped in the truck and drove away.
Sighing Calvin shook his head, and turned back to watching Barricade.
... As stubborn as he is... That's not going to be easy to work with, but maybe that means I can use some of the same techniques to sway Barricade as I would to sway JC's... Or maybe not... If he doesn't like other horses much, then it may be difficult to use a horse to motivate him... "Hmmm..."
Nadine watched Calvine out of the corner of her eye. She could see that he was lost in thought. After a few minutes her curiosity finally got the better of her, "Barricade doesn't seem to have been phased much by the move. Are you going to start trying to train him today?"
Calvin smiled at Nadine. "You're right. As for the training bit... You don't want to
try you just do it, and the training began the minute you and JC arrived at the pick-up point."
"Oh... How so?"
"The first thing we need to do is get Barricade to trust us. Once there is that bond it is a matter desensitzing him to things that most horses fear before realising that it's not actually dangerous..."
"
We?" Nadine looked at Calvin with wide excited eyes.
Smiling Calvin nodded, "Yes, we. I may not have as much expeirence with taming a mustang as my dad did when he taught me, but that doesn't mean I can't show you a few things. That, and if Barricade is as stubborn as you and JC say, then I'm going to need your help."
Barricade's ears perked up when he heard the human girl shriek in a delighted manner. He turned his head just in time to see her tackle the other nearly knocking him to the ground. He snorted in a slight almost chuckling manner.
What a shame she didn't knock him into the mudd...--8:00 P.M.--
Nadine sat across from Calvin. She swallowed a mouthful of the delicious Spaggheti Calvin had made them for dinner. "So, let me get this straight. For the first few days or so we are just going to try and get Barricade to trust us?"
Calvin nodded. "Yup." He looked out the window. The pasture that Barricade was in was easily seen from this side of the house. Calvin had specifically chosen that location due to the mishap of last years mustang makeover. "Tomorrow you and I will have to make a list of everything we are going to have to do, and then I will make a list of how we are going to go about training Barricade."
"Ok!" Her excitement still hadn't faded from earlier.
by Eremite » Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:31 pm 
