Entry for PR#14- Daiva

[Animemice]

image.jpg (62.65 KiB) Viewed 50 times

Daiva's Trainng

NOTE:
Please don't post here
Instead join the Onion Wagon Race
Click here to join: viewtopic.php?f=53&t=2436091

Day 1
I excitedly hopped out of the car. Today was the day I'd meet the horse I've been assigned to! As I walked through the stables my head kept chanting "Run! Run to see your horse!" but I knew better than to do so around horses. I hopped out of the barn excitedly and immediately turned to the arena, where the horse would be. But to my displeasure, the arena was empty. "Where is it? You said it would be here!" I asked the women who had brought the horse. "Oh, it's here." she said, pointing towards the end of the arena. A beautiful dunskin tovero mare was hiding by the water trough. It noticed us staring right away and cantered over. I reached out my hand to the mare and she cautiously sniffed me. "She's never done wagon racing." the women explained and then added. "Well, I best be going. Good luck with that."

I entered the arena with a halter in my hand. The mare walked over with gentle eyes and out her head forward for me to pet her. "Your a very sweet horse, aren't you?" I asked the mare. Judging by the way she acted, I knew she was calm and friendly. I put the halter on her and lead her out of the arena. I tied her up in the wash stall, jumping back from the hose that was sprinkling out water. "Somebody forgot to turn off the water.." I said aloud. "Sorry! My fault." a voice called. I sighed and turned it off. The wash stall was very messy though, there were sponges and bubbles from soap everywhere. "Great. I want to clean my horse, but I have to clean this mess first." I said aloud again. "Sorry again!" the voice called.

[Animemice]

Day 2
Cleaning up the mess and cleaning the horse took longer than I thought! But it was worth it, and my mare looked stunning. "Now to find your stall." I muttered, leading her out of the arena the next day. She lunged into one stall with a name plate that said in bold letters "#14 Daiva". "Is this your stall?" I asked her. Daiva was to busy eating to hear me. I laughed a little.

After lunch break, I hooked Daiva up to the wagon. She let out a deep breath as if to say "Do I have to pull this?" I smiled and brought out the lunge line. I hooked it up to bridle and brought out the whip. I smacked the whip on the ground behind her but she refused to move. "I'm not pulling this, I only do carriages." I thought she was trying to say. I smacked the whip on the ground closer to her. Daiva pulled ahead at a walk. "Good girl!" I praised and hit the ground again. I could tell she didn't spook easily, which was a good thing. She would have spooked at the whip or the wagon by then. Asking for a trot now, I whacked the whip down closer to her. Daiva glided into a trot at my command. It was going pretty well for her first time, until I tried for a canter. She spooked as it got close and sped off away from me.

[Animemice]

Day 3
I led Daiva into the arena again, sighing. Certainly she would spook like last time, right? I shook my head to try and get rid of the negative thoughts. I looked back at Daiva. Her sweet eyes met mine, assuring me that everything would be okay. I turned around and started waking again, feeling confident. I clipped on the lunge line and brought out the whip again. I gently smacked the ground behind her. She stood there and looked back at me as if to say "That's all you got?" I smacked the whip harder and Daiva started walking. "Good girl!" I praised, then after a few seconds of walk I changed to trot. She paced her trot just right so the wagon wouldn't bounce around to much. If she went too fast during the race the wagon could easily hit a rock and the onions would go flying. Not a good thing to happen in the race. I then asked for a canter. And it worked! Daiva didn't spook and it all went smoothly.

After the practice I released Daiva into the paddock. Before walking off, she turned her head and met my eyes as if to say "I knew you could do it." She then trotted off to graze with the other horses. And Daiva was right, I did it and if I can do that then I can win this race.

[Animemice]

Day 4
I walk Daiva into the trailer. She sniffs the walls of the trailer, curious to find out where she is. "It's okay girl. We're taking you to my stables." I tell her. I push open the trailer window so she can peek out during the long drive home. After hanging up a full hay net and filling a bucket with water, I close up the trailer. As I hop in the car, I notice Daiva bobbing her head up and down. I smile and then start the car.

I can tell Daiva was sleeping when I open up the trailer. Her hoof is in the relaxed pose, she bends it to show she's calm. "Rise and shine Daiva. We're here." I tell her. She turns around and yawns as if telling me "One more minute please." Finally I convince her to come out, but she's clearly not happy about it. Valkyrie whinnies at us and Pave joins in. Daiva lifts her head up and whinnies. "Hopefully you'll make a couple new friends." I say, leading Daiva into the paddock where Valkyrie awaits us. Pave would most likely breed with the her if we had let him meet Daiva, and I wouldn't allow that yet. Valkyrie tosses her head and canters towards us. The mares start grooming each other and I knew all was well with them. I shut the gate and headed over to the stables where Pave awaited my arrival. "Did you miss me boy?" I ask him, scratching his neck in his "it" spot. Pave tosses his head as if to say "Yes! I missed you so much!"

[Animemice]

Day 5
I finally hopped into the wagon. After many days of training, it was time to see if any of it worked. Cautiously, I smacked the whip on the ground behind Daiva and she started to walk. "Not bad, trot?" I asked, smacking the whip on the ground again. Daiva quickly switched to a trot and I got bounced around a little more than I had wanted to. "Okay, canter?" I asked, and smacked the whip on the ground again. Slowly and steadily, my mare switched into canter. I smiled, my hard work had paid off! I slowed Daiva and down and hopped off, hugging her. "I knew we could do it!" I said, grinning. "Try galloping." someone said. I sighed and hopped back in the wagon. Soon we were already cantering. I carefully smacked the whip on the ground hard, and sure enough she galloped. "Good girl!" I shouted over the loud sound of thundering hooves. As I untacked Daiva, I realized that we hadn't done much bonding. I frowned, I had forgot the most important thing of horsemanship: the bond between you and your horse.

That afternoon I watched Daiva and Valkyrie walk around in the fields. Valkyrie tried hard to get Daiva to play, but she just wouldn't budge. It wasn't like Daiva to play and gallop all the time anyway. Pave tossed his head and whinnied to the mares as if trying to say "What about me?" I laughed and pat the stallions forehead. Pave nipped at my sandwich, but he didn't manage to get anything.