The day was rather ordinary on the ranch; work hands were well into their daily chores and the horses were feeling the heat of mid-day. I had spent all morning setting up and preparing my new round pen. I had decided to set it up further away from the barn and other pens as usual since my new guest would need time to get used to the new surroundings. I was just finishing up securing the gate when my phone rang from my back pocket. I galnced at the alarm and hit snooze. Grabbing the toolbox on the ground I jogged back to the tack room and checked my face for dirt and smoothed some fly away hair. I closed the door behind me and ran out to my truck, eager to pick up my precious cargo.
Pulling into the lot I could see there was quite a crowd already loading their horses and leaving. I was a bit late, but glad since it meant I missed the huge crowd. I walked briskly into the office and gathered my paperwork. I was assigned a chestnut gelding with minimal sabino. I took a mental note and proceeded to find the holding pens. Most of them were empty now, so it didn't take long to find my mustang. Leaning against the bars, I took a moment to get a good look at him. He was in his prime at 8 years old, he looked to be of good weight and his coat was healthy and surprsingly clean. The gelding had blue eyes and a unique badger face and I smiled. He didn't seem too rambunctious or frightened; he actually stood calmly on the far side of the pen. I stood back up and glanced around for a staff member, spotting one by the pen next to me. He said this one was finiky with his head, and to be careful loading him. I stood up on the pen and slipped a rope around his neck. This didn't startle him at all, so I led him around to the gate and loaded him up. Well, that was easy.
A short drive later and we were back on the ranch. I backed the trailer up to the round pen, opened both doors and the chestnut trotted right out into the pen for me. This didn't seem like it would be too difficult, after all. I left the rope around his neck and proceeded to enter the pen. He jogged around it, avoiding me as much as possible as I expected. Slowly advancing, I made my way into the center of the pen and sat down...
