[MustangKnight]

 Owner       >>> Rondell
 Name                >>> Fantasia
 Gender         >>> Female
 Adoption Price         >>> x
 Training         >>> [Fully Trained][+2]
  =====
  . easy going
  . bonds fast
  . jealous

 Offspring;
 None
 Parents;
 Sire
 Dam

 [Discipline >>>>> ]
 [Shows Entered > R: W: E:]
 [Shows Won >>>> R: W: E:]

 [Ej > ] [Ep > ]
 [Eh > ] [Ws > ]
 [Wp > ] [Wt > ]
 [Rf > ] [Rs > ]

[Rondell]

WIP

[Rondell]

((Part 1))

After Ikelos had drunk his fill from the bottle, practically emptying it of formula, I led him into an adjoining stall and left him there to wobble about alone for a moment while I I returned to fetch his older brother. Penny needed all the space she could get right now, and that meant not having a needy colt underfoot in a stall that hadn't originally been designed for Neravontii. I could only imagine how she had managed to put up with the youngster while delivering Ikelos! A bit of intervention was definitely needed this time to avoid anyone getting overly stressed or accidentally injured - there would be plenty of time later on for everyone to bond once the whole family had arrived on the scene. Most likely out in the paddock, where they'd all fit.

Pulling the stall door open as quietly as I could, I slipped inside and looped the rope I'd previously been using for Ikelos around the neck of the black foal who, up until this point, had been off in the far corner snuffling about in the straw. He seemed utterly confused as to why Penny wasn't letting him nurse anymore. He also didn't appear to appreciate me messing with him. The second the rope made contact with his skin he pinned his ears back and danced closer to his mother with a startled cry. Without hesitation, Penny bent her head down and began licking his forehead to calm him, making sure he was alright. Considering her own preoccupation I found this bit of dedicated mothering to be remarkable. But that was Penny for 'ya.

I took a moment to reassure both mother and son before taking up the slack in my rope and guiding the foal out into aisle. After making sure the stall door had latched properly I went ahead and led him over to where his brother was waiting, then grabbed the nearly-empty bottle and headed off to mix up some more formula.

The rest was up to Penny now.

-----------------------------------------------

By the time it was all said and done, the sun had almost risen in the eastern sky and the stars were fading out fast. Poor Pennyroyal was exhausted, and lay dozing on the floor of her stall with the third foal - a solidly built girl who sported Efialtes' signature mane just like her two brothers - snuggled up beside her. When I had first laid eyes on that foal, it had greatly surprised me that she was actually bigger than Ikelos. I hadn't expected that at all! I had just generally assumed that the third-born foal would be the smallest, the weakest. Maybe even stillborn. Instead, she seemed just as healthy as the first one had been. If not more so! She had certainly seemed to come-too faster.

In retrospect I was glad I had taken Ikelos aside and let him gorge himself on formula. After all, he was the one who had gotten the short end of the stick, so to speak.

The filly had been up and about earlier, poking into every corner of the stall and nursing intermittently while I hung over the dividing wall and watched to make sure everything was alright, but when her mother had lay down several minutes earlier she had given up her explorations in favor of flopping down too. Apparently she felt more confidant when Penny was actually awake to keep an eye on her. Would she still do the same when I introduced her older brothers to the mix? Or would their presence embolden her? Maybe Penny would have three foals snuggled up to her side instead of one, in which case it might be a bit difficult for her to change position. Or maybe they'd hang together and keep each-other occupied while their mum actually got some rest. Either way, I couldn't leave the boys on their own indefinitely, so I'd find out soon enough.

All that was for later though. First, I wanted to get a closer look at the filly.

When I pulled the stall door open and stepped inside, the foal's nostrils flared, taking in my scent along with that of the bottle I held (I wasn't sure she'd gotten enough to eat before her mother fell asleep, you see, so I figured it couldn't hurt to offer her the bottle, just in case). She was unsure of my presence, that much was clear. If she had had eyes, they probably would have been open wide and focused on me. As it were though, her ears swiveled this way and that rapidly, helping her to keep tabs on my position. Her right 'hand' opened and closed nervously.

Behind her, Pennyroyal snorted in her sleep, but otherwise remained motionless.

As I knelt down in the straw a couple of feet away from the filly, I spoke softly to her. I had no delusions about her understanding my words. Rather, I hoped my tone would reassure her a bit. Or at least distract her from the fact that my hand was slowly moving toward her side... a moment later I found myself stroking her neck and playing with her long, floppy ears. My tactic had either worked or she was too young to consider biting me.

Other than her initial start at my touch, she offered no resistance. After a few moments she even leaned into the petting. I couldn't help but smile. She was just as silky soft as Ikelos had been, although the young muscles rippling beneath her hide seemed to be a bit more developed than his had been, and her colors were decidedly less garish. The mane on her neck had the texture of a soft brush.

I suddenly remembered that I was holding the bottle when a velvety nose brushed up against the hand that was holding it. So, with a chuckle, I gently pushed the seeking nose away and held the bottle out to her with my right hand, all the while still stroking her with my left. At first all she wanted to do was sniff at it. But after a bit of poking and prompting on my part, the filly latched onto the bottle and began devouring the formula inside.

After Penny woke up I'd move her and Fantasia - I'd finally chosen a name for the filly in front of me - into the largest stall I could find in the barn. Then I'd bring in the boys. Once I'd made sure everyone was copacetic, I'd report in to the agency and have the foals registered, because it should be open by now, then I'd go to sleep myself. I could hardly stay awake now, seeing as all the excitement was over. And I still had plenty to do.

[Rondell]

The morning after Fanny's birth, when I phoned the agency to register her existence and receive a set of tags for her and her siblings, I had discovered that since Moe was still sitting around on my land untrained, I could only assume official ownership of one foal. One. The other two would be officially ownerless. There were rules against having too many 'rogue' Nera, after all. Of course, they said, once I had trained up the gelding, or perhaps the foal I was to take custody of, I could then assume ownership of another. Perhaps both. Provided that I managed to complete said training within a reasonable time period. I said yes, thank you, and informed the person on the other end of the line that I'd call back later to let them know what I'd decided.

Three days later, I made the trip to the Agency's main office and filled out the paperwork that would add Ikelos to my herd.

In the meantime, Fanny and the oldest colt - dubbed Colton by a friend of mine who would end up buying him off me when he came of age - lived on my farm, ate the food I gave them, lapped up my attentions, and yet did not belong to me. In essence, I was fostering them for the people down at the agency. It was a strange arrangement, to say the least.

Every day I lived with it I wished that I had gotten off my burlap butt and trained Moe ages ago, as I had originally planned.

Weeks passed. Months. And gradually Fantasia grew from filly to mare. She quickly came to stand several inches above her older brother Ikelos, although she was by no means the tallest in the herd, and her musculature became more developed. Her limbs thickened. If she had been an earth horse, I would have assumed that some previously dormant Clydesdale genes from way back in her family tree had decided at last to manifest themselves. She was built like a linebacker! As it was though, I had no idea where she got it from. All I knew was that I was lucky the spunky mare liked me. I also knew that if ever I needed a Nera to pull a cart or something, she'd be the one to do it.

With the triplets' adulthood came a few changes. About the exact time I began making my attempts to train Ikelos, I made the decision to sell Colton and he left the farm. His siblings seemed to miss him, and Fanny moped about for days. By the time I'd taken Ikelos on his first ride, though, she'd returned to being her spunky self.

The very next day I returned to the agency and took full possession of Fantasia.

--------------------------------

As Fanny began to move forward, I cursed softly under my breath and quickly shifted my weight back onto the mounting block, just in time to avoid being carried off. I had been working with her for the past several weeks, getting her used to having a load on her back in preparation for today - the day I'd saddle her up for the first time. One of Moe's old saddles sat on the fence rail. It was the only one I had that even had a ghost of a chance of fitting on her broad back. The only problem was, Fanny was more interested in frisking about than putting up with my shenanigans.

Sighing, I hopped down and drug the block out of the bull-pen, grabbing the lunge line from where it lay on the grass as I went. If I didn't tire her out a bit first, I'd have no hope of getting that saddle on her quickly and safely.

Fanny trotted right up to me as I reentered the pen, and I attached the line to her halter. From there, it was quite simple to get her working. Fanny was one of those Nera who loved to work. All I had to do was point her in the right direction. Good thing, too, because we were gong to be at this for awhile... So I clicked my tongue to get her started.

I ran her clockwise until I got bored, then switched direction for a bit. Then I turned her around again. And again. After what seemed like forever, I finally began to notice signs of the Mare tiring. So I brought her down to a walk and allowed her to cool off.

From there it was simply a matter of reeling her in, giving her a good rub-down, and leading her over to the fence where the saddle, now covered in a fine layer of dust kicked up by our feet, still sat patiently. This time, when I pulled the block over and leaned onto her back, she simply shifted her weight slightly instead of trying to run off with me. Thus satisfied, I gave her a neck a quick scratch, hopped down, and went to retrieve the saddle. As I hefted it and carried it toward her, she turned her head to look at me, perking her ears to track my progress just as she had done the very first time I had approached her. When I came into range, she bumped the saddle firmly with her nose, almost knocking me off my feet. I just laughed and caught her velvety snout in my palm, balancing the saddle on my knee for a moment. Then, pushing her head out of my way, I lifted the saddle to her back and slowly lowered it down so that it's full weight was on the mare.

Fanny responded instantly by snapping her head around and trying to chew on the leather. She'd done this the first time I had tried to lean on her back too - I still had the patch to prove it... in a rather undignified place.

I shouted at her, telling her 'no' and 'bad', and clapped at the same time. No ordinary clap though, this - the formed metal that made up each of my hands clanged loudly and reverberated nicely when my palms came together, somewhat like a set of cheap wind-chimes. It made quite a din.

Just as suddenly as she had started, Fanny stopped chewing on the saddle and brought her head around to stare at me. Before she had a chance to do anything else I had slipped up to her and fastened the girth. I also managed to get the strap around her chest done up. Just as she looked as if she were going to have another go at saddle gnawing, I had unwound the lunge line from the fence and pulled her forward, out into the pen. Then she was moving in a wide circle.

By the time she was tired again, Fanny had forgotten all about the saddle on her back.

[Rondell]

No matter how many times I did it - and I'd done it many times by now - the prospect of taking one of my Nera on their first ride always gave me the jitters. Nothing had gone terribly and/or horribly wrong in the past to make me feel this way, mind you. I'd actually had amazing luck so far. Everyone had taken to the saddle fairly easily. But... I just couldn't help it! I'm a worry-wart, I guess. Always have been, always will be. Better safe than sorry though. Right?

... right?

This was more or less my train of thought as I watched Fantasia dart from one end of the field to the other, hot on the heels of her friend Molly whom she had apparently enticed into a game of tag. They bobbed and weaved around the few trees that grew in the field, tracing out complex patterns that would have confused the guy who undid the Gordian Knot, and dodged around the sleeping form of Moe without disturbing him too badly. Then, just as I thought Fanny had the spotted Nera cornered by the far fence, Molly reared up and spun around. Almost in the same motion she pushed off with her hind legs and turned her mad flight into a nimble leap. It carried her right past Fanny, neatly avoiding the other's mare's seeking tail-hand, and out into the clear again. The moment she landed she was off toward the center of the paddock. Unperturbed, Fanny tossed her head and squealed with delight. As she skidded to a halt her fingers bit into the dirt for traction, throwing up clumps of grass. Then she whirled around and resumed the chase. After another moment they were over the crest of a hill and out of sight.

Still grinning, I pushed myself away from the fence and headed off to the barn so I could collect Fanny's tack. It had now been several weeks since I'd first put Moe's old saddle on her back, and in the interim I'd actually gotten a hold of a saddle that would fit her perfectly. A bridle too. I'd been gradually introducing her to that as well. Progress had been made. Not as much as I would have liked, mind you, as the mare still tried to pull the reins out of my hands upon occasion and steadfastly refused to accept anything but a hackamore, but at least I'd gotten her to stop gnawing on the saddle. Which was something.

By now I had reached the tack room and was actively collecting Fanny's things. Bridle. Saddle pad. Halter. Lunge line. In the barn around me I could hear the snores of several Nera - Sam, Curare and Ikelos, by the sound of it - indicating that it was time for the herd's midday summer siesta. Shoving a brush into the pocket of my jacket and piling most everything else over the seat of Fanny's Saddle, I hefted the entire mess and exited the tack room, kicking the door shut firmly with my foot as I went, only stopping to make sure the lock had clicked shut.

If I didn't close the door, Efialtes would be into the grain bins - not to mention my fridge! - in ten seconds flat.

----------------------------------

Fetching Fantasia from the field hadn't been easy, even with the aid of her favorite snack. As some point in my absence she'd managed to tag Molly and had been prancing around the edge of the pond, just out of her friend's reach, when I'd come looking for her. But I'd managed, and I now had her at the opposite end of the lunge line, trotting easily around the bull pen and burning off the remainder of her excess energy.

Thanks to Molly, it didn't take very long this time.

While Fanny stood by the fence rail and munched on a small pile of hamburger meat, I brushed her down. Then I tacked her up. The only attention the mare paid me as I was doing this was the occasional twitch of her ears in my direction, so it was the work of a few seconds to get all the buckles done up properly and the straps laying in the right places. With a final tug on the saddle to make sure it was sitting properly, I patted Fanny on the shoulder and retreated to get the mounting block. From there, it would be a simple matter of climbing up and hopping on...

A split second after my left foot hit the stirrup, my right leg was up and over the mare's back, then my rear hit the seat of the saddle. The same sort of thing I'd done a million times by now with the rest of the herd. I was on. The dark leather was almost uncomfortably warm from sitting out in the sunlight, but I was on. Of course Fanny's head had come up instantly and she was looking none too happy at the moment, but she hadn't bolted, and I felt some of my nervousness melt away.

I hadn't bothered to put Fanny's hackamore on. Instead I had left her wearing the halter. In truth this was more of an oversight on my part than the result of any definite plan, but I didn't feel like getting down now and fixing it. After all, if I really needed to I could probably use the lunge line, which Fanny was also still wearing, to guide her around the pen if absolutely need-be. As it were though, the mare really didn't seem inclined to go anywhere. So no guiding was needed.

She was just standing there.

And standing there.

And... standing.

After a couple of minutes had passed with nothing happening, I leaned forward slightly and ran my hand along Fanny's brush-like mane. This seemed to do nothing, so I tried patting her neck. This also did nothing. Then I tried talking to her about the whether. She twitched her ears slightly, but otherwise made no move. I even bounced up and down a bit, all to no avail.

Fanny just wasn't having any of it today.

Suddenly, without warning, I felt the mare moving underneath me and I reflexively grabbed at the saddle in preparation for a sudden jolt. But it never came. This is because, contrary to my belief that she was getting ready to hurdle the rail and take off for the next state, Fanny wasn't making a break for it. Quite the contrary, actually. The mare had decided to lay down! It was the ultimate refusal to cooperate - instead of going for a ride, we were just going to hang out. In the bullpen. In one spot. For who-knows-how-long. So there I sat - my knees on the ground while my feet stuck awkwardly out behind me, still in the stirrups, astride a saddle that was firmly attached to a Neravontii who had just as firmly decided to take a nap in the center of the bullpen, twiddling my fingers. Indeed, after laying down Fantasia had wasted no time in stretching her neck out on the ground in front of her and zonking out. Now she was snoring softly, and I was stuck, my legs bent at too odd an angle to easily get my feet free.

Just like her father this one! Although... I had to admit it was nice that she wasn't actively trying to roll over on me.

In the end, I just lay down on top of her and took a nap too. Sometimes it's nice to not have to worry about circulation the way humans do. My electrical wiring and internal clockwork runs perfectly no matter what position I'm in.

[Rondell]

Baby Fantasia - by Me
Penny & Ikelos & Fantasia - by me