[Eternal.Rain]

Show Name: My Sterling Silver
Barn Name: Geronimo
Age: 4 years
Gender: Gelding
Breed: Mustang
Color: Dappled Grey
Markings: Blaze, 4 socks, and a mustache
Affiliated Associations: Cottonwood Ranch http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=2316670
Fears: Men

Many thanks to ~Country~ for this gorgeous horse <3

His Owner/Trainer

Name: Bethany
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Family: None, her parents both died in a car wreck just a month ago.
Hair
Color: Brunette
Style: Curly
Length: Mid back

[Eternal.Rain]

--Day 1--

As I roll out of bed this morning, I pull on my favorite pair of blue jeans and a button down purple plaid shirt. I roll the sleeves up to my elbows and walk into the bathroom. I look at my hair and do a double take. My brown curly hair, that is usually comprised of sleek curls that reach my mid back, is currently a ball of frizz. Must not have slept well last night.... I sigh and open the cabinet that sits next to my sink that holds all of my hair products. I quickly grab a bottle of leave-in conditioner and squirt some into my hair. As I flip my head upside down and fun my hands through my hair, I begin to wonder what my new mustang will look like. This is my first time training a wild mustang and my heart in beating with anticipation. I stand up and look at my hair again. The frizz is gone, and curls have begun to take the place. I grab a hair-tie and pull my hair back into a bun at the nape of my neck. I apply my make-up and smile at my reflection, feeling confident this morning. I walk down the stairs to my kitchen and sigh. I still haven't gotten used to walking down here and not seeing my parents. Shaking my head at myself, I walk to the refrigerator and grab the egg, sausage and cheese biscuit sandwich that I had prepared the night before. I throw it in the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds. With a bottle of orange juice in one hand and my sandwich in the other, I grab my purse and walk out the door to my Jeep Wrangler 4 x 4. I was never much of a truck person, but I like my jeep. I climb in and start the long drive to the reservation where my horse is waiting for me.

--2 hours later --

As I pull into the driveway to ranch, I see all of the mustangs running around the corrals. It really is a beautiful sight. I drive up to the house and slowly stop. I step down out of my Jeep and check the connections on my trailer. I walk into the house where a woman at a desk greets me. "Hi," I find myself saying. "I'm Bethany, and I'm here to pick up my mustang." I hand her the necessary paperwork that I was required to bring and she smiles as she takes it. After looking it over and motions to one of the ranch hands to lead me to me horse. I'm very nervous at this point, but excited at the same time. The ranch hand leads me over to one of the corrals where an array of mustangs are tied to the fence. "Which one is mine?" I ask, quietly. "That one." The ranch hand says, pointing to a stunning dapple grey gelding. Upon closer examination, I find that he has a white marking on his nose, in the shape of a mustache. "He's so handsome." I say, smiling. The ranch hand opens the gate and starts toward my new horse. I turn away and walk to my Jeep and pull it around, backing it up to the gate. As I jump out I hear someone yell and I see my new mustang rearing and the ranch hand cowering on the ground. I run into the corral, carefully so I don't make much noise as the scare the other mustangs. I run to my horse and grab his halter. He screams but I hang on, talking to him gently and pulling on his halter. As soon as I get him back on all four feet, I unhook the lead from the fence and attempt to lead him to trailer. He seems to want to get away from the male ranch hand, so he breaks into a run. I let go of the lead so he doesn't drag me with him. To my surprise he runs right into the trailer, breathing heavily. I quickly close the trailer door, and start back to the corral where the ranch hand is finally standing up. "Are you alright?" I ask him, noticing that his hand is bleeding. "No!" He said loudly. "Your "horse" bit me!" I scowl at him and pull him out of the corral. He seems to be a couple of years younger than me, probably only 15 or 16 years old. "It might have helped if you had known that he is afraid of men." I say softly as I close the gate to the corral. "How do you know that he is?" He asked, a look of bewilderment in his eyes. "He eyed you warily when you first walked in, his muscles tensed when you grabbed the lead, and when I came back in he didn't bite me." I smile softly, trying to reassure him, but I am really mad because my horse could have been seriously injured. "You'll want to get that hand looked at soon." I say, as I walk with him back to the house to fill out and collect the papers on my new horse. "Thanks!" I say as I walk out of the house and to my car. I peer into the window on the side of the trailer and my horse appears to be calm, a strange sight for a mustang. Hopefully there is nothing wrong with him. I jump in the car and turn my radio off, wanting to be able to hear everything my new horse may do in the trailer.

-- 2 hours later --

I pull back into my driveway, happy to be home. I pull the car around to the gate that leads to the corral next to the barn. I hop out and open the corral gate. I open the trailer door, but my horse doesn't make a move to get out. Hoping to be able to take the lead off of the halter, I reach into the window slowly and unclip the lead. This startles my horse awake and he backs out of the trailer and bolts into the corral. I close the trailer door, but I don't get in my car. Instead, I walk to the corral and, after closing the gate, stand against the fence, watching my horse. As I watch him jumping and bucking, I begin to think of a name. Because he is Dappled Grey, I decide on "My Stirling Silver" as his show name, and "Geronimo" as his barn name. I smile and walk towards my car to move it in front on my house. This is the beginning of a great summer.

[Eternal.Rain]

-- Days 2 - 3 --

I haven't gotten much sleep these past couple of nights because of Geronimo's piercing screams. He has been so much wilder since he got here, that I finally called the stable where I picked him up at. When I asked why he was acting so different from when I picked him up, they simply told me that the sedatives wore off. Sedatives? Really? I mean I see their point, and they don't want anyone to get hurt... But really? Oh well. He's safe now. I still haven't been able to get near him, not that I've tried of course, but hopefully he'll calm down enough for me to try. I walk outside to the barn, where I enter quietly. I turn on the overhead lights and walk to my horse's stall. His eyes are wide and wild, but he doesn't see me yet. I didn't put him in a regular stall. Rather I put him in a spacious stall, where broodmares give birth. This gives him enough space to feel comfortable and he won't hurt himself too badly if he tries to escape. I walk into the stall next to him, which leads outside into the corral where I keep Geronimo during the day. I slowly walk to his stall door and unlatch it, letting the door open a crack. This gesture gives Geronimo all the encouragement he needs to burst out of the barn and into the open air. I walk to the edge of the corral, watching his every movement, trying not to startle him. He watches me closely, every muscle in his body tense. I slip under the railing and lean my body against the fencing to watch him. He still stands there, his baby blue eyes piercing into me with such mistrust that I feel sorry for him. This is what we have been doing since he got here. I want him to get comfortable with me being around him while still giving him space to do his own thing. Geronimo finally breaks our eye contact and starts trotting the perimeter of half the corral. His gait eventually turns into a gallop, and he runs the arch of the corral, never coming near to me. I can tell that he is slightly comfortable here, with me, because he is not as angry and wild as he has been. That being said, he is still plenty wild, just not as much. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

[Eternal.Rain]

These last couple of weeks have to been, both on me and Geronimo. He has gotten much better about trusting me. He will actually let me stroke him now, but only when HE feels like it. Today I walked up to him and he stretched his nose out to touch my hand before I was even 2 feet away from him. He is turning into such a sweetheart! I'm so proud of him.


I walk outside and into the barn where I walk straight into the tack "stall". I pull Geronimo's new saddle pad out of a hook. It is a gorgeous shade of lilac and grey, patterned into a striking plaid. I've always loved the feel of a brand new saddle pad. A slightly rough exterior on the top, with the softness of lambs wool on the underside. I gently put this one back until later, and grab a different saddle pad that I don't mind him tearing up. I walk back outside and into the corral where Geronimo stands and watches me with curiosity in his blue eyes. He snorts and takes of in a trot, not sure what to make of the pad in my hand. I slowly walk to the middle of the corral and lay the pad down in the dirt. I slowly back up to the edge of the fence and climb out. I lean against the fence post and watch my horse inspect the equine garment. He sniffs it slowly and a cloud of dust blows off of it. He snorts again and trots away, much calmer than he has been in the days since coming home with me. He trots back to the center and sniffs the pad again. This time he sticks out his tongue and licks it. I have to stifle my laugh, as so not to startle him again. As I watch him, Geronimo just stands there, head down and tongue out, trying to identify the smell. He finally takes it in his mouth and gives it a good shake, creating another dust cloud as he does so. He flings it and it lands, with a plop, back down on the ground. He then proceeds to lay down and roll on it, putting his own smell in it. Even though he is still considered "wild" he is a very sweet horse when he wants to be.

[Eternal.Rain]

These last few week shave been super busy, and I have neglected to write any entries. So far I have gotten Geronimo used to his saddle blanket, his saddle, and his polo wraps. Today I have been working on getting him used to his halter. He is still a little head shy, but he loves to have his nose stroked.

As I walk over to him in his corral, he trots right up to be and nudges my neck with his fuzzy nose. I smile, laugh gently, and pat his neck, giving him a hug. He nickers and I step away, holding the halter up to his nose. He sniffs in gently and trots around me, eyeing it carefully. He finally stops and I slide the halter over his nose, just holding it there. He shakes his head slightly, but stands there watching me. I slide the halter up farther on his forehead and I slip it over his ears and step back. He shakes his head again, but doesn't move from his spot. For being the 5th that I've worked on him with his halter, he's taking it surprisingly well. I step back torwards him and fasten his halter slowly and stroke him again, praising him. His halter will continue to stay on him until tomorrow hen I work on his bridle, then his saddle.