[BluebonnetBree]

Ordered tolter from the tolter taming event.

Username: husky.
Name: Wolfram
Gender: stallion
Eye Color: blue/brown heterochromia
Dam: --
Sire: --

[husky.]

OHMYGOSH HES GORGEOUS !! Ahhh DRAGON you legend, he's so darn pretty, I absolutely love him! Thank you so much <33

Name: Wolfram
Gender: Stallion

I can't wait to get to know this guy ouo

[husky.]

I'll be posting his taming process below, if you don't mind c:

Task:
First Encounter - COMPLETED
Adjusting to the new home - COMPLETED
Earning trust - COMPLETED
Introduction of the halter - COMPLETED
Meeting a friend -
Ground work -
First time with a saddle -
First ride -
Extra -

Name; Wolfram
Gender; Stallion
Eye Colour; Blue/brown heterochromatic
Age; 9 years
Height; 14.2hh
Weight; 487kg
Personality; domineering, observant, restrained, explosive

[husky.]

FIRST ENCOUNTER

My head was abuzz with excitement, though not entirely in a good way. I was excited to go to the sales - I hadn't been since I was little - but nerves and apprehension gripped my thoughts. What kind of cruel fates did those horses wait for, would they all find homes, how can I just walk past them and not do something to save them? I was giving myself a headache thinking about it. Swallowing the last of my breakfast without tasting it, I gathered my things and headed to the car.

The borrowed trailer was hooked up to my ute, as it had been since yesterday. I wasn't planning specifically to buy a horse, though I knew it was better to be safe than sorry. If I found just one horse that stole my heart, what would I do without a trailer to take them home? Giving Chloe the cattle dog a scratch behind the ears, I ignored her puppy eyes pleading to get in the ute with me. It wouldn't look good if I turned up to the sales and my dog spooked all of the horses.

The trusty ute started without a problem, much to my relief, and I trundled away from the house and onto the dusty road. Making the 1 hour trip with no interruption, I was almost drowsy when I finally pulled into the car park at the sales yard. The muddy grass was slippery under the tires, but many years handling trailers in wet conditions allowed me to traverse the paddock and find a place to park safely. Trying to arrest my pumping heart, charged with adrenalin, I took a few deep breaths and slipped on a waterproof jacket. The sky was looking grey outside, and it looked like it would rain in the next hour or so. I stepped out of the car and pocketed my keys and wallet before heading to the undercover sales yards.

Walking towards the lights and sound was like waking up my senses. All hints of drowsiness and nerves left as I was plunged into alert mode. There were shouting men and women crowding the lanes between stalls, as well as the incessant neighing of horses who were cramped and scared. Most metal yards held two horses, and, as I walked past them towards the centre ring, I couldn't ignore the poor conditions some of the horses were in. Malnourished and dehydrated faces stared at me, a mixture or fear and hurt in their eyes. I remembered why I hadn't wanted to come back here, but, since I had come all this way, I pressed on to the ring to see the horses brought in and shown to everyone.

The crowds jostled and mostly ignored me as I found my way to a good viewpoint. The sales had been going for a while already today, and people were shouting bids and getting flustered as they watched the horses marched in and out of the ring. I focused on each horse coming in, my mind ticking over my first impressions of them - high withers, bow-backed, deer neck, pigeon-toed, too flighty, too badly injured. I wanted to save all of them from this place, though I knew it was a ridiculous dream and I understood this was the nature of man, to hurt those that worked for him. As each horse passed me, I could also see the good in them - a kind eye, quiet nature, sturdy movement, good conformation - but none of them tugged at my attention more than one horse in particular who came into the ring as if he was the one in control.

Standing at around 14.2 to 15 hands, he wasn't tall, but his presence leant him the height he lacked. His pace was deliberate and lithe, as if he were an acrobat ready to spring into action at any moment. He surveyed the crowd as if he knew each person intimately, as if he could stare into their soul. Though his coat was muddy and dull, I could see he had interesting white markings that only added to his mystique.

His pace slowed when he neared the stands I was sitting in, and the person leading him tugged on the rope attached to his neck - he wasn't halter trained, I guessed. But most interesting about this horse was that he didn't react at all. He continued to walk slowly, and when I looked at his face again I could have sworn he was staring straight back at me with eyes as clear and calculating as the calm before a storm.

With another indignant tug, the person leading the horse was becoming impatient as other horses backed up behind them. I watched, as, without a seconds hesitation, the horse lunged forward and bit his handler on the arm. A cry of anger came from the person, and several people in the crowd made disapproving sounds. This horse was wild, untamed, and did what he wanted. I liked him.

After the spectacle, no one placed a bid on the horse. He left the ring as calmly as he had entered, albeit with a much more wary handler. After a moment of indecision, I left the stands and went to find the horse in amongst the yards.

Finding his stall was easy enough, as his number had been painted onto his rump. I counted each yard as I walked, 2742, 2743, 2744... 2745. I stopped outside his stall and peered inside. In the growing darkness of the brewing storm, he was hard to see apart from his white markings, but I found him, head hanging low, at the back of the stall. His eyes watched me, calculating, as I looked back. He reminded me of a cornered wolf, hunched and ready to strike at his attackers. I was sure he could feel my tension as I watched him, so I turned and looked around for someone to tell me his information.

Finding a man holding a laden clipboard, I walked over and caught his attention. "Excuse me, could you tell me about the horse in stall 2745?" I asked, trying to dull down my high-pitched nervous voice. Some men just couldn't respect a woman, especially if they appeared nervous.

"Hah, that one, eh? Fan of them temperamental exotic breeds? Alright, 'ere. Icelandic Tolter, stallion, 9 years old. He's a wild one, brought over by someone, then straight 'ere when they couldn't train 'im properly." I thanked him and began to make my way back to the stallion's yard. "Watch your fingers, missy," the man called after me.

Finding myself back in front of the stallion's yard, I looked in again. He was standing in the same position, watching me carefully. "Hey, boy," I said quietly. One ear flicked toward me - better than just staring at me, I thought to myself. Deciding it was best not to go into his yard after the spectacle he'd made of biting the handler, and with a passion for keeping my fingers on my hands, I decided to talk to him some more to see if he would relax.

"You're a quiet one, huh?" I enquired of the stallion, though I knew he couldn't understand. His ears and eyes stayed trained on me. "What did you do to deserve this place?" Looking closer, I saw that his eyes were two-coloured, brown and blue. It wasn't unheard of, but the discovery just added more to this boy's striking appearance.

"You're a pretty one," I murmured. Quickly, I took a step back as he suddenly burst into motion towards the fence. Skidding to an abrupt stop with his neck over the metal bars, he breathed hard and tossed his mane, before whipping around and pacing tight circles in the yard. He arched his neck and kicked up his feet, sending mud flying. I couldn't help but stare at his beauty. Even as he trotted and twisted in the tiny yard, his movement was beautiful, and I knew that I wanted to save him.

He snorted and came to a halt once again at the gate of the yard. I tentatively took a step towards him, unaware of my surroundings at all as my world narrowed to this one horse. I reached out my hand and moved forward as slow as I could towards his shoulder - if I could just touch him once, I knew I could reach out to him and help him escape this horrible place.

Breathing hard in my face, his nostrils flared, the stallion let me reach his shoulder. My fingers alighted on his coat, and then my palm. I kept my hand there for a moment before he tossed his head and I retracted my hand quickly. That was it, that was all I needed. Giving the stallion a smile as he retreated to the back corner of the yard, I left to pay for him and get some help to load him onto the truck.

After some difficulty coaxing him on, I tied his rope to the ring, hoping he was sensible enough not to thrash around and injure himself. To his credit, the ride home went by with little kicking and stressed neighing, and I was even more sure this horse would turn out to have a beautiful temperament.

When we arrived home, i backed the trailer up to the paddock gate, so if he decided to run he would only run into his paddock. After putting down the ramp, I cautiously went into the front of the trailer. I untied his rope and reached out a hand to stroke his cheek. He moved his head away at first before letting me touch him. In the bright spotlight from the house reaching into the trailer, I could see a sheen of sweat on his neck and flanks, which told me he was a nervous traveller. Speaking calmly to him, I gently coaxed him out of the trailer. He couldn't figure out how to properly back up at first, and scrambled a bit going down the ramp, but then he stood at the back of the trailer, his head high, looking around him. Chloe, sensing the nerves of the stallion, smartly stayed behind the fence instead of approaching like she normally would.

Gently stroking his tense neck and wither, I used my free hand to loop the neck rope over his head, though I could barely reach his poll with his head so high. When he realised he was free, the stallion glanced around at me. I felt touched that he wasn't being a nightmare horse, but only for a brief moment before he lunged and nipped my jacket before bolting off as fast as he could. Standing in shock, I watched as he galloped laps of the paddock, carefully avoiding the corner I was standing in with the truck. He bucked and kicked until he had expended all his energy, then finally came to a stop in the middle of the paddock.

Taking a deep breath, I closed up the trailer and his gate, making sure it was secured before I left. It was just starting to rain as I left him and parked the trailer, hurrying inside the house with Chloe. From the house I could see his paddock, and I watched as he first stood in the rain and then explored the open shelter in one corner. After a few minutes of touching the shelter and bolting away from it, he settled undercover and out of the rain. He was smart, that's for sure, and I was in love.

Even though he had terrible manners and would herd work, I still believed he had a good heart. Thinking back to the time in his yard where he looked like a cornered wolf, I knew the perfect thing to name him: Wolfram. From here on out, I'll be taming the wolf.

total words: 1985

[husky.]

ADJUSTING TO THE NEW HOME

The sky was clear by the time I woke up the next morning, the rain-heavy clouds a mere smudge on the horizon as they scuffed away across the sky. I smiled at Chloe, who had trotted into my room and put her speckled pink paws on my bed. Her trusting brown eyes were full of greeting, and I rubbed her ears affectionately. I hoped today would be a good day - it was Wolfram's first morning here.

The sprawling acres of sloping grassy hills were magnificent in the morning sun. A light fog had settled over the pastures and filled the dips between the slopes with a mystical covering. There was enough space for many horses on this property, and more than thirty Icelandic tolters occupied the paddocks and stables. There were none adjacent to Wolfram's paddock - purposefully so he wouldn't attack them or be freaked out as he settled in. You never know what a horse bought at auction could bring, so it paid to be on the safe side.

Approaching Wolfram's paddock gate, I spotted him grazing as far from the house as possible. I was glad he was comfortable enough to eat, and it helped me relax a bit - I hadn't realised I was taking such shallow breaths. I watched him for a few moments, enjoying the serenity of the early morning, then gave a whistle. Immediately his head swung up, and his muscles tensed as he looked for the source of the whistle. Upon seeing me, he bolted away from me and cantered small loops in the far corner of the paddock.

I pouted as he came to a stop, breathing heavily. I had hoped he wouldn't be as afraid of me as he seemed, though he was an untrained horse and I couldn't expect any more from him. I would just have to earn his trust.

He stared at me long and hard, blinking as his chest heaved, tail swishing. I whistled again and he took off, bucking and twisting around the paddock. The soft ground was well and truly churned up into a muddy mess by now, made easy after the overnight rain. Wolfram slipped and snorted every now and then as he cavorted around the paddock, and I hoped he wouldn't sprain a muscle, or break a leg.

Coming abruptly to a stop in the middle of the paddock, Wolfram fixed his gaze on me. I was still leaning against the gate, and he glared as if daring me to whistle again. I smirked and whistled, but this time he was expecting it and his reaction was just a pigroot and a toss of his head. After the fourth whistle, he just blinked at me. He learned fast.

I decided to observe him now that he had settled down a bit and knew of my presence. After a few more minutes of watching me, he lowered his head and snorted into the grass before walking over to the shelter. I'd seen him discover it last night in the rain, so it was no surprise that he was quite comfortable with the wood and iron structure. He rubbed his face and neck against a post before walking under and through the shelter. Emerging from the other side, he snorted and turned to look at me. He didn't seem quite comfortable enough with my presence to not keep an eye on me.

He wandered around some more, obviously not comfortable, but surveying his new territory. He tested the strength of the fence in a few places, and I was glad when it didn't give way, and he cavorted around, showing off a floaty trot. I couldn't help but admire him. He seemed to quickly adjust to new environments, wary but confident in his approach -just like a wolf, I thought.

total words: 634

[husky.]

EARNING TRUST

The Wolf watched me keenly.

With his piercing eyes boring into me, I felt as if he saw into my soul. And indeed, I believed he could. Horses have a way of seeing your true person, more so than you yourself could ever know. Horses can sense your emotions, and judge you without knowing you; sense a benevolent or malevolent person and react accordingly. Horses were a wonder, and I felt small under the scrutiny of Wolfram.

Making my way into his paddock, I whistled, as I had been doing so since he had arrived at South Creek a few days before. His frozen form suddenly burst into motion, his crest gracefully arching and flexing as he tossed his head and trotted off. I strode purposefully to the centre of the paddock, trusty treats in hand, and waited for Wolfram to calm. I whistled again, hoping he would come to me, however it was too much to ask as of now; a leap of faith he was not ready to take.

He waltzed around the grassy field some more, churning up the earth and flicking clods into the air along the way. He seemed to be enjoying the excuse to be silly, though I hadn't initially seen it in his nature to be a flighty kind of horse. He came to a halt abruptly, turned to me and flared his nostrils after the exertion. I whistled again, and he trotted towards me, curious but cautious. He took a couple more steps in my direction, then decided against the idea and turned away. I watched silently.

Again, he responded to my whistle, trotting towards me and then shying ridiculously away, like a kangaroo had just jumped right in front of him. There was nothing he could be scared of, and I chuckled at his antics. He was teasing me, coming within a few paces and then bolting away, doing a circuit of the paddock and repeating. Wolfram should have been tiring by now, but he seemed to have a boundless store of energy that he could call upon just as I was thinking he would settle down.

I decided that my method would have to change if I was to get him to approach me. He was fine with my presence, that much I had established, but letting me touch him was another story. I kneeled down in the grass with my back to him and waited.

It didn't take long. I sat almost meditatively, inhaling and exhaling at a slow, steady rate. I could hear his hooves on the soft earth as he approached me from behind, his curiosity getting the better of his watchful nature. He blew air onto the back of my neck, and I imagined him stretching his neck out to me; I dared not turn around and scare him off. I had been so certain that this method would work, that I found it hard not to whoop with joy at my success.

Wolfram now stepped closer behind me and I felt his footfalls echo through the ground. The warmth of his breath was on my hair and neck, then on my back as he checked me inquisitively. I smiled knowingly but still did not turn around. Next I felt his muzzled lipping at my hair, and I felt a pang at the though of his grassy slobber getting in my clean hair - I had only just washed it! - but the pay-off was far greater than the sacrifice of my hair.

Wolfram now stepped around me, continuing to blow air in my face and nibbling my clothes delicately. His confidence picked up and he nudged me with his great, horsey head, causing me to stick my hand out to balance myself. As this happened, he sniffed out the treats in my pocket, sticking to my hand. I gently brought out my hand and offered him a small stick of liquorice on my palm. He nosed it for a second before lipping it up. The sensation of his soft nose and whiskers on my palm made me giggle; it tickled, and was one of my favourite things.

Wolfram must have enjoyed his liquorice, because he was back for more, sticking his head in my face and looking for the sweet treats. It made me so happy to see that he was comfortable being near me and not at all afraid of my presence. I still had a long way to go, I knew, but this felt like an achievement.

I offered another piece of liquorice to Wolfram and this time attempted to gently stroke his muzzle as he chewed. He let me touch him but then evaded my hand in search of more treats. Another step forward. I reached my hand up to stroke the side of his face, but he snorted and stepped quickly away, on alert at my movement. I reverted to my original kneeling stance, staying still, and he was coaxed back by the memory of treats.

It was slow progress, but eventually Wolfram allowed me to pet his neck, as long as he was distracted by a treat. It made me immensely happy to see the trust growing between us, albeit slowly. I wanted to see Wolfram transform from this wary, watchful stallion and blossom into a loving and spunky little horse. I would try my utmost and pour my heart into my efforts, and hoped that he would one day give me his heart in return. For now, just petting him was okay.

total words: 921

[husky.]

INTRODUCTION OF THE HALTER

I approached Wolfram's paddock from down the laneway leading from the barn. He saw me coming miles off, and had been standing silent and still until I reached the gate. He stared, ears toward me, one occasionally flickering to other sounds around him. I whistled the two-tone sound I used the other day with him, and he continued to stare. It was quite unnerving.

I whistled again and held out a piece of liquorice on my palm, evidently piquing his curiosity as his nostrils flared and he took a few steps in my direction. Entering the paddock, I whistled a third time, and he ambled his way over, choosing a snaking path rather than the most direct. He stopped a pace or two from the gate, eyes and eyes on the liquorice. I smirked, enjoying how I could predict that this treat would entice him. Most other horses I had owned went crazy for the stuff, and I was glad to see Wolfram was no different.

I held my hand out toward him. He reached out his neck as far as he could, but couldn't quite reach my palm. He took a step forward, and then another, his whiskery upper lip quivering. His breath warmed my hand as he snuffled up the treat, before stepping back. He eyed me as he chewed the liquorice, shaking his head a little as it stuck in his teeth. It gave me such joy to know that, even if he didn't yet trust me, I could make him happy in this way.

Now I brought the halter out from behind my back, slowly. Wolfram barely noticed it but for a twitch of an ear, stretching out his nose to find another piece of liquorice. I held out a piece, and coaxed him closer to me. He again lipped up the treat and I gently stroked his shoulder, careful not to make too many startling movements. Wolfram snorted and licked his lips, turning his neck to nuzzle my pockets where I hid his new favourite delicacy. I brought out another small block and let him take it as I touched his shoulder with the halter. The skin on his shoulder quivered at the unfamiliar item, but he relaxed after a moment. He had been led with rope around his neck before, so I was anticipating only minor uncertainty with the halter, as it wasn't dissimilar.

I gradually let the halter sneak up Wolfram's neck as he was offered another piece of liquorice. This time, he ignored the food and instead moved his head up, out of reach of my hands, in a bid to get away from the rope. I moved it back down his neck, rubbing it gently in circles over his shoulder to get him used to the feeling of the item. Again, I moved the halter up his neck, this time reaching his poll before he shied his head away, watching me with a wary eye. I talked soothing words to him, stroking his neck and nose as he settled down enough for me to reach him.

This time, I brought the simple black halter to his muzzle and let him examine it. He arched his neck and gave it an exploratory nibble before snorting on it and licking his lips again. I took this as a good sign, and touched the halter to the top of his muzzle. He seemed fairly relaxed about it, if a little sensitive, so he was rewarded with a treat for his sensible behaviour. I moved the halter to behind his ears. It earned me an annoyed flick of his ears and toss of his head, but he let me continue until I slipped the nose band over his muzzle.

At this point, I held so much hope that Wolfram would let me put the halter on with not so much as a snort, but here I was wrong. He pigrooted and spun around, jogging away from me with a spring in his step. I dropped the halter languidly to my side in defeat, for the moment. I whistled and brought out another liquorice piece in an attempt to entice Wolfram back, but he was having none of it. Instead, he began to graze at the far end of the paddock, ignoring me. I decided it was time for breakfast.

A few days later, it was as if Wolfram was a changed horse. In his paddock again, I fed him some liquorice, as was now the customary payment for letting me put the halter on. I gently slipped the noseband over his muzzle and buckled the halter behind his ears, careful not to tug any of his wild mane in the process - I had done this before, with some unpleasant results. Having successfully put the halter on Wolfram, I gave him a big pet on the shoulder, and another piece of liquorice. He seemed quite content now that he had realised the halter wasn't actually a big scary thing trying to strangle him.

I felt pretty pleased with myself and my handiwork, until I remembered that the next step was to lead him somewhere.

total words: 858

[i'm so mad, I had almost finished this on my phone but then I dropped it in the toilet and it's gone forever :'c ah well, here it is to the best of my memory ~]

[husky.]

MEETING A FRIEND

There wasn't a cloud in the sky when I made my way out to help with the morning feed rounds. The grass was glistening and dewy with moisture, the breath of the horses visible as little clouds across the proeperty. The sun's rays were peeking through the forsted area that bordered the fields, sending streaks of golden light dancing across the ground. Chloe the cattle dog trotted by my side, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

When I had almost finished my share of the tolter-feeding, the other workers making their own rounds, I came to Wolfram's paddock with his halter. Today he would be moved out of his current paddock, as it truly needed a rest after the beating it had received from this unruly pony. It looked like a large mud puddle, and it looked like Wolfram had been bathing in it. I hadn't yet given him a bath, but it was on my to-do list.

Wolfram had come a long way since I had introduced the halter. He stood patiently most of the time as I tied it on his head, but sometimes he decided I was taking too long and wandered off with me hanging on. As I whistled to him, though he had been aware of my approach long before I got there, I let myself into the paddock. He walked over, taking his time, eyes and ears on me.

wip