[spring.]

it's a damn cold night
trying to figure out this life
won't you
take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
i don't know who you are
but i... i'm with you

what'd he do this time? my phone gently sang, waking me from a dreamless sleep. i swiped left, accepting the call.

"southern cross stables, this is spring how may i help you?"

"yes, you showed interest in the cottonwood ranch mustang make-over... would you like to participate?"

"yes, i mean... please!"

"meet us in texas in no later than six hours."

i rose, pulling on bootcut jeans, a tank top and a belt with the southern cross stables logo embedded on the large buckle. pulling on a back hat to match, i walked out to my trusty silverado, hitching our trailer onto it. bringing a friend and stable hand, i inserted the key. the truck roared the life, and i was off to texas...

-- skip --

"well, you're late enough. he was forfeited, and is just as wild as he was on day one. good luck!"

the owner chipped. the gelding stood in the middle of the paddock, ears back and unsure. i had some experience with wild horses, but never a mustang. he looked at me as i walked into the paddock, a friend backing our trailer right up against the paddock entrance, leaving little room for escape. i walked over to the gelding and he instantly turned and ran the opposite direction. i walked after him, herding him towards the trailer. but he was smart. once i got him closer to the trailer, he started to weave and get even more unsure. "get up!" i called to him, but he was looking for a way out. my friend banged at the fence, trying to get him into the trailer, while the owner held the trailer door, ready to close. "go on! get!" i called, kicking dust towards him, hoping it out spook him into the trailer. finally, he uneasily leapt into the trailer. i jumped in after him, securing him into the back carefully. i carefully backed out of the trailer, and the owner shut the gate. i locked him up and shook hands with the owner.

"he's yours now! you have about twenty three days... no time to waste, yea?"

"good bye and thank you." the truck roared to life once more and i was heading home. i checked on him every so often, taking a lot longer to get home than it took to get there. when i finally got home, i backed my trailer up to a round pen. it was footed with grass and dirt, and a water trough. a chute lead to a sand round pen where i would work with him. as soon as he was released from the trailer, he ran around the edges of the round pen, whinnying. yes, this would be difficult. i sat and watched him from the safety of the fence. i would give him a day before i worked with him. i threw some hay into the pen, and filled the trough with fresh water. before i turned in, i made sure that he actually settled in. now i would have to work on a name.